Date: April 2016.
Source: Master of Science in Dentistry. Dentistry Department. Virginia Commonwealth University.
Background: Past studies evaluating the esthetics of orthodontic treatment have been done using 2-D images. New 3-D imaging offers an improved, real-life representation of a subject. The purpose of this study was to determine how laypeople perceived differences in lip position (flat versus ideal lip fullness) in 2-D compared to 3-D.
Materials and Methods: 3dMD images of 8 Caucasian subjects were adjusted to an ideal and flat lip position in 3-D and then in 2-D from the profile view. 2 surveys were created with paired ideal and flat images on the screen, either in 2-D or 3-D, and evaluators were asked to choose which image they preferred and by how much.
Results and Conclusions: Evaluators were more likely to be neutral, and were less decisive of their preference in 3-D compared to 2-D. People might be less sensitive to small differences in facial soft tissue and esthetics than previous research in 2-D has led orthodontists to believe.

Author: Andrew M Hansen DDS