Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 4, 2025
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Gingival Display in "Forced" Smile Evaluated by Sex and Age
Douglas H Mahn1, Sina Reangber2
1Private Practice limited to Periodontics and Implantology, Manassas, Virginia.
Abstract:
The smile is a standard by which individuals often are judged. Gingival display is an important component of the smile. While perceptions vary between the sexes and between laypeople and dental professionals, gingival display of ≥4 mm has been considered excessive and unattractive. The amount of gingiva that an individual displays can vary depending on the type of smile the individual produces. An emotional or forced smile will produce greater upper lip movement and gingival display than a posed smile. Much of the dental literature that discusses gingival display focuses on subjects of a limited age range, has a limited number of subjects, or neglects to determine the gingival display with maximum upper lip movement. The purpose of this prospective observational investigation was to document the smile type, gingival display, and upper lip movement of male and female subjects in different age groups.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Assessment of the Mouth
Mouth Inspection
The inspection begins with visually examining the mouth for symmetry, color, and size.
01:30Assessment of Airway, Skin Color, and Use of Accessory Muscles
Introduction
The initial evaluation of a patient's respiratory system...
01:15Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...