Korean J Orthod.  1992 Dec;22(4):881-920.

A study on the facial esthetic preferences among Korean youths: assessment of profile preferences

• Song S
• Choi IC

Abstract

This study was designed to assess profile preferences among Korean youths in the year 1992. Facial esthetics was evaluated by means of silhouette profiles, eliminating the influence of a number of aspects that may affect judgment when normal lateral photographs are used. The main points of preference to be clarified here are as follows: First, on facial convexity, Second, on nasion depth, Third, on mentolabial sulcus depth, Fourth, on the position of upper and lower lips, Fifth, on facial type according to Angle's classification of malocclusion, Sixth, on Song's tangents. The 54 subjects printed in questionnaire as black and white silhouettes were selected from 300 tracings from cephalometric radiographs of people whose age ranging from 11 to 20 years. Photographs of six female subjects were retouched by computer graphic software and printed in color and black/white photographs which were used for adaptation of eyes of participants in selecting profiles in silhouette. They constitute 2 questions. The 54 subjects were grouped as 22 questions, each of them composed of 6 subjects, according to the aspects to be clarified. Twenty four questions in total were asked to assess profile preferences. For the assessment, the profile line, the facial esthetic triangle, Song's tangents, and Angle's classification of malocclusion were introduced. The profile line is composed of 11 component points which are Trichion, Glabella, Nasion, Pronasale, Subnasale, Labrale superius, Stomion, Labrale inferius, Supramentale, Pogonion, and Gnathion. The facial esthetic triangle is composed of 3 tangents: A-tangent which is the tangent of dorsum of nose, B-tangent which is the line passing through Sn and Ls, and C-tangent which is drawn on the turning point of the curve which lies between mentolabial sulcus (Sm) and pogonion (Pg). Angle's classification has 3 types of malocclusion which are Class I, Class II, and Class III. Class II malocclusion is subdivided into Division 1 and Division 2. The participants of the survey were composed of 861 college students (448 male students, 413 female students) whose majors grouped as Fine Arts Liberal Arts, and Natural Sciences, and whose mean age 21.8 years. The statistics program SPSS/PC + of SPSS Inc. was used to analyze answers of participants. Crosstabulation, Chi-square test, and Kendall test were done. The conclusions are as follows: First, Korean youths have a tendency to prefer the slightly convex face to the flat or concave face. Second, they prefer a moderately deep nasion. Third, they prefer a moderately deep mentolabial sulcus. Fourth, they prefer the position of lips which are near to Ricketts' E-line. The position of the upper lip which is slightly posterior to E-line is preferred. The upper lip which lies too far anterior or posterior to the lower lip is not perferred. Fifth, they prefer most, according to Angle's Classification of Malocclusion, Class I facial profile which has a slight inclination to Class II division 2. The order of preference is Class I, Class II division 2, Class III, and Class II division 1. Sixth, they prefer the type 2 and 3 of Song's tangents. The facial profile within which A-and B-tangent meet is preferred. The facial profile which has C-tangent that meets with A-tangent slightly posterior to the crossing point of A-and B-tangent or that parallels with B-tangent is preferred.

MeSH Terms

Adolescent*
Computer Graphics
Esthetics
Female
Humans
Judgment
Lip
Male
Malocclusion
Natural Science Disciplines
Nose
Surveys and Questionnaires