Esthetic evaluation of profile photographs showing various sagittal and vertical patterns.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine the esthetic preferences of people at different levels of society and also to determine whether this preference is affected by sex, age, education level, social status, geographic region, and individual profile factors. METHODS: Facial profile photographs of 1 man and 1 woman, each having a profile designated as ideal (the ideal profile), were digitized. The sagittal and vertical dimensions of these photographs were modified, and 9 variations of each profile picture were obtained using different combinations of alterations. The photographs were scored by 373 participants. For the analysis, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis-H tests were used in the comparison of the scores. RESULTS: The ideal profile was the most preferred in both sexes, whereas the least preferred was a severe Class III malocclusion with a reduced vertical dimension of 8 mm. In general, esthetics decreased as it moved away from the ideal profile in a sagittal or vertical direction. CONCLUSIONS: Some factors from among those sampled (sex, age, education, social status, geographic region, and personal profile) affected esthetic preference, whereas others did not.