Association of gingival exhibit with lip dimensions, intercommissural width, and gingival and interdental smile lines - a gender-based evaluation.

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the gender-based association of gingival exhibit with lip dimensions, intercommissural width (ICW), interdental smile line (ISL), and gingival smile line (GSL) in periodontally healthy patients.

Materials and methods: 120 patients aged between 20 and 40 years were divided equally into two groups based on gender. The parameters of lip length (LL) at rest and on smiling, ICW, and the intraoral parameters of gingival exhibit in ISL and GSL were measured on digitized photographs in the maxillary anterior teeth.

Results: The LL positions at rest and on smiling differed significantly: 23.50 ± 3.31 mm and 19.89 ± 1.91 mm, and 16.53 ± 2.94 mm and 13.91 ± 1.93 mm for males and females, respectively. The gingival exhibit of the interdental papillae in ISL was 3.01 ± 1.85 mm for males and 4.26 ± 1.85 mm for females, while the midfacial exhibit in GSL was 0.62 ± 1.01 mm for males and 1.24 ± 1.44 mm for females; both the differences were statistically significant.

Conclusion: The gender variability in LL, the interdental papillae exhibit in ISL, and the midfacial exhibit in GSL can provide constructive guidelines that can be implemented in the esthetic zone.