Abstract
BackgroundThe smile perception of patients is not strictly related to standardized protocols and technical implications which certainly affect clinicians' decisions. The absence of maxillary lateral incisors could affect smile esthetics either with treatment or not. The aim of the present study was to investigate if different perceptions on altered smiles due to missing maxillary lateral incisors, with or without treatment, exist among different groups of people (laypersons, adult orthodontic patients, general dentists, and orthodontists).MethodsAn ideal smile model was selected and altered simulating different malocclusions and treatment options. Twelve simulations were submitted to four categories of respondents: laypeople, adult orthodontic patients, general dentists and orthodontists. They were asked to express smile perception for each simulation by ranking and rating simulations using a 0 to 100 visual analog scale. Analysis of variance was used to determine if there were statistically significant differences in values assigned among the four categories of respondents for each simulation.ResultsSignificant differences in smile perceptions were found between professionals (dentists and orthodontists) and laypeople. Presence of dental tipping and marked diastema in the arch were disharmonious aspects less tolerated in a smile by all categories of evaluators. Simulations associated with space closure orthodontic treatment were ranked as the most attractive smile and significantly ranked higher by dental professionals than patients and laypeople.ConclusionsTreatment, absence of diastema, and symmetry were the most accepted characteristics by all categories of respondents. Ideal orthodontic treatment options might be overestimated by clinicians when compared to laypeople's smile perception.
Highlights
The smile perception of patients is not strictly related to standardized protocols and technical implications which certainly affect clinicians' decisions
The aim of the present study was to investigate perceptions on altered smiles due to missing maxillary lateral incisors, with or without treatment, stating the null hypothesis that no differences in terms of esthetic perception exist among different groups of people
Significant differences resulting from the analysis of variance (ANOVA) among the groups were seen for Category Dentists (D) Laypeople (N) Patients (P)
Summary
The smile perception of patients is not strictly related to standardized protocols and technical implications which certainly affect clinicians' decisions. The absence of maxillary lateral incisors could affect smile esthetics either with treatment or not. The aim of the present study was to investigate if different perceptions on altered smiles due to missing maxillary lateral incisors, with or without treatment, exist among different groups of people (laypersons, adult orthodontic patients, general dentists, and orthodontists). Two treatment options could be considered in the case of congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisors. Advantages and limits of treatment options are still discussed. Both treatments are long, difficult, invasive, and expensive. The perception of patients is not strictly related to standardized protocols and technical implications which certainly affect clinicians'
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