Aim: To examine the influence of age and gender on the degree of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth display during natural and exaggerated smiles among a group of Saudi subjects.
Methods: 320 Saudi adults (males and females) were randomly chosen. The measurements were carried out directly on the subject at natural and exaggerated smiles utilizing a Fowler Electronic Digital Calliper to the nearest tenth of a millimeter. Three measurements per tooth were performd and the mean was determined. Data were analyzed utilizing SPSS.
Results: During both natural and exaggerated smiles, males demonstrated more of the maxillary right and left lateral incisors and canines and females displayed more of the maxillary central incisor. Conversely, males demonstrated more of the mandibular anterior teeth during natural smile and exaggerated smile than the females. With enhancing age, the amount of anterior teeth revealed during both natural and exaggerated smile reduced for the maxillary and enhanced for the mandibular teeth.
Conclusion: The degree of visibility of anterior teeth is measured by gender and its association with aging should be considered when providing aesthetic prosthodontics treatment.
