Facial Soft Tissue in Subjects with Class II and Class III Facial Deformities: Preliminary Results

Abstract

© 2014, Universidad de la Frontera. All rights reserved. Class II and class III skeletal anomalies require treatments that are both esthetic and functional, so the purpose of this investigation was to study the relationship between facial soft and hard tissues of patients with class II and class III deformities in the lower third of the face. A descriptive study was designed which included class II subjects with a SNB angle less than 78º and class III with a SNA angle less than 80º. The soft tissue width was analyzed in relation to the Pg point, A point, B point, and upper and lower incisor cervical points. The naso-labial angle and interincisal angle were also analyzed. The studies were done using cone beam computerized tomography and analyzed with the software Simplant O & O (Materialise, Belgium). The results revealed similarities in the measurements of the facial width soft tissues with differences of less 1 mm in the Pg point, A point, B point, upper incisor point; the greatest differences were observed between the two groups in thelower incisor cervical point, with almost 5 mm difference in tissue size. The naso-labial angle also presented differences between the two groups, being more closed in the class III than in the class II subjects (approximate difference of 6º). It can be concluded that there are minimal differences in the soft tissue width in class II and class III subjects; other parameters can be analyzed to search for differences that influence treatment planning and strategies for these patients.