Effects of orthodontic therapy on the facial profile in long and short vertical facial patterns

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of orthodontic treatment on the soft tissue facial profile of patients with long and short facial types. Orthodontic treatment records of 99 white long-faced and short-faced patients were analyzed to determine the effects of edgewise orthodontic treatment over an average period of 2.16 +/- 0.32 years. The average ages at the initiation and conclusion of treatment were 13.40 +/- 0.40 years and 15.61 +/- 0.29 years, respectively. A significant finding in this study was the large variability in soft tissue response to tooth movement. This variability was due to a wide dispersion of individual results between upper and lower lip change to maxillary and mandibular incisor movement anteriorly or posteriorly. Because of this soft tissue variability among individuals, definite differences between the long-faced and short-faced types could not be identified, nor was it possible to establish definite ratios for change in lip response to incisor movements.