| Aim. This study investigated the level of awareness laypeople have of their profiles. Materials & methods. Ninety-one adults were selected based on no history of craniofacial trauma or congenital anomalies, no orthodontic or orthognathic surgery treatment, and no missing teeth or use of prosthesis. Each subject completed a questionnaire and a standardized pictorial survey designed to self-evaluate four profile dimensions: vertical, maxillary, mandibular and dento-alveolar. The profiles that looked acceptable to each subject were used to determine their ''zone of acceptability''. Angular measurements were obtained from standardized photographs taken of each subject and were used to correlate their self-perception of their profile with their actual profile. Results. The results showed that laypeople are generally unaware of their profile. There were a few, albeit weak, correlations suggesting that profile awareness is limited to the horizontal dimension. There was no correlation between what the subjects looked like and their ''zone of acceptability''. Approximately 56% of the subjects liked their profile; 78% indicated that they would not change their profile, regardless of whether they liked it, did not like it or did not know. Of those who wanted to make changes, they primarily wanted to change their nose and upper lip. Conclusion. Self-awareness of facial profiles is not high among laypeople. Regardless of what they look like, most people are content with their facial appearance. |
