Soosan Sadeghian - Assistant professor , Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Khorasgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
Mahsa Sadat Mortazavi - Postgraduate Student, Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, Khorasgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
Mehrnoosh Kazemzadeh - Dentist
‪Faegheh Gholinia - Assisstant professor, Oro-Maxillofacial Developmental Disease Resaerch Center ,Department of Orthodontics,Guilan university of Medical Sciences,Rasht,Iran

Background and aim: Today, consideration of soft tissue, esthetic and appropriate facial harmony in patients have been regarded as the base for orthodontic treatments. Therefore, awareness of soft tissue profile changes during growth is essential for orthodontists. The purpose of this study is to determine the changes of soft tissue profile during growth in both sexes. Materials and method: In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, lateral cephalometric images of ۶۰ individuals (۳۰ boys and ۳۰ girls) between ۸ and ۱۸ years old were studied. Cephalometric analysis was done and Independent T and Pearson Correlation tests were used for data analysis. Results: Findings in the present study indicated that nose height, nose depth, lips height, upper lip thickness and soft tissue chin thickness increased significantly in the both sexes with increasing age. Increasing lip thickness in point Ls and lower lip thickness in point Li were only significant in boys group, whereas angle of soft tissue facial convexity excluding the nose and lower lip thickness had no significant increase in the both sexes. Angle of soft tissue facial convexity including the nose reduced significantly in both sexes with increasing age.Conclusion: Different measures change variously in males and females between ۸ to ۱۸ years old and being aware of these changes will help orthodontist in getting the best decision in preadolescent and adolescent treatment planning.

Growth changes, Soft tissue profile, Lateral cephalometry