Evaluation of smile esthetics in terms of midline diastema by dental students

Abstract

Introduction: The relationship of teeth with each other as well as with the surrounding soft tissues has a strong impact on smile esthetics. The aim of this study was to quantify the ideal and the maximum acceptable variation in smile esthetics with specific regard to midline diastema.

Material and Methods: A frontal smiling photograph of a female subject having no midline diastema was modified by increasing the midline diastema in 0.5 mm increments. In this way, 4 photographs with midline diastema of 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm and 2 mm were obtained. These 5 photographs including one standard and four modified were shown to 128 participants selected according to the inclusion criteria. The participants were asked to rate the overall smile in each of the photographs using visual analogue scale (VAS).

Results: No significant difference was observed for both groups for the most preferred and least preferred smile (p> 0.5). Both the 1^st year group and the Final year group rated the smile without any midline diastema as the highest. The Final year group gave an overall higher mean score as compared to the 1^st year group.

Conclusions: The 1^st year and final year students prefer smiles with no midline diastema and they rate a large midline diastema as unattractive.