Influence of facial components in class III malocclusion esthetic perception of orthodontists, patients, and laypersons

Purpose The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of different facial components (face length, lip volume, nose size, and cheekbone contour) on the perception of facial attractiveness of patients with Angle class III malocclusion in different categories of responders (orthodontists, laypersons, patients) with two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) simulations. Methods An ideal standard 3D face was manipulated to create a class III facial malocclusion. Four facial components were modified (face length, lip volume, nose size and cheekbone contour) and the resulting simulations were used to obtain 2D figures and 3D videos, which were evaluated in a survey by orthodontists, patients, and laypersons. Results No significant differences were detected between the 2D figures and 3D video simulations. Good correspondence was shown between the three categories of responders for the most and the least attractive faces. Smaller lips and bigger nose, regardless to the vertical dimension (short or long face), were found to be the least attractive features with agreement of all respondents. Conclusion Regarding class III facial attractiveness perception, the sum of all facial features and not the alteration of a single component alone seems to play a key role in the perception of facial attractiveness. The 2D or 3D perspective did not play a significant role in perception and the analyzed categories of responders did not show significant differences when perceiving facial attractiveness of the utilized simulations.