Effect of facial convexity on lip positions of esthetic chinese facial profile

Abstract

Objective To determine the influence of facial convexity on preferred lip position in profile. Methods Average male and female profiles were constructed from the profile of a young Chinese man and woman who have esthetic Chinese facial profile. Changes in facial convexity were established by altering the antero-posterior position by protruding or retruding the chin in increments of 5° and 10° from the average profile. The lips were then protruded or retruded in 1 mm increments from the average profile and 9 silhouettes were arranged respectively. One hundred and eighty college students were asked to rate the top three most favored, well-balanced profiles. Results Slightly retruded lip positions were preferred for the average profile; The raters tended to prefer more retruded lip positions as the facial convexity decreases and more protruded lip positions as the facial convexity increases. Conclusions The facial convexity does significantly impact preferred lip position and different esthetic standards should be applied to the various profiles encountered in clinical practice. The results might be helpful in decisions between extraction and nonextraction treatment in borderline cases. Key words: Facial convexity; Lip position; Facial Profile