Does the maxillary anterior ratio in Korean adults follow the Golden Proportion?

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of changes in the horizontal plane angle on the mesiodistal width ratios of the maxillary anterior teeth during the acquisition of frontal view photographs, derive these ratios for Korean adults on the basis of the data obtained, and analyze them using the Golden Proportion as a reference.

In experiment I, 30 plaster casts were mounted on an articulator and positioned on the angle-measuring device with a center setting of 0°. The device was rotated to 10° in 1° increments in a counterclockwise direction. At each angle, photographs were obtained and analyzed. Experiment II was based on 60 patients who visited the Department of Prosthodontics at Kyungpook National University Dental Hospital from February 2012 to February 2015. The patients were divided into three groups [Male (M), Female (F), Total (M + F)]. Frontal views were obtained for all groups and analyzed.

From 1° to 10°, the relative mesiodistal width ratios for the maxillary anterior teeth showed no significant differences from those at 0°. In all three groups, the relative width ratio of the maxillary central incisor was smaller than that specified in the Golden Proportion; the opposite was true for the canine.

Our results suggest that the mesiodistal width ratios of the maxillary anterior teeth do not follow the Golden Proportion in Korean adults, and that a change in the horizontal plane angle from 1° to 10° during frontal photography does not affect these ratios.