Comparison of gingival display in smile attractiveness among restorative dentists, orthodontists, prosthodontists, periodontists, and laypeople.

Statement Of Problem: Multidisciplinary treatment needs a common goal, and dentists should understand the esthetic perception of laypeople and the other specialists involved. Such information is sparse.

Purpose: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to compare the influence of gingival display on perceived smile esthetics among restorative dentists, orthodontists, prosthodontists, periodontists, and laypeople.

Material And Methods: Photographs of the smiles of 2 volunteers (1 female and 1 male) were manipulated on a computer to produce gingival exposure of 1, 3, and 5 mm and central incisor coverage of 3 and 5 mm. The images were evaluated by using a 100-mm visual analog scale by 155 raters divided into 5 groups (restorative dentists, orthodontists, prosthodontists, periodontists, and laypeople).

Results: The dental specialists, mainly orthodontists and periodontists, were more sensitive about alterations in gingival display than the laypeople. For the female smile, higher mean scores were attributed to 1 mm of gingival exposure by all groups of raters. For the male smile, 3 mm of central incisor coverage received higher mean scores, except for the laypeople, who considered gingival display of 1 mm to be more attractive. For both smiles, 5 mm of gingival display was judged to be the least attractive.

Conclusions: Considering the differences in opinion between dental specialists and laypeople and the acceptable variations in gingival display, the preferences of patients should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment decision-making process.