Mid-sagittal Facial Soft Tissue Depth and Angular Facial Height - A Comprehensive Study

Background: Craniofacial dimensions and facial soft tissue depths help forming the overall appearance of the face. Little is known about their dynamics with respect to facial growth and angular facial height. Aim: This study determines correlation of the mid-sagittal facial soft tissue thicknesses with cephalic angulations and their changes with age and sex. Materials and Methods: Ninety lateral cephalograms were collected and divided into three age groups. Image J (R) software (version 1.50) was used for analysis. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS software (R) (version 20.0). Results: Thicknesses at the mid-sagittal points exhibited sexual dimorphism. There was significant difference in facial soft tissue thicknesses among the age groups. Significant difference in the lower lip region was found with Angle's class III molar occlusion. Soft tissue depths had significant positive correlation with age. Angular facial height presented strong negative correlation with age. Conclusion: There is a strong inverse correlation between facial soft tissue thickness in the midline and angular facial height