Soft tissue profiles of young oriental adults

Chung, Kyu Rhim; Park, Young Guk; Chu, Stephen; Kui, Fu Min

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare four groups of Oriental young adults (169 males and 174 females) with normal occlusion and well balanced faced. Lsteral cephalograms of 100 Koreans, 100 Chinese, 73 Vitnamese and 71 Japanese were digitized and six profile measures were computed. Analyses of variance showed that total facial profile(GI'-Pr'-Pg') of Chinese was significantly less convex than the profile of Koreans or Vietnamese. Facial profile(GI'-Pr'-Pg') of Chinese was also significantly less convex than that of Vietnamese. Holdaway's soft tissue angle(Pg'-LS:N-B) was significantly greater in Vietnamese than Chinese and Koreans, who were in turn greater than Janpanese. The upper of Vietnamese is significantly closer to Ricketts' esthetic plane, than Chinese; Koreans and Japanese are significantly further behind the plane than Chinese. The lower lip of Koreans and Janpanese was close to the esthetic lpane, while Chinese and Vietnamese were approximately wmm ahead. The nasolabial angle was significantly smaller for Chinese and Japanese than Koreans and Vietnamese. Sex differences were primarily dependent on the nose; total facial convexity and the nasolabial angle wee significantly larger in females than males. The results of this study demonatrate that a single standard of facial profile id not sufficient or appropriate for Oriental patients.