title: Perception of facial attractiveness by patients, peers, and professionals.
abstract: Self-perception of facial attractiveness of 19 women (15 with Class II malocclusion and four with Class I malocculsion) was compared to the perceptions of the patient's peers, five orthodontists, and five oral surgeons. Each respondent ranked a set of four standardized facial photographs of each patient from most (1) to least (19) attractive. A surgical treatment plan was recommended for all of the Class II patients. However, only nine accepted surgery; six elected to undergo camouflaging orthodontics only. There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of ranks given to the Class I, Class II camouflage-only, and Class II surgery groups by the panels. Overall, the Class I patients were judged most attractive. The Class II patients who elected to undergo orthodontics only were given mid-ranks, and the patients who elected surgery were ranked least attractive, although the distributions for overjet, point A-nasion-point B, and motivations for treatment were similar in the two groups. The distribution of self-ranks given by the patients were not significantly different among the three groups, although than the Class II patients perceived themselves as less attractive than the Class I patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, Chapel Hill 27599-7450, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010358:Patient Participation; D010379:Peer Group; D010552:Personality Assessment; D012649:Self Concept; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric