Soft tissue changes after orthodontic anterior retraction in adult Indonesian patients with the dolichofacial type

In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the awareness and interest in facial aesthetics. A pleasant profile is one of the main goals of orthodontic treatment. Orthodontic treatment with anterior retraction changes the soft tissues, particularly those relating to the lips and chin. In addition, soft tissue changes are also influenced by other factors, such as variations in the lip tonus, thickness, and length, sex, treatment mechanism, and racial ethnic background. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the soft tissue changes in the lips and chin after orthodontic treatment with anterior tooth retraction in the adult dolichofacial type. The subjects consisted of 34 patients, aged 17-35 years old, with the dolichofacial type (facial axis < 90°), class I and class II malocclusion, and retraction of the anterior teeth (> 1 mm). The pre- and post-treatment cephalograms of the 34 patients were used to determine the pterygomaxillary line and for the Steiner analysis. The t-test, Pearson's correlation, and multiple liner regression were used to analyze the pre- and post-treatment cephalograms. This study showed the differences in the soft tissue before and after orthodontic treatment with anterior tooth retraction in the dolichofacial type. Maxillary anterior tooth retraction had a significant effect on the upper lip thickness, upper lip position, and lower lip position changes, while mandibular anterior tooth retraction had a significant effect on the lower lip thickness changes. Anterior tooth retraction had a strong correlation with the changes in the lip thickness and lip positions in the dolichofacial type patients.