Perception of smile esthetics among dental and nondental students

Abstract

Background: Dental students in their clinical years are part of the dental workforce. The ability of the graduate to identify patient′s aesthetic requirements and determine the degree to which those requirements or desires can be met is one of the new dentist′s competencies. The perception of dental students toward some esthetic factors of smile was investigated and compared to that of pharmacy students in the same university. Materials and Methods: The authors developed a booklet of smile comprised of an ideal smile and seven altered smiles involving change in shade, shape, width and length of teeth in addition to midline shift and change in the gingival display. Students rated ideal smile and altered smiles using a 100-point visual analog scale (VAS). Results: The study involved 198 students; 108 dental students and 89 pharmacy students and 131 females and 66 males. Mean values for the VAS for the ideal smile were 72, 66 for dental and pharmacy students, respectively. While the mean values for the altered smiles varied between 23 and 65. Ideal smile was rated significantly higher by dental students (P = 0.015) Dental students rated midline shift change in gingival display, alteration in size and shape significantly lower than pharmacy students. While no significant difference was detected between the pharmacy students′ ratings of the ideal smile and alterations in shape, size, clinical crown and gingival display. Conclusion: Dental students are more receptive to smile alterations. Dental students appreciated the ideal smile more than pharmacy students. Darker tooth shades, spacing and midline shift were least accepted by both dental and pharmacy students. Dental students were more sensitive to changes in gingival display, crown length, lateral incisors width and shape while pharmacy students were more tolerant to these changes.