Perception of Facial Symmetry and Attractiveness

Background. The concept of facial symmetry is very significant from the orthodontic diagnostics point of view, and also for attractiveness assessment. A shift of the midline leads to disharmony, which negatively affects the sense of esthetics. However, a subjective face assessment by different individuals can make a slight, seemingly indefinable asymmetry acceptable. Objectives. The assessment of the perception of the female face symmetry, its attractiveness by dentistry students and by the individuals unrelated to dentistry. Material and Methods. The test group included 101 dentistry students aged from 22-28 years (50 men and 51 women), 102 students of the University of Technology in Wroclaw aged from 20-25 years (52 men and 50 women). The respondents were asked to order, according to their attractiveness, three photos of the face of every individual: one natural and two modified, using graphic software, which were mirror images of the half right and half left face. Additionally, the respondents assessed facial symmetry (6 photos in the scale of 1: 1): of one natural (symmetric) and asymmetrical within mandible, with a pogonion point shifted left of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mm. Results. The respondents have considered as a most attractive the symmetric face, which was the mirror image of the half left face, less attractive was the natural face, and the least attractive was, according to them, the face that was the mirror image of the half right side. The statistical analysis has confirmed the lack of differences in perception of the attractiveness between both test groups (p < 0.772). Among the dentistry students approximately half of the respondents have considered the natural face and the face with the pogonion point shifted of 2 mm as symmetrical. The other versions were classified by most of the respondents as asymmetric. The assessment performed by the individuals unrelated to dentistry was similar, although they have more often indicated the face with the pogonion point shifted of 4 mm as asymmetric. Conclusions. The facial symmetry toward the facial midline is extremely important, although it is not a unique factor affecting the attractiveness. The perception of the asymmetry in the case of the greater deviations from the midline (6-10 mm) was correct in the vast majority of the cases. The greater difficulty was the correct assessment of both symmetrical, as well as slightly asymmetrical face