The aesthetic analysis of the face.

An analysis of the facial soft tissues is presented which permits aesthetic considerations of facial harmony and balance to be measured, and assessed quantitatively. The assessment is carried out in a practical and straight-forward manner, avoiding the measurement of angles. The visually determined Aesthetic Horizontal Line is used as the reference line, with more reliability than the Natural Head Position and more relevance to the soft tissues than Frankfort Horizontal. The analysis accurately predicts the correct position of the mandible so that the extent of orthopaedic or surgical correction necessary can be evaluated. The ideal position and angulation of the maxillary incisors are determined and established as treatment goals, to give optimal exposure of the dentition in expressive behaviour. Comparison of before and after treatment cephalograms permits quantitative assessment of aesthetic change.