Bimaxillary protrusion in a Sudanese sample: A cephalometric study of skeletal, dental and soft-tissue features and treatment considerations

Abstract

Introduction: Bimaxillary protrusion (BP) is a condition that results in the convexity of the face and lip incompetence. There are two forms of BP, a dentoalveolar type and a skeletal type each requiring a different treatment plan. Aims: The aims of this study were to cephalometrically determine the skeletal, dental and soft-tissue features of a sample of Sudanese adults with BP to establish the origin, growth pattern, and presence of gender dimorphism. Design: Descriptive, retrospective study. Setting: Orthodontic Clinics in University of Khartoum, Khartoum Dental Teaching Hospital and University of Science and Technology. Materials and Methods: Pretreatment lateral cephalometric radiographs of 60 patients (30 males and 30 females) with BP (mean age 25.4 ± 6 years) were collected and manually traced. Twenty-two variables were assessed and compared to Sudanese norms ( n = 73) which included (35 males and 38 females) of similar age (22.5 ± 3 years) using Student t -test and one sample t -test. Results: The sample revealed significantly smaller SNA, SNB angles and increased incisor protrusion and lip thickness than Sudanese norms ( P P Conclusion: It can be concluded that facial convexity in Sudanese patients with class 1 molars is a result of bimaxillary dentoalveolar protrusion and increased lip thickness. The patients also revealed a vertical growth pattern with males and females demonstrating similar cephalometric profiles. Treatment of such patient entails extraction of all first premolars with maximum anchorage.