A cross-sectional study: correlation of forehead morphology and dentoskeletal malocclusion in Chinese people

Abstract

Background The lateral profile is an important indicator of facial attractiveness. This study explored the general characteristics of the forehead profile and protrusion, and their relationship with related factors in structure and development. Methods Four hundred fourteen Chinese participants in the Yangtze River Delta region were involved. Including 206 males (17.15 ± 7.68 years old) and 208 females (18.35 ± 8.06 years old); 94 children (8.54 ± 2.21 years old, ranging from 4 to 12 years old), 166 adolescents (14.83 ± 1.50 years old, ranging from 13 to 17 years old), and 154 adults (25.52 ± 4.89, 18 years or older). The frontal section of the forehead was used to explore its shape. The straight distance between the vertical line of the FH plane through the nasal root point and its parallel line, which is tangential to the forehead, indicates the forehead prominence. Frontal sinus width was measured using the method described by Mahmood. Results The general shape of the forehead was straight and slightly bulged near the eyebrow arch in males but rounder in females. The average forehead protrusion in males was higher than that in females in adults. Significant differences in forehead protrusion between the dentoskeletal classifications and growth phases were notable. Frontal protrusion significantly correlated with frontal sinus depth, especially in males, adults, Class I, and those whose convex points were located in the lower section of the forehead. Conclusions Age, race, and sex affect the forehead protrusion and frontal sinus width. Forehead protrusion may be an indicator of dentoskeletal deformities in the early stage. And dentoskeletal deformities may impair the correlation between the frontal sinuses and forehead protrusion during development. Trial registration This retrospective, cross-sectional study was reviewed and approved by the Research Ethical Committee (T2020008), and registered at ClinicalTrial.gov with an identified number (ChiCTR2100041913).

Is There Variation in the Morphology of the Frontal Sinus in Individuals with Different Craniofacial Patterns? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

“…Of the searches via other methods, only two studies were evaluated for eligibility, and both were selected. Finally, 14 studies were included in the present review [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22].…”

“…Of a total of 39 records that were full were excluded (reasons provided in Figure 1 and a complete list of exclusions in Supplementary Table S2), leaving 12 records for inclusion. Of the searches methods, only two studies were evaluated for eligibility, and both were selected 14 studies were included in the present review [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. The studies were published between 2010 and 2024 and were conducted on adolescents and adults of different ethnicities.…”

“…The studies were published between 2010 and 2024 and were conducted on adolescents and adults of different ethnicities. Nine of the fourteen studies performed evaluations of craniofacial and frontal sinus patterns on cephalometric radiographs [9][10][11][12][13][14]16,17,22], while the remainder performed their evaluations on conventional computed tomography or cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) [15,[18][19][20][21]. Two studies complemented their radiographic evaluations with postero-anterior radiographs [10,11].…”

“…Seven studies compared some measures of the frontal sinus according to skeletal malocclusion (determined by ANB angle values) [12][13][14]16,17,19,22], while only two compared them according to the vertical growth pattern [15,21]. Nine of the fourteen studies analyzed the correlation of craniofacial skeletal measurements with frontal sinus measurements [9][10][11]13,15,[17][18][19][20].…”

“…The current literature has been showing that the frontal sinus development is associated to the maxilla and mandible development. Individuals with different skeletal malocclusions may have a different morphology of the frontal sinus [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”