Associations of facial profile and occlusion in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC) 1966

Thesis event information

Date and time of the thesis defence

Place of the thesis defence

Lecture hall F202, Aapistie 5B

Topic of the dissertation

Associations of facial profile and occlusion in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC) 1966

Doctoral candidate

D.D.S., M.S., Dr.Med.Dent. Georgios Kanavakis

Faculty and unit

University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Medicine, Oral Health Sciences

Subject of study

Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics

Opponent

Professor Janna Waltimo-Sirén, University of Turku

Custos

Professor Pertti Pirttiniemi, University of Oulu

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Associations of facial profile and bite in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC) 1966

The aim of my doctoral thesis was to evaluate the association between the bite and the morphology of the face, in a large group of middle-aged Finnish adults. The bite was evaluated through assessing the relationship between the upper and lower front teeth. The morphology of the face was studied with profile pictures.

The results of this research showed that the relationship of the front teeth is related to the position of the upper lip but does not have a strong influence on the appearance of the facial profile. The study also revealed that there are significant differences in the profile between males and females at the age of 46 years. These differences are related to the fullness of the lips, the morphology of the nose and the position of the chin.

This is the first thesis to investigate such a large population of middle-aged adults and evaluate associations between the bite and the facial profile. The findings will provide valuable information to dentists, orthodontists, orthognathic surgeons and other specialists that are involved in the treatment of the dental and facial structures.

As life expectancy in developed countries is increasing, more middle-aged adults will seek orthodontic and dental treatments to improve their bite and smile appearance. They will benefit significantly from the results of this thesis.
Last updated: 1.3.2023