Influence of incisor inclination and anterior vertical facial height on facial attractiveness in an adult Asian male

Abstract

Balanced facial proportions and hard tissue relationships are important factors in facial attractiveness. The objective of this study was to determine the most pleasing maxillary incisal inclination (MII) on the lateral profile and the impact of various lower anterior facial height (LAFH) ratios (at rest and with a smile) on facial attractiveness. This cross-sectional study was performed with 66 raters equally divided into 3 panels: general dentists (GD), orthodontic residents (OR), and laypersons (LP). Lateral profile view photographs of an Asian man were modified using Photoshop software (Adobe Systems, San Jose, Calif) to show altered MII and LAFH ratios at rest and when smiling. Subjective evaluations of facial attractiveness were performed by raters using a visual analog scale. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare esthetic scores among raters, and the Mann-Whitney U test was applied to compare ES between groups. Kruskal-Wallis test showed significant differences in esthetic scores among raters for -10° (P=0.028) and -15° MII (P=0.030). Similarly, significant differences were found in ES for 8% LAFH ratio (P=0.022), and 4% LAFH ratio (P=0.035) at rest. Mann-Whitney U test showed significant differences between raters for -10° and -15° MII and between 8% and 4% LAFH ratio at rest. All groups rated -5° inclinations to be most attractive. General dentists and orthodontic residents found normal LAFH to be the most attractive, whereas long facial height was less attractive with smile. In addition, smile had a camouflaging effect on LAFH.