Ideal Smile and Smile on your face – An esthetic smile is the result of the interaction of different smile components and requires an understanding of the principles that manage the balance between teeth and soft tissues. Establishing ideal function and esthetics may be mutually exclusive and requires careful and detailed consideration during orthodontic treatment planning. Smile esthetics have been researched using a variety of perspectives and methods.
WHY SHOULD SMILE BE ASSESSED?
The widely known popular saying “The smile is our business card” must always be respected and considered, since there is scientific evidence evincing the smile as the most important element in the context of dentofacial aesthetics. In the last century, the scientist Alfred Yarbus designed an equipment that registered the movement of human eyes in different situations. His studies revealed that while analyzing facial photographs, people tend to focus attention mostly on the mouth and the eyes.
This hypothesis may be explained not only by the dynamic characteristic of mouth and eyes in comparison to other static structures of the face but also by the contrast of colors: in the eye, between the iris, the pupil and the sclera; and in the mouth, between the lips, the gingival tissue, the teeth and the dark background. This finding is corroborated by recent publications confirming that during personal interactions greater attention is given to the mouth and the eyes. Additionally, because the mouth is one of the centers of attention of the face, the smile plays an essential role in facial esthetics.18 For this reason, we may establish the first aspect of assessing smile esthetics: the smile is a dominant component of facial esthetics.
Once we realize the importance of the smile in a facial context, we are able to extrapolate even further. It is determining not only in the perception of facial attractiveness but also with the perception of one’s psychological characteristics. The presence or absence of deleterious alterations in an individual’s smile significantly influences how this individual is perceived and evaluated. Negative alterations may affect one’s personality, intelligence, emotional stability, dominance, sexuality and one’s behavioral intentions of interacting with other people.10 These characteristics are easily perceived when dental treatment includes improvements in smile esthetics. You have certainly witnessed improvements in patient’s self-esteem and quality of life after esthetic treatment is performed.
Thus, the above explains why patients seek dental treatment with chief esthetic complaint. Whenever patient’s smile undergo esthetic changes they become more attractive and young with positive changes in psychological terms.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF SMILE AESTHETICS
- Smile arc – Maxillary incisors in vertical position;
- Maxillary central incisors ratio and symmetry;
- Anterosuperior teeth ratio
- Presence of anterosuperior space
- Gingival design
- Levels of gingival exposure
- Buccal corridor
- Midline and tooth angulation
- Details – Tooth color and anatomical shape
- Lip volume
Special attention is given to disposition of anterosuperior teeth (canine to canine or first premolar to first premolar) or the area known as esthetic zone where central incisors are known as key elements and characterize the term “dominance of central incisors” (Fig ). In short, central incisors must be highlighted as true protagonists of smile. Thus, commandments from 1 to 4 are directly related to “dominance of central incisors”.
Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
