Perceptions of Iranian dental students versus laypeople to altered smile esthetics: A cross-sectional study

The aim of this research is to explore the perceptions of an attractive smile among dentists and nonprofessionals by analyzing digitally altered smile images.

The study involved two evaluation groups: 50 dental students from Shahid Beheshti Dental School ranging from the 6^th to 12^th semester and 50 laypeople with varying educational backgrounds. Using Adobe Photoshop CS6, smile esthetic factors such as crown length, width, gingival display, midline diastema, midline deviation, smile arc, buccal corridor, tooth color, and occlusal plane were adjusted in the images. Participants rated each image on a scale of 0 to 10 through a questionnaire.

The majority of evaluators preferred the ideal smile in each category. Both groups perceived significant differences in the altered images, but there was no significant variance between them in understanding smile esthetics. Interestingly, factors like age and gender did not impact individuals' ability to identify an attractive smile.

The study found that asymmetrical changes negatively impacted the perceived attractiveness of smiles, not only among dental professionals but also among laypeople. The results indicated a strong alignment between laypeople and dental students in Iran in assessing smile esthetics.