Dental Medicine and Orthodontics

Facial beauty has been a major factor since the ancient times; the perception of a beautiful face had varied across historical period and among human culture. People have always had their own ideal of beauty. Keeping this in mind beauty and esthetics, orthodontists have begun to pay particular attention to the facial profile and soft tissues when evaluating a patient for a treatment. Aim of the study was to evaluate and to correlate the anteroposterior position of lips on cephalometry using E line and Merrifield line and determine the most preferred soft tissue profile photographically in orthognathic Filipino adult patients. From the results of the study for adult Filipino patients with class I skeletal pattern, the mean difference of Z angle and E line to normal standard found was as higher as compared to normal standards. The mean Z-angle of Filipinos is 71.09±6.94 (standard value is 75-78), mean upper lip to E line is -0.38±2.18 (standard value is -4 mm) and 0.89±2.26 on lower lip to E line (standard is -2 mm as Filipinos have more protruded lips, round nose unlike Caucasians who have long noses and less protruded lips. So prior extractions, anterior position of lips should be well considered. For Filipino male and female, there was no difference in E line to upper lip and lower lip. But there was a higher Z angle of Filipino female than male. For Filipino adults when Eline and Merrifield line was compared there was a correlation found. As the E line increases Z angle decreases. For the perceptions orthodontist, orthodontic residents and laymen preferred figure B who had E line upper lip -2 mm lower lip -1 mm, Z angle was 77 degrees while least preferred was picture H whose Merrifield was 75 degrees E line upper lip was -3.5 mm and lower lip was 2 mm.