2011 Volume 45 Issue 1 Pages 25-30
The three-dimensional soft-tissue maxillofacial morphology of subjects with maxillary protrusion was compared with individuals having normal occlusion in order to evaluate the facial morphology of malocclusion subjects in three dimensions. The radius of curvature, with which characteristics of facial contours can be quantified in three dimensions, was used in this study. In order to create 3D facial data for each subject, a non-contact 3D laser scanner was used to expose 3D facial images of 12 subjects with maxillary protrusion and 26 subjects with individual normal occlusion. Four cross sections were extracted from the 3D facial data and the radius of curvature was calculated for five sections on each cross section. In order to compare facial soft-tissue morphology between maxillary protrusion and normal occlusion, the t-test was performed on 20 patterns of radius of curvature obtained by dividing the four cross sectional planes into five sections. We found that the central region of the anterior nasal spine and the lower lips of subjects with maxillary protrusion protruded more than in subjects with normal occlusion. This study revealed that maxillary protrusion created a very characteristic 3D soft-tissue morphology around the mouth. Hence it may be useful to consider this factor when making diagnoses or designing treatment plans in orthodontic treatment.
