• Paega Jarungidanan D.D.S. (Hons)
• Kanok Sorathesn B.Sc. (Hons), D.D.S. (Hons), M.S. (Orthodontics)

Objective This study aimed to determine the acceptable facial profiles in non-straight profile
patients. Gender difference was also considered to have an effect on the profiles. Orthodontists were
also asked to find out the possible differences in patientsû facial profile preferences.

Materials and methods The patientsû pre-treatment lateral cephalometric radiographs were
traced. Soft tissue landmarks (G, A, Pgû) were marked and facial contour angles (FCA) were
measured. Fifty-eight patients were selected by a purposive sampling method and divided into
3 groups: concave, straight, and convex profiles according to Thai norms. Nineteen orthodontists
were included in this study as the gold standard group. FaceGen Modeller 3.1.2 software was used
to create the facial profile distortion. Eight constructed facial profiles of each sex were presented-2
straight profiles and the other 6 facial profiles starting from decreased FCA to the most concave profile
and vice versa, arranged in random order. As a result, the acceptable facial profile evaluation of
the questionnaire comprised 4 pages: male concave profiles, male convex profiles, female concave
profiles and female convex profiles. The subjects were asked to choose as many çacceptable facial
profilesé as they wished. The subjects were also asked to evaluate their facial profiles. The frequency
of each selected profile was used in the calculations.

Results The straight profile was the most popular facial profile and convex profiles were more
acceptable than concave profiles if there was equal deviation from the straight profile for both subjects
and orthodontists. Convex profile subjects accepted convex profiles equally or more than any other
profile subjects while concave profile subjects tended not to accept severe concave profiles.
Male profiles were more acceptable if deviating from normal. Male subjects could accept the severe
concave profiles more than females. Non-straight profile subjects could assess themselves more
accurately than those with straight profiles.

Conclusion The acceptable facial profiles of straight, convex and concave profile subjects were
different. Overall, patients' acceptable profiles showed the same trend with orthodontists. The gender of
the subject and of the facial profile affected what was considered an acceptable profile.

(CU Dent J. 2008;31:235-48)