Orthodontic Smile: A New Categorization of the Perfect Smile

Abstract

Background and Aim: There is a shortage of empirical studies that combine the problem of malocclusion to the importance of the self-perception of the mouth/smile in the mental representation of the self-image of the face, which is the aim of the present qualitative and exploratory study. Subjects and Methods: The convenience sample consisted of 151 children and youngsters of both genders, aged 8-24 years, who used an orthodontic appliance for 6 months to 1 year, and were invited to draw two portraits of their mouth/smile before (M1) and after (M2) the use of an orthodontic appliance. Results: The main reasons that underpin the use of an orthodontic appliance are defined by the crooked teeth correction, malocclusion correction, and interdental spaces categories, in which having the perfect smile was only relevant to preteens. Discussion and Conclusions: In the present study, we have identified the orthodontic smile as a new categorization of a perfect smile associated with the social display of a look with perfect teeth.

From the Orthodontic Smile to the Perfect Smile: A New Categorization

“…The methodological approach used a combination of quantitative and qualitative criteria to analyze the content of a group of patient drawings. The participants of the sample accurately recognized how the task (centered on the teeth) was being carried out, which indicates that just one person drew the category teeth with the orthodontic device fitted (Figure 1) [1][2][3].…”

“…Additionally, more detailed drawings were submitted in the smile category in M2 compared to M1: These findings go against other findings of the two studies conducted by Gonçalves and Torres at the University Clinic Egas Moniz-Portugal, which highlighted the esthetic element and the pursuit of the "perfect smile" as the driving forces behind orthodontic treatment among patients. According to research by Dias et al [1], children utilize orthodontic appliances mostly to address crooked and malocclusion teeth and interdental gaps, with adolescent patients being the only ones who care about having a flawless smile. The percentage of the upper and lower lips that are visually represented by the participants in the lip's subcategory has increased from M1 to M2 by 2.7%.…”

“…It is still of great scientific curiosity to comprehend the significance and self-image that a smile psychologically conveys in people's daily lives [1][2][3]. It is essential that the smile contribute to the facial harmony.…”

Is the Orthodontic Smile Considered as Aesthetic in Adult Patients?

“…Understanding the importance of smiling in terms of the intrapsychic perception (mental representation) of the individual's self-image, in the context of established interpersonal relationships, is a highly scientific topic [1][2][3]. The face is the area of the human body where emotions seem to be externalized, consciously or unconsciously, through facial expressions.…”

“…Along these lines, Freitas Magalhães (2009) defined four types of smiles: (i) the Wide Smile, (ii) the Neutral Smile, (iii) the Upper Smile, and (iv) the Closed Smile. From this empirical perspective, the upper smile and the closed smile, show greater expressiveness in interpersonal relationships [2][3][4][5].…”