FORMA FEATURE / MIDFACEMidface & maxilla: measurements, ratios, and research
The maxilla supports the upper teeth and contributes to the central midface. “Midface length” means different things in clinical anatomy and forum guides.
How midface & maxilla is measured
Clinical middle third: glabella to subnasale. A common forum midface ratio uses IPD divided by vertical pupil-line-to-upper-lip distance. State the exact endpoint before comparing values.
Ratios, ranges & competing claims
0.95–1.05 — A proposed compact-midface range
A forum guide recommends a midface ratio near 1:1, giving 0.95–1.05 as an ideal interval.
Forum claim: User-created speculation with inconsistent landmark conventions; not a validated skeletal measure or male attractiveness optimum. 38 facial ratios and proposed measurements
36% — The eye-to-mouth result
In Pallett’s female-face experiment, preferred eye-to-mouth distance was about 36% of face length.
Study: Different landmarks from the forum ratio. It cannot establish maxillary position or support a surgical decision. New “Golden” Ratios for Facial Beauty
Practical takeaway
Assess compactness and forward support separately.
For visual compactness, compare eye-to-upper-lip height with eye spacing using explicitly chosen landmarks. Assess the profile separately when the question is forward maxillary support.
What changes the answer
Wider pupil spacing increases the forum ratio even if facial height stays fixed. Nose length and upper-lip length can also alter the impression of a long central face; the ratio alone does not locate the maxilla.
Connected facial features
Explore the interactive atlas and compare this feature with both fixed reference views.