Cephalometric measures as indicators of facial attractiveness

Orthodontic treatment is frequently undertaken to improve facial appearance. However, the contribution of the components of malocclusion to perceptions of attractiveness is not clear. This study uses three panels of judges--undergraduates, dental students, and orthodontic residents--to quantify the associations between common objective measures of dental and skeletal anteroposterior disproportion and subjective perceptions of facial attractiveness. Consistent and similar correlations between anteroposterior measures and facial attractiveness rankings are shown for all three panels, with overjet being most strongly associated with rankings of attractiveness.