Macro, mini and micro-esthetics: An evaluation of orthodontically treated patients

Abstract

Introduction: Patients mainly seek orthodontic treatment with the primary concern of an esthetic enhancement and one of the major goals of treatment in the field of orthodontics is attaining harmony and balance of the oral and facial soft tissues. The objective of this study was to compare the means of micro, mini and macro-esthetics in pre and post-treatment orthodontic patients with extraction protocol.

Material and methods: Fifty Pakistani patients, between 16 to 30 years age and treated with all first premolar extraction protocol were selected and their pre and post treatment records were retrieved. The lip prominence, nasolabial angle and interlabial gap were measured as macro esthetic parameters on the lateral cephalograph of the patients. The buccal corridors, Morley ratio, dental midlines and smile arc were measured as mini esthetic parameters on the smile frontal intraoral photographs of the patients. The connectors, crown height to width ratio of maxillary central incisor, golden ratio of anterior teeth and gingival zenith were measured as micro esthetics parameters on the smile intraoral frontal photograph and plaster casts. To compare the continuous and categorical variables a paired t-test and McNemar tests were applied respectively. Statistical significance level was set at p ≤ 0 .05.

Results: The golden ratio of maxillary anterior teeth, connectors, buccal corridors, lip prominence, labiomental angle and nasolabial angle showed statistically significant differences for patients. (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:  The micro, mini and macro esthetics improve with extraction orthodontic treatment protocol. The Buccal corridors space is maintained, the golden ratio and connectors of anterior teeth are improved and the smile arc does not flatten with extraction orthodontic treatment protocol.