Influence of facial pattern in smile attractiveness regarding gingival exposure assessed by dentists and laypersons

The present study aimed to assess the influence of facial pattern in smile attractiveness on different levels of gingival exposure evaluated by dental specialists and laypersons.

Frontal photographs of 2 white Brazilian women, one with a long face and the other with a balanced face, were acquired and subsequently modified to simulate gingival exposure from 0 to 6 mm. Four groups of evaluators of both sexes (mean age 34 y), including laypersons (n = 24) and dental specialists (n = 72; 24 orthodontists, 24 periodontists, and 24 maxillofacial surgeons), used a Likert-type scale to evaluate the attractiveness of the smiles of these subjects with different levels of gingival exposure. Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman tests were used to compare the perceptions of the dental specialists and laypersons. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to associate the age of the examiners with their rating outcomes. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

Statistically significant differences were observed for the following levels of exposure for the long-faced subject: 0 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, and 6 mm. Laypersons were less critical than dental specialists. In the balanced-face subject, statistically significant differences were observed between laypersons and dental specialists for gingival exposure levels of 4 mm, 5 mm, and 6 mm. Laypersons perceived gingival exposure to a lesser extent for the balanced-face subject than for the long-face subject. The balanced face was better rated than the long face by dental specialists and laypersons for all levels of gingival exposure.

Facial patterns influenced the smile attractiveness evaluation. The facial characteristics of a balanced facial pattern attenuated the perception of gingival exposure.