Smile preferences & age.

摘要

Introduction: Increasing numbers of adults are seeking orthodontic treatment to improve their smile esthetics. The objective of this study was to determine laypeople's preferences for gingival display and buccal corridor size of the smile as a function of the age of the person smiling and the age of the evaluator. Methods: Smiling facial photos of 3 male and 3 female patients in different age groups were digitally altered to change gingival display and buccal corridor size and presented to respondents of varying ages who ranked each set based on attractiveness. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine preferences with respect to age and gender. Results: In general, people preferred a smile with smaller buccal corridors and lip position even with the gingival margin of the maxillary incisors or slightly below. Limited differences were found based on age. Conclusions: Age alone does not seem to determine smile preferences.