Influence of Gingival Display on Smile Attractiveness Assessed by Saudi Arabian Laypersons and Dental Professionals

Abstract

AbstractObjective:To evaluate the influence of changes in the gingival display of the maxillary teeth on smile attractiveness assessed by Saudi Arabian dental professionals and laypeople.Materials and methods:A total of 138 dental professional and 182 laypeople rated the attractiveness of male and female smiles in a computerized survey. Each smile was digitally altered to achieve different levels of gingival exposure. Each photo was accompanied by a visual analog scale (VAS) for rating.Results:Among dental professionals, 61% rated the female photo with a 1-mm low lip line as the most attractive smile (VAS score±SE, 7.3±3.18), while 52.7% of laypeople considered the smile with a 2-mm low lip line as the most attractive (6.7±3.4). Regarding male smile photos, 61.6% of dental professionals found the 1-mm low lip line the most attractive (7.3±3.18). The same rating was given by 48.3% of laypeople (6.1±3.6) (p≤0.009). The least attractive smile photo was the smile showing 4 mm of gingiva for male and female smiles. More than half of the laypeople believed that an attractive smile highly affects social life and communication.Conclusion:TheSaudi Arabian population appears to be sensitive to the amount of gingival display. The difference in female smile assessment between dental professionals and laypeople highlights the importance of dentist-patient consensus regarding decisions for esthetic treatments.Clinical Relevance:Esthetic treatment is of a major concern for both dentist and patient. The careful assessment of smile pillars including gingival display must be tailored to each patient.