Profile planning based on alterations in the positions of the bases of the facial thirds.

To analyze the profile properly, the size and position of the bases of the facial thirds must be known. In this study an average face was created by standard cephalometrics. The bases of the facial thirds were then moved in the horizontal or vertical direction, and the soft tissue profile was drawn to correspond to the skeletal changes. The results show how underlying skeletal abnormalities influence the profile. The terms used to describe the size and position of the bases serve as an aid in profile planning.