Profile measurement
Soft-Tissue Facial Angle
Angle between the soft-tissue facial line (nasion to chin) and the Frankfort horizontal, measured behind the face. Values below the ideal indicate a retruded chin; values above it a forward (prognathic) chin.
At a glance
- Ideal
- 88–94°
- Unit
- degrees
- Weight in the overall score
- 4
- Area
- Profile
How it is measured
∠ between N→Pog and Or→Po (Holdaway)
- N Nasion — The deepest point of the dip between the forehead and the bridge of the nose.
- Pog Pogonion — The most forward point of the chin.
- Po Tragion (porion) — The top of the tragus — the small flap in front of the ear canal. With orbitale it defines the Frankfort horizontal.
- Or Orbitale — The lowest point of the bony eye-socket rim, just below the lower eyelid.
Ideal range and tiers
Each value falls into a tier (T1 = ideal). Comfortably inside T1 the rating is 10, easing to 9.5 at the edges of the ideal range; beyond it the rating falls with the deviation — fastest in the first tiers outside the ideal — down to 0 at the far end of the worst tier.
| Tier | Range | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| T1 Ideal | 88–94° | 9.5–10 |
| T2 Near ideal | 85–88° or 94–97° | 5.8–9.5 |
| T3 Moderate deviation | 82–85° or 97–100° | 2.8–5.8 |
| T4 Significant deviation | < 82° or > 100° | 0–2.8 |
Differences between populations
Optional population norms move this range by the difference reported between groups measured the same way:
- Middle Eastern: −2°.
Individual faces vary far more within any group than between groups; these are averages, not targets.
Related measurements
References
- Holdaway RA. A soft-tissue cephalometric analysis and its use in orthodontic treatment planning. Part I. Am J Orthod. 1983;84(1):1–28.