[The application of Moiré topography in analysis of face among Taiwanese adults].

Moiré topography has been used in human body measurement for many years. However, the technique has rarely been applied in human facial measurement. The purpose of this study was to review the basic principles and techniques of Moiré topography, and to apply this technique in the three-dimension measurement of human faces. One hundred and thirty seven Taiwanese young adults aged from 18-22, including 70 males and 67 females, took part. Angle Class I occlusal relationship without anterior crowding was selected in this study. The data collected from Moiré topography were scanned and analyzed with the use of a computer. Eight x-values and 28 y-values were recorded, based on pre-set landmarks. The t-test was used to compare the male and female groups. The results of this study were also used to compare with the results reported in related studies. The conclusion are as follows: 1. Most of the data between male and female groups showed significant difference with the exception of the values of Y9, Y28 and Y29. The value of the female group was larger than that of the male group on Y23. However, compared with the male group, the females appeared to have smaller faces. 2. Compared with Kamura's data, this study showed that the Taiwanese young female group (TF) was larger than the Japanese young female group (JF) for the values of X2 X7 and X8. Most of the data for JF were larger than for TF in Y values. This proved that the Japanese young females had larger faces with smaller eyes. 3. The data between TF and the young female group of Taiwan aborigines (AF) showed significant difference at the values of X1, X2, X5 and X6, in which the AF was larger than TF. Contrarily, the TF values for X2, X4 and X8 were larger than those for the AF. It showed that the AF was larger in the facial width, the width between eyes, the nasal width, and the mouth width, but was smaller in the width of eyes. Furthermore, the AF was also larger than the TF in the values of Y2, Y11, Y12, Y13, Y14, Y15, Y16, Y17, Y18, Y23, Y24 and Y25. This showed that the AF had a long middle and lower face and high frontal protrusion. 4. The differences among TF, AF and JF: The narrowest facial breadth: TF The widest breadth of eyes: TF The widest breadth of nose: AF The widest breadth of mouth: AF The longest length of middle & inferior face: JF The highest height of frontal protrusion: AF The shortest length of nose: TF