Quantitating the art and science of esthetic clinical success

Abstract

Background: Beginning with the biobehavioral bases of esthetic experiences, this article presents a quantitative analytic review of the motives and methods of providers and consumers of orthodontic treatment.

Method: A primary focus is determining the anthropometric bases of self and others' perceived preference and satisfaction with changes in facial appearance. These quantitative analyses have been based on determining the frequency and magnitude of reliability and validity measures of diagnosis, treatment, and satisfaction outcome. Socioeconomic considerations are also quantitated regarding the discrepancy between objective need for treatment as determined for example by the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need and the subjective demand for treatment.

Results: The major contribution of this article is the quantitation of the components of esthetic experience from sensation of perception using psycho physical methods, such as Perceptometrics, for determining the morphological basis of perceived facial attractiveness adjusted for ethnocultural differences updated by 3-dimensional and artificial intelligence technology. Recent quantitation of smile components has also added to the measures of esthetically successful treatment. Further contribution of orthodontists to mental and physical health is demonstrated by the differences between perceived personality attributes in profile and full-frontal views of symmetric and asymmetric faces. Such information can facilitate the clinician's ability to determine the ideational representation of the patients' perceived pre- and post-treatment outcome.

Conclusion: The quantitative analysis of the motives and methods involved in the orthodontic treatment process has been combined with the neurophysiological correlates of producing and observing/evaluation of the esthetic experiences of both patients and orthodontists/dentists.

Keywords: Esthetics; Neurophysiology; Orthodontics; Perception; Psychophysics.