Appraisal of the cephalometric norms for the upper and lower lips of the South Indian ethnic population

AIM: The guidelines for planning an improvement in the facial appearance till recently existed in the form of evaluation of linear and angular parameters and ratios related to the hard tissues in the various cephalometric analyses. The present study aimed at establishing Arnett et al.'s norms of the upper and lower lip for the local population and assessing the extent by which these differ from the original norms proposed by Arnett et al. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty pretreatment lateral cephalograms (20 males and 20 females) with normal occlusion and well-balanced face were chosen for this study. Upper and lower lip lengths, thicknesses, and chin thickness were all measured according to soft tissue cephalometric analysis by Arnett et al. RESULTS: The obtained data were statistically analyzed and compared with other studies. CONCLUSION: Males had thicker and longer upper and lower lips when compared to females, but they were comparatively thinner than the results of Arnett et al. Females had more interlabial gap than males. The difference in soft tissue parameters in different ethnic groups shows the importance of defining what is optimal for a particular group.