Facial Aesthetics: More Than a Smile

Patients seeking esthetic treatment today wish to enhance their appearance for improved self-esteem and quality of life. Many have suggested use of the term appearance in conjunction with the term esthetics because it involves a broader assessment of the patient than just the smile. Smile esthetics are important, but the patient’s facial appearance is equally important, if not more important. A recent Canadian study has found women find men less attractive when they smile compared to when they take on swaggering or brooding poses, while men find women more attractive when they smile. What that means to orthodontists is that when planning treatment, it is imperative that we take into account the many elements of Macroesthetic evaluation and treatment. In this presentation, Dr. Sarver will cover many of these elements and how to weave them together in the adolescent patient in an effort to deliver a pleasing face in addition to the smile and occlusion.

Learning Objectives:

• See the face in a different way, in the 4^th dimension.
• Assess the long-term emotional impact of your decisions in facial design.
• Utilize computer technology as an excellent patient interface for discussion.