Analysis of the soft tissue profile is recognized as an important aspect for assessing the effect of different surgical methods in patients with a cleft lip and/or palate. Two hundred seventy healthy people with deciduous, mixed and permanent dentition were chosen for photographs. The photographs were measured and the ratios were calculated using the aesthetic indexes of the nasal and lip region used for evaluating cleft lip and palate repairs. Results revealed six measurements were symmetrical in non-cleft patients and the range of ratios was from 99.8% to 106.88%. This study indicated that the indexes were important for evaluation of cleft lip and palate repair. Based on the above results it was concluded that surgery was successful if the ratio was less than 10% when compared to non-cleft patients.
2009 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.