Aesthetic perception of gingival display on smiling among laypeople seeking dental treatment

Abstract

Objective The present study aimed to determine the influence of gingival display on smile perception of adult patients seeking dental treatment. Materials and methods A smiling photograph was digitally modified to simulate gingival exposures from -4 mm to +4 mm, each in 2 mm increments. Using a validated questionnaire, 117 subjects were recruited and asked to rate the attractiveness of the smile displayed by the photographs. Friedman tests were applied to compare the perceptions of the overall subjects in addition to subjects within each category. Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to compare perceptions between the genders, different ages, and ethnicity. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results The most aesthetic gingival display was at -2 mm and the least aesthetic at -4 mm among all subjects. Females were more critical in evaluating smiles than males. Subjects 50 years or older and the Chinese ethnicity were less sensitive to the range of gingival displays. Conclusions Smile perception of varying gingival display among adult laypeople was found to be the most aesthetic at -2 mm, least aesthetic at -4 mm and was influenced by gender, age, and ethnicity.