The effect of the buccal corridor and tooth display on smile attractiveness

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the lay perception of the effect of the buccal corridor and amount of tooth-gingival display on the attractiveness of a smile in different facial types.

Using Adobe Photoshop CS3 software, frontal facial images of two smiling Iranian female subjects (one short-faced and one long-faced) were altered to create different magnitudes of buccal corridor display (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%) and tooth-gingival display (2 mm central incisor show, 6 mm central incisor show, total central incisor show, total tooth show with 2 mm gingival show and total tooth show with 4 mm gingival show). Sixty Iranians (30 males and 30 females) rated the attractiveness of the pictures on a 1-5 point scale.

Narrower smiles were preferred in long-faced subjects compared with short-faced subjects. Minimal tooth show was more attractive than excessive gingival display in short-faced subjects. There were no gender specific, statistically significant differences found in the ratings given by the lay assessors.

Harmonious geometry of the smile and face in both the vertical and transverse dimensions influences smile attractiveness and this should be considered in orthodontic treatment planning.