Professional and lay people perceptions of anterior maxillary esthetics Open Access

Achieving esthetic outcomes with implant-based restorations in the esthetic zone is a challenge due to the difficulty in replacing lost papillae. This study aimed to assess the influence of contact point position on the overall perception of esthetics as assessed by dental professionals and lay people. A cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 300 prosthodontists, general dentists and lay people in the United Kingdom. The questionnaire consisted of photographic images of a smile, intentionally altered using image manipulation software. Variations in contact length between maxillary central incisors were created to mimic the clinical situation when missing teeth were replaced with implant-supported crowns. These images were rated using VAS. One-way and two-way ANOVAs, and Tukey’s test were used to analyze the data. The overall response rate by the three groups was 72%. Lay people and general dentists were more critical than prosthodontists in all VAS ratings (p < 0.000). Overall, all the groups perceived that the esthetic value reduced as the contact point increased in its length.