Influence of facial convexity on facial attractiveness in Japanese

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.

Questionnaire-based study.

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.

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 II profiles as more acceptable profiles than class III profiles for both males and females.

These findings suggest that Japanese patients with class III profiles tend to seek surgical orthodontic treatment more often.