The relationship between 3D facial scan soft tissue measurements and CBCT skeletal measurements

Objective: To assess the relationship between soft tissue measurements derived from a 3D facial scan (3DFS), and the corresponding 3D cephalometric skeletal measurements derived from CBCT.Methods: Thirty-seven patients, who had undergone CBCT scans for diagnostic purposes, were also scanned using a structured light 3D facial scanning system. The 3D facial scans and CBCT data were analyzed to extract soft tissue and skeletal measurements, respectively. The relationship between soft tissue linear and angular measurements and corresponding skeletal measurements was analyzed using the Pearson Correlation Coefficient (R). Multivariable linear regression models were applied to predict skeletal measurements based on facial scan data.Results: All measurements showed statistically significant positive correlations. The regression model demonstrated a significant prediction ability for most of the skeletal measurements using soft tissue data from the facial scans. (p-value  0.05).Conclusions: 3D facial scan measurements exhibit strong correlations with corresponding skeletal measurements and can be used to predict these skeletal measurements. This supports the use of 3D facial scans as a non-invasive, simple tool for initial diagnostic screening, reducing the need for radiographic imaging unless necessary.