Many clinicians use the cephalometric analysis as a major treatment-planning tool without realizing the inherent flaws that the individual analysis may have. This tendency has been encouraged in the literature by authors who wish to promote a specific analysis. Although the inadequacies of this approach have been previously discussed, it is the purpose of this report to stress this point by reviewing cases where cephalometric analysis played a minimal role in treatment decisions. Selected cases will be presented in which the treatment plan required a careful evaluation of facial morphology in all three planes of space. Each will be discussed, with emphasis on facial morphological characteristics importnat in establishment of the individual treatment goals.