Perceptions of laypersons and orthodontists regarding the buccal corridor in long- and short-face individuals.

Objective: To determine the perception of orthodontists and laypersons regarding the size of the dark spaces in the buccal corridors and how that affects smile esthetics in individuals with long and short faces.

Materials And Methods: Images of eight smiling individuals were modified to create five sizes of dark spaces in the buccal corridors (2%, 10%, 15%, 22%, and 28%) and were submitted to a group of laypersons and a group of orthodontists.

Results: Laypersons were more critical in their evaluation than orthodontists.