From Volume 12, Issue 1, January 2019 | Pages 29-31
Discrepancies between dental and facial midlines are not uncommon and these may have a dental or a skeletal cause. When planning orthognathic surgery, a decision must be made whether to accept or correct these. This paper presents a simple technique that uses graph paper to evaluate any midline discrepancies as an aid to pre-treatment discussion and explanation with the patient.
Facial symmetry is long established to be a principal component of an aesthetically pleasing face.1 A symmetric face is perceived as ‘more beautiful’ by layperson observation.2 Perfect bilateral symmetry, however, is rare and the face often has a mild degree of asymmetry, not perceptible on normal everyday observation.3
Prevalence of facial asymmetry in orthodontic patients has been reported as 12%–37% in the US.4,5 This increased to 50% when assessed radiographically.6 A CBCT study by Gribel et al in 2014 demonstrated a similar prevalence rate of 44% of mandibular asymmetries in 250 Class I patients.7
Asymmetry may lie at the hard or soft tissue level and involve skeletal, dental, muscular or functional components.8 Both developmental and environmental influences may be implicated when assessing the aetiology. Chia et al outline four main causes:
Thank you for visiting Orthodontic Update and reading some of our resources. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
