Soft tissue facial considerations andorthodontic treatment

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review soft tissue considerations for orthodontic treatment planning so that specific treatment objectives can be defined before making any treatment decisions. Soft tissue objectives that must be considered in the treatment planning process include the following: retract, maintain, or protract upper and/or lower lip; increase, maintain, or decrease vermilion display (lip thickness); reduce lip strain, mentalis muscle strain, and interlabial gap or maintain lip competence; increase, maintain, or decrease nasolabial angle; increase, maintain, or decrease mentolabial angle; increase or maintain cervicomental angle; reduce, maintain, or increase the gingival display on smiling; improve facial asymmetry; increase, maintain, or decrease width of the alar base; and increase, maintain, or decrease the vertical and/or antero-posterior projection of the soft tissue chin. To formulate these treatment objectives, a review of the literature in terms of soft tissue changes with growth, soft tissue changes with treatment (effects of extraction and nonextraction therapy, headgear and functional appliances, protraction facemask, orthognathic surgery), and the smile is provided.