Facial profile esthetics change of class II malocclusion patients treated with the herbst appliance as perceived by orthodontists and laypersons

Abstract

Introduction/Objective The recognition of differences in individual assessment of facial attractiveness could be valuable assistance in planning the orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to compare facial profile attractiveness changes of patients treated with the Herbst appliance perceived by orthodontists and laypersons. Methods The patient sample comprised 33 young Caucasian still-growing patients, aged 14–18 years, with skeletal class II malocclusion treated with the Herbst and multibracket appliances. Facial profile photographs before and after the treatment were shown to 54 orthodontists and 50 laypersons. In the esthetics oriented poll, the evaluators rated the change in facial appearance. Results The attractiveness scores differed between the two rater groups (p < 0.001), with orthodontists being more generous, whereas there was no significant difference between female and male evaluators in both groups (p > 0.05). However, scores differed significantly in grading female and male patients (p < 0.001), so that female patients got higher scores; younger evaluators graded more critically between different age groups of the evaluators (p < 0.001), as well as between the patients with different initial severity of malocclusion (p < 0.001). Conclusion The difference in attractiveness scores differed between two groups, with laypersons being more critical than orthodontists. Higher scores were given to female patients by both groups, as well as by the evaluators in the older age group.