Facial profile evaluation in Japanese-Brazilian adults with normal occlusions and well-balanced faces.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to establish the norms of soft-tissue profile analysis for a sample of Japanese-Brazilian adults.

METHODS

Facial-profile photographs were taken of 60 Japanese-Brazilians (30 men, 30 women) with normal occlusions and balanced faces, ranging in age from 18 to 30 years. The facial-profile variables were measured by computerized means and compared with white norms by using the independent t test.

RESULTS

Statistically significant differences were found in the Japanese-Brazilian sample compared with the white norms. Japanese-Brazilian women had more anteriorly positioned glabellae, smaller nasal projections, and more opened nasolabial angles than white American women. Japanese-Brazilian men had more anteriorly positioned glabellae, smaller noses, larger protrusions of the upper and lower lips, less projected B'-points, and more obtuse nasolabial angles than white American men.

CONCLUSIONS

A single norm for facial-profile esthetics does not apply to all ethnic groups. The normative data for the Japanese population should be used as a guide for comparison during diagnosis, and the orthodontist and the maxillofacial surgeon should also consider each patient's perception of beauty, to establish an individualized treatment plan.