In one way it could be a blessing that attractiveness can be a thermometer that can signal underlying serious disease. Extreme malocclusion should be a symptom of great concern, but the more subtle distortions caused by poor jaw development, and obvious mouth breathing, if widely understood by the public as symptoms of likely underlying problems, could help get many more youngsters treatment in time.

There is substantial evidence that people judged by Western and Westernized societies to be “handsome” or “beautiful” do better socially than those considered less attractive. They tend to be treated differently as children and are less likely to be bullied. They get more votes in elections, make more money, and may be healthier or gain other advantages. They are likely to be treated more leniently by juries. 

Correct oral posture (holding the mouth closed with teeth in light contact and the tongue resting on the roof of the mouth) is conducive to the functionality as well as the appearance of the face and jaw.

In the picture in the top right corner, the boy started with good oral posture (shown on the left), but gradually declined as he got older and eventually ended up with poor jaw alignment (shown on the right).