Skeletal Pattern of Post-orthodontic Female Patients With Attractive Frontal Smile

Objectives: To investigate the skeletal pattern of adult female patients with attractive frontal posed smiles after orthodontic treatment.
Methods: The attractiveness of photographs of frontal posed smiles of 100 adult females after orthodontic treatment, excluding orthognathic surgery cases, were evaluated by 20 dental students (10 males, 10 females) using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Posttreatment lateral cephalograms of the patients with the 20 most attractive smiles (Group A; mean age, 23.75±3.35 years) and the patients with the 20 least attractive smiles (Group B; mean age 23.25±4.42 years) with appropriate image quality were selected and 17 skeletal measurements utilized in related previous studies were analyzed. The results of cephalometric measurements were compared between the two groups using Mann-Whitney’s U test (P≤0.05).
Results: Significant differences between Groups A and B were found in eight of the 17 cephalometric measurements. Specifically, Group A exhibited greater upward rotation of the mandible, a more anterior position of the pogonion, and a smaller anterior facial height than Group B.
Conclusions: Female patients with attractive frontal posed smiles after orthodontic treatment showed a low-angle skeletal pattern with smaller anterior facial height measurements. In order to obtain an attractive frontal smile in orthodontic treatment, the skeletal pattern of each patient should be considered.