An evaluation of the influence of teeth and the labial soft tissues on the perceived aesthetics of a smile

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate how the lips and teeth may affect the perceived aesthetics of a given smile. Lips and teeth were collectively assessed in different fields of view to see how they may contribute to smile aesthetics. The perception of 'beauty' was assessed to determine whether differences existed between; dentists, non-dentists, males and females. Methods Five subjects were photographed to produce the following views: 1) retracted anterior teeth; 2) lips at rest; 3) zoomed smile; and 4) smile showing the lower face. Images were compiled in a survey questionnaire and shown to respondents who ranked the subjects in order of aesthetic appeal. Kendall's coefficient of concordance (W) and median rank scores were used to determine the statistical significance. Results All groups demonstrated statistically significant agreement in the perception of beauty. Both the teeth and lips seemed to contribute similarly to the attractiveness of a smile. Dentists seemed to be more influenced by teeth in a zoomed smile view, however, this was negated when viewing a broader field of view. All other groups showed no difference in perception of aesthetics with changing field of view. Conclusion Both lips and teeth seem to contribute to the aesthetic appeal of a smile. Dentists may have a tendency to place a disproportionate weight to teeth when assessing a smile close up.