Prevalence of facial asymmetry in Tirupati population: A posteroanterior cephalometric and photographic study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The human face is the most prominent aspect in human social interactions, and therefore, it seems reasonable opting for orthodontic treatment is to overcome psychosocial difficulties relating to facial and dental appearance and enhance the quality of life in doing so. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Posteroanterior cephalograms and frontal photographs of 100 participants (50 males and 50 females) were analyzed to evaluate skeletal asymmetry by the analysis suggested by Grummons. Soft tissue facial asymmetry was analyzed by composite photographic analysis. The data were statistically analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16.0 software. Independent t-test was used to find the differences between different measurements. RESULTS: All participants showed mild asymmetry and right-sided laterality. The difference between the right and left sides were statistically insignificant (P > 0.01). The test revealed that only Co distance was statistically significant (P < 0.01), and all the other values are not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Composite photographs of hundred participants revealed that facedness is towards the right, however, this laterality was not statistically significant. Both posteroanterior cephalograms and composite photographs showed right-sided laterality. Gender difference in both skeletal and soft tissue asymmetry is not statistically significant.