| Class III malocclusions are particularly prevalent in the Asian population. Threedimensional imaging has improved the ability to portray the three-dimensional characteristics of soft tissue face and underlying skeletal hard tissue. While soft tissue reflects the underlying hard tissue structures, soft tissue may either provide a compensation for hard tissue asymmetry or potentially exacerbate the asymmetry. The current study is novel in that the hard tissue and soft tissue asymmetries are both analyzed relative to the same reference point, and using 3D imaging, we have attempted to elucidate a compensation tendency between the hard and soft tissues. The sample was comprised of 38 adults with Class III malocclusions from a population in Xi'an, China. In accordance with other studies, there appeared to be a left-sided laterality for hard tissue but a greater soft tissue compensation on the right hemiface. The same holds true in the other 2 dimensions, vertical and axial. This study reiterates the importance of proper diagnosis and treatment planning for skeletal asymmetries, and demonstrates the capabilities of using three-dimensional imaging to compare hard and soft tissue simultaneously. |
