Abstract
: The focus of this study was to test the hypothesis that the amount of buccal corridor associated with dolicofacial, mesofacial and brachyfacial facial patterns has no influence on smile evaluations by laypersons of different age groups. A photograph was constructed of a woman displaying a broad smile. Buccal corridors were modified digitally in increments of 5% and 10%, displaying from 0% to 30% buccal corridor compared with the inner commissural width. Using a visual analog scale(VAS), 150 laypersons divided into 3 groups(n=50) of age-ranges from 15-19, 35-44 and 65-74 years of age rated the attractiveness of five smiles with altered buccal corridors. Differences in the median esthetic scores were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test ( P 0.05). There was significant difference between the groups from 15-19 and 65-74 years of age in evaluating the attractiveness of the smile with the size of the buccal corridor at 20% and 30% for the short( P =0.045, and P =0.035) and long ( P =0.029, and P =0.038) facial types, respectively. The hypothesis was rejected. Laypersons over the age of 65 years attributed higher scores. Irrespective of age, laypersons preferred broader smiles with a smaller buccal corridor, with 15% being the limit between the most and least attractive smile.
Highlights
The influence of the smile on facial appearance has become increasingly important in contemporary orthodontics (PAREKH et al, 2007; PITHON et al, 2012)
The focus of this study was to test the hypothesis that the amount of buccal corridor associated with dolicofacial, mesofacial and brachyfacial facial patterns has no influence on smile evaluations by laypersons of different age groups
It has been recognized that laypersons are capable of identifying variations in the buccal corridor in photographs of the face, which influences the manner in which they judge the esthetics of a smile (MOORE et al, 2005; ZANGE et al, 2011)
Summary
The influence of the smile on facial appearance has become increasingly important in contemporary orthodontics (PAREKH et al, 2007; PITHON et al, 2012). The buccal corridor may be defined as the proportion of the distance between the maxillary canines, and the distance between the corners of the lips in the smile (ZANGE et al, 2011). Other authors (FRUSH; FISHER, 1958; MOORE et al, 2005) have defined the buccal corridor as being the distance from the most visible posterior teeth in the smile to the inner commissures of the lips. It has been recognized that laypersons are capable of identifying variations in the buccal corridor in photographs of the face, which influences the manner in which they judge the esthetics of a smile (MOORE et al, 2005; ZANGE et al, 2011). The buccal corridor has been evaluated by means of photographs of the smile, the evaluation of the facial image and their types (IOI et al, 2009), such as the dolicofacial and brachyfacial types (Ackerman, 2005; MOORE et al, 2005; ZANGE et al, 2011), together with the mesofacial type may have a greater influence on the macro esthetic final evaluation of the smile by laypersons, leading to more faithful information of attractiveness (MOORE et al, 2005)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
