Effects of gingival margin asymmetries on the smile esthetic perception of dental professionals and lay people.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of different gingival margin asymmetries of anterior tooth on the smile esthetic perceptions of dentists, prosthodontists, periodontists and lay people.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A frontal close-up smile photo of a woman was used in this study. Image was digitally altered in order to create gingival margin asymmetries in left maxillary central, lateral incisors, and canines. Four stages of alterations were made in 0.5 mm increments. The final images were randomly assessed by 240 evaluators: 60 dentists, 60 prosthodontists, 60 periodontists, and 60 lay people. Questionnaire was carried out by a single researcher and each rater was asked to evaluate the attractiveness of the smile images by using the visual analog scale. Collected data were analyzed by using one-way ANOVA test with post hoc Scheffé test.

RESULTS

Smiles with 0.5 mm gingival margin asymmetries were found to be more esthetic, while 2 mm gingival asymmetries were less esthetic (P ˂ .001). Lay people's esthetic scores were higher than other groups in all degrees of asymmetries (P ˂ .001). Esthetic scores of canine teeth were higher than, lateral, and central teeth (P ˂ .001).

CONCLUSIONS

As the amount of asymmetries increased, esthetic scores decreased in all groups. Gingival margin asymmetries were less perceptible laterally.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This study may help dental professionals to understand which gingival asymmetries are found by patients as esthetic or unesthetic and guides them in their dental treatment, especially in the aesthetic zone.