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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Measuring Maxillary Posterior Tooth Movement: A Model Assessment using Palatal and Dental Superimposition
Published on: February 23, 2024
The influence of varying maxillary lateral incisor dimensions on perceived smile aesthetics
S M N Bukhary1, D S Gill, C J Tredwin
1Unit of Conservative Dentistry, UCL Eastman Dental Institute, 256 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8LD.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine the influence of varying the dimensions of the maxillary lateral incisors on perceived smile aesthetics.
Design:
Clinical study.
Setting:
Postgraduate dental teaching hospital.
Methods:
A photograph of a female smile displaying only the lips and teeth was digitally altered. First, the width of the maxillary lateral incisors, in proportion to the central incisor, was altered at 5% intervals to produce six images (52%, 57%, 62% [the 'golden proportion'], 67%, 72% and 77%). In a second group, the length of the lateral incisor was altered at 0.5 mm increments to produce five images with the lateral incisor 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm and 2.5 mm shorter than the adjacent central incisor. The photos were ranked from 'most attractive' to 'least attractive' by 41 hypodontia patients, 46 non-hypodontia 'control' patients and 30 dentists.
Results:
The 67% followed by the 72% lateral-to-central width proportions were the 'most preferred' by all groups. A maxillary lateral incisor that is 1-1.5 mm shorter than the central incisor was the 'most popular' maxillary lateral incisor length. The very short and very long maxillary lateral incisor was consistently perceived as 'least attractive'.
Conclusion:
There is no evidence to suggest that the golden proportion should be considered the ideal aesthetic standard when creating space for the replacement of missing lateral incisors.
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