Assessment of Soft Tissue Profile Changes Resulting from Maxillary and Mandibular Incisor Movements in Class I Malocclusion Patients

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate soft tissue profile changes resulting from different incisor movements. Methodology: The study involved 40 patients with Class I malocclusion (bimaxillary protrusion/crowding) treated using fixed orthodontic appliances. Pre- and posttreatment lateral cephalograms were analyzed with MAKHTER Facial Analysis Software to assess the correlation between incisor movements and soft tissue profile changes. Results: Maxillary incisor retraction resulted in significant changes in soft tissue landmarks, including labrale superius, sulcus superius, labrale inferius (LI), and stomion superius. In contrast, mandibular incisor retraction showed significant changes predominantly in lower lip landmarks, namely LI and sulcus inferius. Upper lip changes were minimal with mandibular incisor movement. Conclusion: Soft tissue profile alterations are primarily influenced by the horizontal movement of maxillary and mandibular incisors. Maxillary incisor retraction demonstrates a stronger impact on upper lip landmarks, while mandibular incisor retraction significantly affects the lower lip region.