Influence of facial convexity on facial attractiveness in Japanese

Objective - The purpose of this study was to assess and determine the range of the top three most-favored facial profiles for each sex from a series of varying facial convexity, and to evaluate the clinically acceptable facial profiles for Japanese adults. Design - Questionnaire-based study. Subjects and methods - Silhouettes of average male and female profiles were constructed from the profiles of 30 Japanese males and females with normal occlusions. Chin positions were protruded or retruded by 2 degrees, 4 degrees, 6 degrees, 8 degrees and 10 degrees, respectively, from the average profile. Forty-one orthodontists and 50 dental students were asked to select the three most-favored profiles for each sex, and they were also asked to indicate whether they would seek surgical orthodontic treatment if that image represented their own profile. Results - For males, both the orthodontists and dental students chose the average profile as the most-favored profile. For females, both the orthodontists and dental students chose a slightly more retruded chin position as the most-favored profile. Japanese raters tended to choose class 11 profiles as more acceptable profiles than class III profiles for both males and females. Conclusions - These findings suggest that Japanese patients with class III profiles tend to seek surgical orthodontic treatment more often.