RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess and determine the range of the top three most-favored facial profiles for each sex from a series of varying facial convexity, and to evaluate the clinically acceptable facial profiles for Japanese adults. DESIGN: Questionnaire-based study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Silhouettes of average male and female profiles were constructed from the profiles of 30 Japanese males and females with normal occlusions. Chin positions were protruded or retruded by 2 degrees , 4 degrees , 6 degrees , 8 degrees and 10 degrees , respectively, from the average profile. Forty-one orthodontists and 50 dental students were asked to select the three most-favored profiles for each sex, and they were also asked to indicate whether they would seek surgical orthodontic treatment if that image represented their own profile. RESULTS: For males, both the orthodontists and dental students chose the average profile as the most-favored profile. For females, both the orthodontists and dental students chose a slightly more retruded chin position as the most-favored profile. Japanese raters tended to choose class II profiles as more acceptable profiles than class III profiles for both males and females. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that Japanese patients with class III profiles tend to seek surgical orthodontic treatment more often.