Soft Tissue Analysis

Orthodontists use dental, skeletal, and facial traits to diagnose and develop treatment plan for various malocclusions. Dental and skeletal traits help us to understand tooth position along with anteroposterior and vertical discrepancies.To make optimum facial attractiveness one of the treatment goals, the orthodontist must assess the soft tissue on its own merit.Soft tissue analysis enhances the maintenance of normal facial traits as the abnormal characteristics are corrected with orthodontics and surgery. The soft tissue analysis should not, of course, take the place of a comprehensive clinical examination of the patient."Rules that rigidly define esthetics may be impossible, but it is entirely possible to write general guidelines for how to optimize dentofacial esthetics while satisfying other treatment goals." - Arnett