Esthetic preferences of orthodontists, oral surgeons, and laypersons for Persian facial profiles.

INTRODUCTION: The patient's perception of facial esthetics is not necessarily consistent with that of the practitioner. The aim of this study was to compare the perceptions of Persian orthodontists, oral surgeons, and laypersons with regard to facial profile attractiveness and the most favorable mandibular position. METHODS: Software (Dolphin Imaging and Management Systems, Chatsworth, Calif) was used to alter the mandibular position depicted on profile photographs of a young man and a young woman. Nine construction profile photos were produced with incremental changes of the G'-Sn-Pg' angle at 2° intervals (6° to 22°). Thirty-two orthodontists, 32 maxillofacial surgeons, and 32 laypersons were asked to score all 18 profiles on a 1-to-10 visual analog scale. They also evaluated whether each profile needed orthognathic surgery for improvement of facial esthetics. Actual agreement and intraclass correlation coefficient tests were used to assess reliability. The data were analyzed using 2-way repeated measures analysis of variance and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. RESULTS: The intraparticipant reliability was acceptable (intraclass correlation coefficient >72%; actual agreement, >79%). The sex of the participants was not a significant factor influencing the scores, although the sex of the models was a discriminating factor for the most acceptable mandibular horizontal position. The scores given by the 3 groups were different, especially for the female model. The orthodontists had similar opinions and preferred a slightly more protrusive mandible (G'-Sn-Pg', 12°-14°). Laypersons' scores were the most inconsistent, and they generally preferred a retrusive profile (G'-Sn-Pg', 14°-18°). There was no significant correlation with regard to the necessity of orthognathic surgery for G'-Sn-Pg' angles over 20° in men and below 8° in women. CONCLUSIONS: Although the laypersons' perceptions were slightly different from those of the clinicians, most participants preferred a more protrusive mandible for male models compared with female models.

The effect of the buccal corridor and tooth display on smile attractiveness.

AIMS: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the lay perception of the effect of the buccal corridor and amount of tooth-gingival display on the attractiveness of a smile in different facial types. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using Adobe Photoshop CS3 software, frontal facial images of two smiling Iranian female subjects (one short-faced and one long-faced) were altered to create different magnitudes of buccal corridor display (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%) and tooth-gingival display (2 mm central incisor show, 6 mm central incisor show, total central incisor show, total tooth show with 2 mm gingival show and total tooth show with 4 mm gingival show). Sixty Iranians (30 males and 30 females) rated the attractiveness of the pictures on a 1-5 point scale. RESULTS: Narrower smiles were preferred in long-faced subjects compared with short-faced subjects. Minimal tooth show was more attractive than excessive gingival display in short-faced subjects. There were no gender specific, statistically significant differences found in the ratings given by the lay assessors. CONCLUSIONS: Harmonious geometry of the smile and face in both the vertical and transverse dimensions influences smile attractiveness and this should be considered in orthodontic treatment planning.

Evaluation of oxygen saturation by pulse-oximetry in mouth breathing patients.

Mouth breathing might not always result in hypoxia, but can contribute to it. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of mouth breathing on hypoxia. Based on a pilot study, 323 patients with mouth breathing were selected. Assessment of mouth breathing was based on clinical examination and questionnaires filled out by patients and their companions. The patients were also examined for further oral findings that could be attributable to mouth breathing. Oxygen saturation of each case was measured by means of a pulse oximetry device. The level of 95% saturation was set as the limit, under which the patient was considered hypoxemic. Acquired data was analyzed for descriptive data and frequency and also by means of the Chi-square and Spearman's correlation coefficient tests. 34.6% of the cases had normal O2 saturation. 65.4% of cases were hypoxemic (saturation level was below 95% in 42.8% and 95% in 22.6%). Most of the mouth breathing patients were male who were also more hypoxemic. A weak inverse relationship existed between the age of the patients and Oxygen saturation. Deep palatal vaults (29.4%) and gingival hyperplasia (29.2%) were the most frequent intraoral findings. Concerning the effects of hypoxia on body systems, the use of pulse oximetry in suspected mouth breathing patients could be recommended in routine oral and dental examinations.