Final incisor position across sagittal and vertical skeletal patterns in Chinese orthodontic patients with acceptable posttreatment profiles.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the distribution of final incisor position in orthodontically treated Chinese patients with acceptable profile outcomes across different sagittal and vertical skeletal patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Posttreatment lateral cephalograms of 727 patients aged ≥ 16 years were analyzed. Patients were stratified according to pretreatment sagittal skeletal classification (Class I, II, III) and vertical skeletal pattern (low, normal, high angle). Incisor inclination, anteroposterior position (AP position) and vertical level were compared among groups. RESULTS: Incisor inclination differed significantly across both sagittal and vertical skeletal patterns, with angular differences reaching 12.09° (d > 1.0). Sagittal skeletal classification exerted a dominant influence on maxillary incisor AP position, with intergroup differences in U1-NA exceeding 2.3 mm (d > 1.14), whereas mandibular incisors demonstrated limited AP displacement (< 2 mm) despite marked angular variation. Pogonion-referenced indices (U1-Pog, L1-Pog) differed significantly across sagittal and vertical patterns (P < 0.001), reflecting systematic variation in incisor position relative to facial projection. CONCLUSIONS: Final incisor position did not converge toward a single common reference. Incisor inclination varied with both sagittal and vertical morphology. Anteroposterior position was associated mainly with sagittal pattern, especially in the maxillary incisors, whereas mandibular incisors showed limited anteroposterior displacement. Chin-referenced measurements provided additional information on final incisor position in relation to facial projection. These findings provide descriptive skeletal-pattern-conditioned reference distributions, rather than universal reference values or evidence-based optimal treatment targets.