Background Many patients choose health professionals using the Internet, whether through websites or social media. In orthodontics, an orthodontist’s relationship with active and potential patients can be affected by social media interactions, both as a marketing tool and as a tool for providing educational information. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the public perception of professional credibility and willingness to become a client, based on images posted by orthodontists on Instagram. Method This was a cross-sectional study performed using a digital self-administered questionnaire based on images from public Instagram profiles of orthodontists found using certain hashtags. The themes of the posts were analyzed through a qualitative analysis, and the results were expressed as categories. After analyzing 2445 images, 12 thematic categories emerged. A total of 446 individuals (225 laypeople, 66 dental students, and 155 dentists) evaluated the images in regard to the perception of professional credibility and willingness to become a client. One-way ANOVA and chi-square tests were applied, considering a 5% significance level. Results It was found that more than 95% of the participants used social media, primarily Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, and the social network most used to research health services was Instagram. Statistically significant differences were found in the mean value of perceived professional credibility between the groups (p < 0.05) for the following categories: “dental traction,” “mini-implant mechanics,” “before and after treatment,” “aesthetic brackets,” “metallic brackets,” and “clear aligners.” The categories “being a teacher” and “before and after treatment” had a higher impact on the participants’ perception of credibility and willingness to become a client, unlike the “social relationship” and “family relationship” categories. Conclusions Some of the themes found in the orthodontists’ social media posts were found to influence the perceptions around professional credibility and willingness to become a client, although there were differences among the participants in the present study.

Background Smile esthetics has a strong influence on perception, attractiveness, and personal characteristics. It is unknown how malocclusions may influence the appearance of the individual's smile. This study aimed to investigate whether malocclusion affects the visual perception of esthetics, age, employability, honesty, intelligence and to meet its obligation in time in middle-aged adults. Facial frontal smiling photographs of a male and a female middle-aged adult with 3 different malocclusions were shown to and evaluated by 90 laypeople (non-dentists), divided into groups: young adults (14–44 years), middle-aged adults (45–59 years), and elders (over 60 years). The index of treatment need (IOTN) was used, and IOTN 1, 5, and 8 images were created in Photoshop using the male and female photographs. In total, 6 photographs were evaluated, 3 areas of interest (AOI)—eyes, nose, and mouth—were created for statistical comparison. The Ogama and Eye Tribe tracker were used in conjunction to measure eye tracking. A visual analog scale (VAS) was employed with a questionnaire surveying individuals’ perception of age, employability, honesty, intelligence, and ability to meet obligations. Kruskal–Wallis, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson’s—chi-squared, and Pearson correlation test were applied. Results No statistical difference was found in complete fixation time and time until the first fixation for each AOI for eye-tracking. VAS showed statistical differences in the male and female IOTN 1 images when compared with the IOTN 5 and 8 for both models, and there was no difference between genders in the IOTN 1. As the perceived age of the model increased, the chances of getting hired decreased. Employability, honesty, intelligence, and ability to meet obligations showed higher values for IOTN 1. There were significant differences between age ranges; perception of intelligence in the female IOTN 1 model (p = 0.002) and IOTN 8 model (p < 0.001) and honesty between young adults and middle-aged adults in the male IOTN 1 and 8 images (p < 0.001). Conclusions There was a difference between age groups in the perception of honesty and intelligence. A well-balanced and attractive was perceived as more youthful and attractive in both genders and may increase the chance of being selected for a job interview or being hired.

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Background. This study aimed to evaluate the visual facial perception in response to scars associated with repaired cleft lip (CL) on a male adolescent patient, as assessed via eye-tracking. Methods. Index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN) malocclusions, grades 1, 5, and 8 were added to the frontal view facial image of an adolescent male model showing asymmetries of the nose and upper lip after CL surgery using the software Photoshop CS5® software. The eye movements of 91 laypeople observers were tracked by an Eye Tribe infrared sensor connected to OGAMA© software. A Kruskal–Wallis test was used to identify differences in total fixation time and time until the first fixation for the areas of interest. A visual analog scale (VAS) of attractiveness was also used in the study. Statistical analysis was performed adopting a significance level of P<0.05. Results. The area of interest (AOI) were found to be the mouth and teeth, which were more focused on gazed at than any other area, regardless of the grade of IOTN. For observers of different ages, there were significant differences in the time until the first fixation on the scar of the repaired CL region for IOTN grade 1 (P=0.007). Images showing IOTN grade 1 repaired CL regions received the highest VAS scores. The older the age, the greater the tendency to give a higher VAS score for the same malocclusion. Conclusion. The presence of a CL scar on the upper lip did not attract the eye of laypeople observers of different ages, regardless of the degree of malocclusion in the non-smile image. The age of the observers did influence the perception of attractiveness, with older observers giving higher scores than younger ones. As the severity of the malocclusion increased, they were found to be less attractive.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the perception of esthetics and the attractiveness of the smile, in frontal view, with mandibular asymmetry, through the eye-tracking. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OGAMA software and The Eye Tribe Tracker hardware were used to obtain eye tracking in certain areas of interest on the face. To simulate asymmetry, Photoshop® image editing software was used to create a vertical reference line to the midline of the face and make it symmetrical with control of the angulation relative to another horizontal reference line passing through the vertices. Then, the lower third of the face added asymmetries or deviations, starting from zero, with increments of 2 by 2 degrees up to 6 degrees. The study included 60 laypeople, 30 males and 30 females, without any knowledge about the study, showing good vision, and not having used drugs with the possibility of influencing cognitive or motor skills. RESULTS: From the heat map in cases of mandibular asymmetry, it is possible to visualize that for both sexes the evaluators evaluated with a certain degree of similarity mainly when the deviations presented with 6 degrees. The trajectory of the male and female gaze in cases with asymmetry shows that in cases with a magnitude of 6 degrees, the raters traced mainly in the region of the mouth with little transition in the eye region and mainly in the areas of interest considered as “other.” In the images presented with a magnitude of up to 4 degrees, they were traced in the general image. CONCLUSIONS: The perception of laypeople from mandibular asymmetry to the right in females presented a higher perception when compared to males with mandible asymmetry to the left.