E-plane
The 'aesthetic plane' defined by Ricketts as a line from the tip of the nose to the tip of the chin, used to assess the antero-posterior position of the lips in profile.
Full Definition
The E-plane, or Esthetic plane, is a soft-tissue reference line in cephalometric analysis drawn from the pronasale (tip of the nose) to the pogonion of the soft-tissue chin. The positions of the upper and lower lips relative to this line indicate soft-tissue profile balance and inform treatment goals for both orthodontic and orthognathic cases. In editorial work, 'E-plane' is the standard rendering; 'Esthetic plane' or 'aesthetic plane' may appear as synonyms and should be flagged for consistency. The hyphenated form 'E-plane' is preferred over 'E plane' or 'Eplane.'
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate as 'E-plane.' Do not confuse with hard-tissue planes such as the Frankfort Horizontal or mandibular plane.
In Context
- "The lower lip was positioned 2 mm anterior to the E-plane, indicating a degree of lip protrusion that warranted extraction." — Case report
- "The author alternates between 'E-plane' and 'aesthetic plane'; please standardise to 'E-plane' per journal house style." — Manuscript copyedit