Perception about Importance of Buccal Corridor and its Width in Smile Esthetics
Mariya Khalid, Sidra Javed, Palwasha Ihsan, Maria Naeem, Muhammad Ali Chughtai, Ehtesham Khan, Amina Tariq
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ABSTRACT
Aim: To assess the perception
of dental students and house officers regarding role of buccal corridor in
smile esthetics and to determine the
most esthetically pleasing buccal corridor
width.
Methods: A photograph of the patient’s face, smiling
with the teeth visible up to the first molar was modified digitally to create
smiles with no buccal corridor, increasing buccal corridors widths of 5%, 10%,
15%, 20 % and 25% respectively compared with the width of inner oral
commissure. A total of 376 dental students and HOs participated in the study
and data was collected in questionnaires.
Results: Buccal corridor is
considered to affect the smile esthetics of an individual by 72.4% of house
officers, 67.6% of second year students, 48.7% of 3rd year students
and 52.4% of fourth year students(P value: 0.002). Visibility of around 5-10%
of buccal corridor was considered most esthetically pleasing, however, the
result was not significant.
Conclusion:
Buccal corridor is an important component in smile esthetics considered by students and house
officers of dental colleges. Buccal corridor width of 5-10 % was considered
most esthetically pleasing among participants.
Keywords: Buccal corridor, Esthetics, perception