Abstract:
BACKGROUND - Soft tissue analysis has always been an important part of orthodontic
diagnosis and treatment planning. The nose, chin, and lips are the main features of a soft tissue
profile. Among these, the position of the lips significantly changes the choice of treatment. In
addition, the orthodontic treatment program can also change the oral cavity. Therefore,
anteroposterior position of the lips has become one of the most important soft tissues analyzes, as
it affects the occlusion, the stability of the teeth and the beauty of the face.
The “E” plane is basically a line drawn from the tip of the nose to the tip of the chin. Dr. Ricketts
examined how the upper and lower lip associated with that line. He assessed that to have a
pleasing facial profile, the lower lip would be 2 mm behind the line, and the upper lip 4mm
posterior to the line on a typical Caucasian face, with a common variation in patients with
different racial backgrounds, but with some commonalities applying to all patients. Those
commonalities would be that as the lips are closer to the “E” plane, in some cases even being in
front of the plane, the lips and teeth will dominate the smile with the nose and chin seems weak.
And when the lips are far behind the plane, the nose and chin will dominate the smile. Evaluation
of the “E” plane lip relationship before performing any orthodontic treatment is very critical.
OBJECTIVE – To assess lip position using E-line in Jimma University Medical students with
normal occlusion in Oromo ethnic group, Jimma, South West Ethiopia.
METHODOLOGY- A cross sectional study design was conducted for Jimma University
Medical students from April 25 to May 25 in 2022. Subjects, aged between 18years and 25 years
with Angle’s normal occlusion have been evaluated. All subjects who gave their proper consent
were part of the study. Individuals who had previously undergone orthodontic treatment or with
severe facial asymmetry or any vertical or sagittal variations were excluded from the study. Data
was analyzed by statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 23.0. Descriptive statistics
was applied for the analysis of mean, standard deviation (SD) and range.
