Variations between maxillary central and lateral incisal edges and smile attractiveness

•The 1.0-mm step was preferred among all groups.•Extreme steps (0 and 2 mm) were equally rejected in all groups.•Gingival exposure has a positive impact on smile attractiveness.•Orthodontists are more strict and less tolerant to deviations than other groups.•Dentists prefer smiles with more dominant central incisors.

IntroductionIn this study, we aimed to verify whether different levels of maxillary incisal edges influence the perception of smile attractiveness and whether gingival display affects this perception according to groups of orthodontists, dentists, orthodontic patients, and laypersons.MethodsPhotographs of the smiles of 1 man and 1 woman showing the gingival contours of the incisors and the canines were digitally altered, creating steps from 0 to 2.0 mm in 0.5-mm increments, with and without gingival exposure. The 20 pictures were shown in random order to 240 evaluators divided into 4 groups who were asked to provide attractiveness scores on visual analog scales.ResultsBoth the steps (P <0.001) and the gingival exposure (P <0.05) had statistically significant influences on the evaluations in all groups. There was also a statistically significant difference (P <0.001) between the evaluations of orthodontists and the other groups, with distinct patterns.ConclusionsThe most accepted vertical relationship of incisor borders was the 1.0-mm step. There were significant differences in the evaluation of orthodontists when compared with the other 3 groups, and no significant difference was detected between these groups. The gingival display altered significantly the esthetic perception of the smiles evaluated. There were significant differences between the evaluations of the smiles of the man and the woman.