Perceptions of laypersons and dentists regarding the effect of tooth and gingival display on smile attractiveness in long- and short-face individuals.

Objectives: To our knowledge, there is no study regarding the effects of facial type (short face or long face) on the esthetic perception of smiles as related to the amount of tooth and gingival display.

Materials and methods: Four photographs from two long- and two shortfaced females with posed smiles were prepared and, with altering the amount of tooth display, 5 photos for each of them were produced. These photos were given to 62 dentists and 69 laypersons to rate the images.

Results: There were significant differences between short and long-face patterns in low and high smile lines; also there were significant differences between dentists and laypersons about some images. Smile lines consistent with gingival margin were the best for both short and long-face patterns; also 1.5 mm incisor coverage in short-face and 1.5 mm gingival display in long-face received as high scores.

Conclusion: In short-face patterns, lower smile lines, and in long-face patterns, higher smile lines are more acceptable by both dentists and laypersons, which can help in designing orthodontic treatment goals.