FACE- one of the most nurtured parts of the human body which shows all moods of life. Face also reflects the personality and the inner peace of a person. So how well do you know your face? What various problems you can have in your face? Probably this article will give you a little more insight to the minute details of face.

A beautiful smile reflects a beautiful face; a beautiful face increases aesthetic facial expression and facial appearance. We look for beauty because we conclude from it to precious genetic potentials. They say beauty is not skin deep, it's deeper; I mean the facial bones and teeth represents the deeper aspect.

The components of face are bone, teeth and soft tissue. A harmony or balance between all three components is essential for a beautiful face. Face is divided into three equal proportions from the hairline to the chin in vertical proportion. Face is divided in the sideways also into five equal proportions. These we call it as the Divine Proportion of face. Deviation from normal facial proportions and dental relationships can be severe enough to be handicapping. First jaw function is compromised, extra efforts and compensatory movements usually allow chewing of current soft diet. These people avoid eating certain food in public because they cannot manage them in a socially acceptable way. Secondly dental and facial appearance often leads to discrimination to social interaction. It also affects speech particularly in long face, open bite deformity- (where upper front teeth will not overlap over the lower front teeth forming a gap).

For better or worse facial beauty can influence many aspects of our lives. For example a weak chin and a protruding upper front tooth may affect a person's chance of promotion; stereotypically an individual with a long face and open bite is considered stupid; a sharply protruding chin can have an unfortunate effect on women's appearance. Studies have shown that people with facial deformity also undergo psychological distress, high enough to predict continuing problems in interpersonal relationship and significantly affect the overall quality of life.

In facial deformity individual can have bony or skeletal problem, dental problem or soft tissue problem or a combination of all these problems. In facial skeletal deformity the tooth compensates to the deformed position of the bone. For example in small lower jaw the lower front teeth will protrude for compensating the jaw deficiency. If these people undergo orthodontic treatment (clips in the teeth) the teeth will come in proper relationship, but may not correct the underlying skeletal problems well enough to overcome psychological handicaps. For this reason surgery to reposition the jaws (orthognathic surgery) is often required for successful treatment. Orthognathic surgery is done only by a well trained maxillofacial surgeon in coordination with an orthodontist for teeth alignment.

The commonest problems are very long or short face, very broad or narrow face, excess visibility of gums while smiling or speech or at rest also, protruding upper and lower teeth and jaws, short upper lip, broad nose, small chin, weaker cheek bones etc.

So the question arises who is the candidate for surgery? What age he or she should put clips or undergoes orthognathic surgery or both??

Facts to continue…………..

Dr.J.A.NATHAN,M.D.S.

Consultant Maxillo-Facial Surgeon
Life line hospitals,
Chennai

Before

After