Esthetic Perception of the Smile Decreases With Advancing Age
Esthetic Perception of Black Spaces Between Maxillary Central Incisors by Different Age Groups
Pithon NM, Bastos GW, et al:
Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2013; 143 (March): 371-375
Younger subjects are more aware of the negative effect of black triangles on smile esthetics.
Article Reviewed: Esthetic Perception of Black Spaces Between Maxillary Central Incisors by Different Age Groups. Pithon MM, Bastos GW, et al: Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop; 2013;143 (March): 371-375.
Background: It is not unusual at the end of orthodontic treatment to see patients with black triangles between the maxillary central incisors. What effect do these triangles have on smile esthetics?
Objective: To evaluate the esthetic perceptions of the smile, especially black spaces between the maxillary central incisors, by lay persons in 3 age groups.
Participants: The sample for this study consisted of 150 lay persons who were divided into 3 groups by age: 15 to 19 years old; 35 to 44 years old; and 65 to 74 years old.
Methods: An ideal smile photo was digitally altered to show black triangles between the maxillary central incisors which ranged from 0.5 mms to 3.5 mms. Each of the subjects used a visual analog scale ranging from 0 to 10 to evaluate the esthetics of the smile. The results were then statistically analyzed and compared among the 3 groups.
Results: The two younger groups were able to perceive the differences in the black triangles as they related to smile esthetics with larger triangles being less esthetic. On the other hand, the subjects in the oldest group awarded high scores to all images, and there was no statistical difference. Essentially, the oldest group was unable to define which were the best and the worst photographs.
Conclusions: The ability to perceive smile esthetics decreases with age.
Reviewer's Comments: The authors were not able to say why there was a difference in the oldest group. I think it is also important to understand that whether a patient has a high or a low smile line will also affect smile esthetics if they have a dark triangle. In any case, it is obviously important to identify the specific cause of a black triangle in a patient and eliminate it.(Reviewer–John S. Casko, DDS, MS, PhD).
© 2013, Oakstone Publishing, LLC
