Concurrence between Interpupillary Line and Tangent to the Incisal Edge of the Upper Central Incisor Teeth

Abstract

Dento-facial harmony is essential to obtain adequate esthetics and a successful treatment. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the existence of polar symmetry, obtained by two parallel lines, one along the pupils and another along the incisal edge of the upper central incisor teeth of 102 dental students distributed across five Brazilian dental schools. One hundred and two students with no missing teeth, who had never been subjected to any kind of dental treatment, not even orthodontic treatment, were selected and photographed using a dental eye II camera (Yashica-Kyocera Optics Inc., Somerset, NJ, USA) with a macro-objective lens of 100 mm and using a scale of 1:10 of the natural size. All the individuals were positioned parallel to the plane of Frankfurt and to the ground, and were photographed smiling in order to expose the central incisors. The pictures were transformed into digital images (1,840 x 1,252 pixels) and analyzed later using Microsoft Office Power Point 2007 software. Two lines (along the pupils and another along the maxillary incisive teeth) were drawn, and the inclination obtained was generated by the program itself. Symmetrical cases were classified as "yes" (Y), and the remainder as "no" (N). Cases were also divided according to gender. Results were statistically assessed by analysis of variance and Student's t-test (alpha = 0.05). There was a statistically significant correlation between the line parallel with the pupils and the tangent of the incisal edge of the incisors, irrespective of gender. Regardless of gender, there is a correlation between the pupils and the tangent with the incisal edge of the maxillary central incisors. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Despite diversity in individuals, facial and anatomic measurements may aid in the execution and planning of rehabilitation treatments. (J Esthet Restor Dent 21:318-323, 2009).