ABSTRACT
The perception of facial esthetics is critically important to orthodontists. A viewpoint to facial esthetics is influenced by various factors and dependent on the perception of observer. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences regarding esthetic viewpoints among orthodontists, to identify attractive profiles preferred to orthodontists and to present the characteristic aspects of attractive profiles upon the degree of facial convexity. 35 persons whose faces were judged as attractive one by 5 orthodontists were selected out of 133 young Korean women. Soft tissue profiles identified as a good-profile group were measured and analyzed. And then according to the facial convexity, good-profile group was subdivided to convex (G-Sn-Pg9degrees) and straight (G-Sn-Pg<9degrees) groups for the purpose of this study. There were statistically no significant differences regarding esthetic viewpoints among 5 orthodontists(p<0.05), even if there exists prevailing concept that the standard for facial esthetics is substantially subjective. N-Pg-Sn and N-Pg-Pn, measured for determining anteroposterior relationship of midfacial convexity, showed significant differences statistically between 2 subgroups (p<0.05) while nasolabial angle, labiomental angle, and vertical measurements didnt show statistically significant difference between 2 subgroups (p<0.05). And all the measurements related to lip position, H-angle, Ls to E line, Li to E line and Pg to Sn perp., had statistically significant differences between 2 subgroups (p<0.05). The results indicate that the attractive facial profile has different characteristics to be recognized as a good facial pattern, which depend strongly on anteroposterior position of nose, upper and lower lips, and chin.