Assessment of dental students’ perceptions of facial and smile aesthetics: Impact of gender, education level, and family background

Abstract

Background The aim of the study was to identify whether differences existed in the aesthetic perception of anatomical variations of the face and teeth among dental students, based on factors such as education level, gender, and the presence of a dentist in the family. Methods The study was carried out with dental students using the Google Forms platform. A young female model was selected for the survey, with no aesthetic-compromising restorations or pathologies in her maxillary anterior teeth. Standard facial and smile reference photographs were digitally manipulated to alter specific aesthetic features using professional image-editing software (Adobe Photoshop v.20.0.0, Adobe Inc., San Jose, California, USA). Participants evaluated these photographs, focusing on components such as facial symmetry, gingival position, buccal corridor, and occlusal plane angulation. Preclinical and clinical students rated the original and manipulated images on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 representing the most aesthetically acceptable image and 1 representing the least pleasing one. Statistical analysis comprised Shapiro-Wilk test, Levene test, Mann-Whitney U test. Results In the research, 493 students participated, including 240 clinical students; 312 were female, and 89 had a dentist in their family. The overall aesthetic perception score was high (82.63±8.5). Clinical students demonstrated significantly better perceptions of midline diastema, occlusal plane inclination, clinical crown height, and dental modifications compared to preclinical students (p<0.05). Female students scored higher in lower facial height perception than males (p=0.014). The presence of a dentist in the family did not significantly influence aesthetic perception (p>0.05). Conclusion Clinical training positively impacted students’ ability to critically analyze aesthetics while maintaining function and naturalness. It can be suggested that, as the academic level increases in dental education, students’ aesthetic judgment skills also improve.