Smile esthetics: A comparative study between dental students and laypersons using visual analogue scale

Abstract

Introduction: The current study aims to assess the change in insight between dental students and laypersons to deviations in smile arc and buccal corridor. Dental students are the future dental specialists and objective assessment of their perception of smile is important and how it co relates with that of layperson i.e. future patients.

Material and methods: Two hundred and thirty people (118 Dental students, 112 laypersons) assessed the esthetics of sixteen digitally altered frontal smiling photographs with different variations of smile arc and buccal corridor ratios. The raters were requested to mark the overall look of the photographs by using visual analogue scale from 1 to 10. The scores were then compared to evaluate which smiles scored high or lower and which were the more preferred smile by dental students and laypersons.

Results: The dental students gave highest score to the female consonant smile arc whereas laypersons gave highest score to the male consonant smile arc. Dental students gave highest mean score for buccal corridor variations 0.92F, showing a preference for a broad smile with less buccal corridor ratio. The layperson group gave highest score to buccal corridor ratio 0.84F showing preference for slightly narrow smile with a significant buccal corridor ratio.

Conclusions: Both dental students and laypersons preferred consonant smile arc. Excessive buccal corridor ratio was rated as less appealing by dental students and more appealing by laypersons.