Are buccal corridors and smile width relating to smile esthetics? - A Photometric Study

Abstract

The present photometric study investigated the correlation of buccal corridor and smile width to an esthetic smile and the influence of the facial form on it. Standardized photographs of posed smile of 60 subjects in the age range of 17-25 years were taken. Among those 60 subjects, 3 groups were divided as 20 subjects each in leptoprosopic facial form, mesoprosopic facial form and euryprosopic facial form (according to morphological facial index given by Martin and Saller in 1957). Frontal smile photographs were taken and measurements of maximum smile width, right and left buccal corridor spaces were done according to methodology proposed by Johnson and Smith (1995) using software Corel DRAW X7. As separate evaluation done by orthodontists and lay persons and both of them presented with no differences of buccal corridor width and the total smile width in the esthetic smiles from comparing the percentage between the study groups. Remarkable finding was that the buccal corridor width and total smile width does not alter with the 3 types of facial form and broad faces have a tendency for broader buccal corridor and narrow faces have smaller buccal corridor.