Facial soft tissue thickness among skeletal malocclusions: is there a difference?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the soft tissue thickness of male and female orthodontic patients with different skeletal malocclusions. METHODS: Soft tissue thickness measurements were made on lateral cephalometric radiographs of 180 healthy orthodontic patients with different skeletal malocclusions (Class I: 60 subjects, Class II: 60 subjects, Class III: 60 subjects). Ten measurements were analyzed. For statistical evaluation, one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed. Least significant difference (LSD) and Dunnet T3 post hoc tests were used to determine the individual differences. RESULTS: Soft tissue thicknesses were found to be greater for men than for women. Statistically significant differences among the skeletal groups were found in both men and women at the following sites: labrale superius, stomion, and labrale inferius. The thickness at the labrale superius and stomion points in each skeletal type was the greatest in Class III for both men and women. On the other hand, at the labrale inferius point, for both men and women, soft tissue depth was the least in Class III and the greatest in Class II. CONCLUSIONS: Soft tissue thickness differences among skeletal malocclusions were observed at the labrale superius, stomion, and labrale inferius sites for both men and women.