PERCEPTION OF BUCCAL CORRIDOR SPACE ON SMILE ESTHETICS

Objective: To evaluate the perception of Buccal corridor space on smile esthetics by different age groups.

Materials and Methods: One frontal digital photograph of both the gender displaying the left first molar to right first molar was taken. The buccal corridor was modified digitally in increments of 5%, from 0% to 25% compared with the inner commissural width. After that six photographs for each gender were obtained with decreasing width of the dental arch and increasing width of the buccal corridor. Using the Visual Analog Scale, the altered photographs were evaluated by different groups of 180 persons according to age: Group I- Adolescent (10-19 years), Group II-Young adults (18-35years), and Group III-Middle aged group (36 to 55 years) and each group consists of 60 persons. Each subject of the group was asked to score the attractiveness of each smile in different gender on the basis of mobbed Buccal corridor space.

Results: Significant difference was obtained in finding the effect of the buccal corridor on smile attractiveness between males and female by all the other groups.

Conclusion: The hypothesis was rejected. All three Groups preferred narrow buccal corridors in comparison to the broad buccal corridor in males and females, especially by Group I and Group II subjects.