Evaluation and comparison of soft tissue cephalometric norms in gujarati population using holdaway analysis – A retrospective cephalometric study

• Author Details:   
• Alap Shah
• Sonali Mahadevia
• Shreya Agrawal ^*
• Dhwani Pancholi
• Bharvi Jani

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Aim and Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the soft tissue cephalometric standards through Holdaway analysis for adults of Gujarati ethnic descent and compare them to the norms provided for Caucasians.

Materials and Methods: A total of 500 lateral head films (250 males and 250 females) with balanced soft tissue profiles were chosen from people of Gujarati ethnic descent. Cephalometric measurements were made in accordance with Holdaway's interpretation. SPSS software was used to perform statistical analyses which included independent t-tests and Pearson correlation.

Results: The study revealed significant differences between Gujarati and Caucasian populations in several soft tissue measurements. Gujarati males exhibited greater skeletal convexity (0.188°±1.79°; p ?0.0001), reduced nose prominence (4.588±2.86 mm; p ?0.0001), upper lip strain (1.06±1.29 mm; p ?0.0001) and lower lip thickness (0.712±1.89 mm; p ?0.0001) compared to Caucasian males. Gujarati females showed similar trends with increased skeletal convexity (0.55°±1.71°; p ? 0.0001), reduced nose prominence (5.112±2.47 mm; p ? 0.0001), and increased H line angle (20.052°±3.31°; p ?0.0001). No significant gender differences were found within the Gujarati population.

Conclusion: Notable deviations from Caucasian norms in cephalometric standards for the Gujarati community were observed. Thus when formulating treatment plans for Gujarati patients, orthodontists and surgeons should take these cultural customs into account to provide personalized and efficient patient care.

Keywords: Holdaway analysis, Soft tissue norms, Guajarti population, Cephalometric Study