title: A 3D analysis of Caucasian and African American facial morphologies in a US population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to compare facial morphologies of an adult African-American population to an adult Caucasian-American population using three-dimensional (3D) surface imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  The images were captured using a stereophotogrammetric system (3dMDface(TM) system). Subjects were aged 19-30 years, with normal body mass index and no gross craniofacial anomalies. Images were aligned and combined using RF6 Plus Pack 2 software to produce a male and female facial average for each population. The averages were superimposed and the differences were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most distinct differences were in the forehead, alar base and perioricular regions. The average difference between African-American and Caucasian-American females was 1·18±0·98 mm. The African-American females had a broader face, wider alar base and more protrusive lips. The Caucasian-American females had a more prominent chin, malar region and lower forehead. The average difference between African-American and Caucasian-American males was 1·11±1·04 mm. The African-American males had a more prominent upper forehead and periocular region, wider alar base and more protrusive lips. No notable difference occurred between chin points of the two male populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Average faces were created from 3D photographs, and the facial morphological differences between populations and genders were compared. African-American males had a more prominent upper forehead and periocular region, wider alar base and more protrusive lips. Caucasian-American males showed a more prominent nasal tip and malar area. African-American females had broader face, wider alar base and more protrusive lips. Caucasian-American females showed a more prominent chin point, malar region and lower forehead.
authors.affiliation: Professor C. H. Kau, School of Dentistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Room 305, 1919 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA ckau@uab.edu.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Talbert
authors.forename: Chung How
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kau
authors.forename: Terpsithea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Christou
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vlachos
authors.forename: Nada
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Souccar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D002680:Chin / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005123:Eye / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005546:Forehead / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008046:Lip / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000175:diagnosis; D055171:Nasal Cartilages / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010780:Photogrammetry / Q000379:methods; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult; D015050:Zygoma / Q000033:anatomy & histology
keywords: 3D; African-American; Caucasian-American; Facial morphology; orthodontics