The Effects of Buccal Corridors on Smile Esthetics in Dentists and Orthodontic Patients

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the size of buccal corridors on the assessment of smile esthetics by dentists and orthodontic patients. Method: One female individual, who has acceptable micro-esthetic features, was chosen and spontaneous smile was captured by a comical movie. The video image of smiling with maximum visibility of teeth and gingivae was selected. Buccal corridors were modified digitally from 0% to 20% compared with the inner inter-commissural width. Using a visual analog scale, 61 dentists and the 61 orthodontic patients rated the attractiveness of 5 smiles. To compare the distributions of the mean scores between orthodontic patients and dentists, between the male and female raters for each of the rater groups, Student t test was conducted. Results: There was no significant sex difference except for 5% buccal corridor in judging the effects of buccal corridors on the smile attractiveness for both dentists and orthodontic patients. The difference in the evaluation the effects of buccal corridors on smile esthetics between dentists and orthodontic patients was statistically significant only for 5% buccal corridor (p<0.05). The dentists assigned the highest scores to 10% buccal corridors and the orthodontic patients assigned the highest scores 15% buccal corridors. Both dentists and orthodontic patients assigned the lowest scores to 20% buccal corridors. Conclusions: Both dentists and orthodontic patients preferred medium smiles to narrower smiles. Therefore large buccal corridors should be included in the problem list during treatment planning.

Keywords: orthodontics, smile, esthetic.

Special Issue of Health Sciences

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/6-03-28