Perception of Altered Smile Esthetics by Orthodontists, Dentists, and Laypeople in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Mini-esthetics is an important concept in orthodontics concerned with relatedness of dentition to the face. PURPOSE: We compared the perception of altered smile esthetics between orthodontists, dentists, and laypeople in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 216 participants (orthodontists, dentists, and laypeople) were conveniently surveyed. An image representing the ideal smile was altered in terms of buccal corridor, gingival display, and midline diastema. Using Likert scale, participants were asked to rate the attractiveness of the altered images. RESULTS: The three surveyed groups preferred wide rather than narrow buccal corridors. Also, as the amount of gingival display and midline diastema increased, the smile was rated less attractive. Age of participants was significantly associated with more precise recognition of gingival display and midline diastema, P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively. CONCLUSION: The concept of an ideal smile holds true across the heterogenous groups we studied despite gender and professional background.