Improving lip aesthetics in the face profile after treatment of class II, division 2 malocclusion

The aims of our research were as follows: 1) Description of changes in the position of the upper and lower lips, as a result of the change in the position of upper and lower incisors after orthodontic treatment of malocclusion of Class II, division 2 type. 2) Determination of correlation between changes in the position of lips and incisors in the profile of the face after orthodontic treatment of malocclusion of Class II, division 2 type.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study analyses the documentation of 115 patients with malocclusion of Class II, division 2 type treated with a fixed orthodontic appliance in the upper and lower dental arches at the Orthodontic Department of the Clinic of Dentistry in Olomouc from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2017. There were 78 women and 37 men aged 11 to 36 years included in the database. Cephalometric images of patients from the group taken before and after the treatment were used for the purpose of cephalometric analysis according to Kamínek (1) and Burstone's analysis (2) of soft tissues. Subsequently, all output data were processed statistically.

While the protrusion of the incisors after treatment of malocclusion of Class II, division 2 type was 3 mm, the facial profile showed statistically significant changes in soft tissues in the ventral direction by 1 mm on average just in the area of the upper and lower lips, which means a shift corresponding to one third of teeth movement.

A statistically significant change in the position of incisors, soft tissues as well as correlation between changes in hard and soft tissues in the face profile after orthodontic treatment of malocclusion of Class II, division 2 type were demonstrated. The more the incisors were inclined, the more the lips moved forward, and the patient's profile turned out to be aesthetically improved (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 39).