Assessing soft-tissue characteristics of facial asymmetry with photographs.

Introduction: Precise diagnosis and treatment of facial asymmetry are important in orthodontics. The aims of this study were to determine the soft-tissue characteristics of patients perceived to have severe asymmetry requiring treatment and the soft-tissue factors affecting the subjective assessment of facial asymmetry.

Methods: In the first part of this study, 5 observers examined 1000 photographs of patients receiving orthodontic treatment and selected 100 for further assessment.