Orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning is based on three important
components: facial, skeletal and dental diagnoses. In the last years, the impact of
facial/dental appearance, the malocclusion, and treatment for these conditions on
psychological and functional well-being have drawn increasing attention from
clinicians and researchers. Emphasis has been placed on frontal and lateral aesthetics,
keeping in mind that facial proportions are more important than absolute numerical
values. The most common photo evaluation in orthodontic diagnosis includes the facial
frontal, facial profile facial smile, and oblique smile photo. Facial concavity or
convexity, lips dimension and position, smile arc, gingival display and over all facial
balance should be considered in the overall treatment plan. This chapter, with the
question-answer format and clinical examples, describes the surface markings of the
face, soft-tissue cephalometric points, facial planes and facial angles.
Keywords: Facial angles, Facial planes, Orthodontic diagnosis, Soft-tissue
cephalometric points.
