The different perceptions of the gummy smile among patients and clinicians

INTRODUCTION: The aesthetics of the smile has historically gained importance on the part of the patient: today there are even more standards imposed by the society in which there is a strong association between the concept of beauty with physical and mental well-being. The harmony of the smile derives from the balance of the three fundamental components which are the teeth, lips and gums. If the amount of gum exposed to the smile is excessive, the so-called gummy smile is configured, which although not a pathological condition itself, certainly represents an important aesthetic alteration, both for specialists in the dental sector and for ordinary people. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online questionnaire of 12 questions was diffused. It had the aim, through the proposal of photos of various types of smiles, to analyze the negative influence of excessive gingival exposure on perception and evaluation of the smile both by specialists and by people outside the dental area. RESULTS: The questionnaire, filled in by 314 people (dentists and not) with an average age of 37.9 years, found a strong subjectivity in the evaluation of the aesthetics of the smile. However, the smile that has met with greater preference is the one in which the amount of exposed gingiva is between 0 and 2 mm, confirming previous studies in the literature. Tolerance towards this aspect is greater among ordinary people, given that the statistical analysis found a significant difference in the opinions of specialists in the sector compared to people not in the field. There was also an overlapping predisposition to orthodontic treatment for aesthetic purposes on the part of male and female individuals.