A morphometric analysis of the posed smile

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Orthodontics
• Digital Imaging

Background:

• Orthodontics aims to enhance smiles, but lacks objective criteria for evaluating lip-teeth relationships and treatment outcomes.
• Current assessment methods may not fully capture the aesthetic quality of a patient's smile post-treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a digital method for objectively measuring smile characteristics in orthodontic patients.
• To establish a standardized photographic analysis of the posed smile as a potential orthodontic record.

Main Methods:

• Development of a multimedia computer program for digital smile measurement.
• Utilizing a 'smile mesh' grid with horizontal and vertical lines to quantify eleven key smile attributes.
• Analysis based on photographic assessment of the unstrained, voluntary posed smile in treated and untreated patients.

Main Results:

• The digital method allows for objective measurement of smile characteristics, including lip-teeth display.
• Findings indicate that exemplary orthodontic treatment (based on plaster casts) does not always correlate with desirable smile aesthetics during posed smiling.
• The posed smile was found to be reliably repeatable and measurable.

Conclusions:

• A digital, photographic analysis of the posed smile offers an objective and repeatable method for assessing orthodontic treatment outcomes.
• This approach may serve as a valuable addition to standard orthodontic records, complementing traditional assessments.
• Objective smile measurement can improve treatment planning and evaluation in orthodontics.