Abstract
The focus of this article was evaluates the degree of perception of laypersons of different age groups with respect to smile esthetics in cases involving black spaces between maxillary incisors. Changes were made in a photograph of a smiling female patient, simulating various configurations of black spaces between maxillary incisors. For this purpose an image manipulation Photoshop CS3 was used. For evaluation black spaces of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mm in size were created. After digital manipulation, the photographs were printed on photographic paper, attached to a questionnaire, and distributed among laypersons in the age groups of 15-19; 35-44, and 65-74. To evaluate the degree of esthetics, a scale of attractiveness was used, in which a score of 0 would represent ''not very attractive'', 5 ''attractive'' and 10 ''very attractive''. Fisher’s exact test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test was used ( P <0.05). Results showed that the photographs without black space and with black space of 2.5 mm were scored as the most and least attractive, respectively, by all the age groups. The degree of perception of black spaces between maxillary incisors gradually diminished as the age of the groups increased ( P <0.05). Black spaces have a negative repercussion on smile esthetics, perceived more easily by younger persons. The larger the black space, less attractive the smile.
Highlights
The quest for esthetics when smiling increases by the day, since a beautiful smile has been considered fundamental for the individual’s good appearance and presentation
Another factor that has impact on smile esthetics is the appearance of black spaces, which show when the gingiva does not completely fill the space above the point of contact between one tooth and another (PITHON et al, 2012b; PITHON et al, 2013a)
The results demonstrated that there was significant difference in the perception of the differences existent between the photographs, with the highest number of individuals who were unable to note the lack of similarity between the images being observed in the age groups of 65-74 years, in comparison with the younger age groups (Table 2)
Summary
The quest for esthetics when smiling increases by the day, since a beautiful smile has been considered fundamental for the individual’s good appearance and presentation. Included among the morphological requisites that interfere in the presentation of the smile are the relations between the bones and soft tissues (SANTOS; RUELLAS, 2012; PITHON et al, 2014a-b), harmony between the teeth, presence of a buccal corridor, amount of gingival exposure and the presence of diastemas at the midline (KEPIC et al, 1990; RODEN-JOHNSON et al, 2005; JORNUNG; FARDAL, 2007) Another factor that has impact on smile esthetics is the appearance of black spaces, which show when the gingiva does not completely fill the space above the point of contact between one tooth and another (PITHON et al, 2012b; PITHON et al, 2013a). This may occur due to gingival retraction resulting from poor hygiene habits, maladapted restorations and excessive force during tooth brushing (PITHON et al, 2013a)
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