Esthetic Perception of Various Forms of Anterior Diastemas during Smiling

Abstract Introduction Midline diastema is a common esthetic problem in mixed and permanent dentition. It is considered attractive in some cultures and unattractive in others. Aim The aim of this study is to compare the perceptions of anterior diastema by dental students and laypersons. Materials and Methods The study was conducted on 100 undergraduate students of Bhojia Dental College (n = 50) and Bhojia Nursing College (n = 50), Himachal Pradesh, India. A self-prepared questionnaire was given, which consisted of two parts: first part had personal details (name, age, sex, knowledge of diastema) and the second part contained an edited photograph of a patient who had reported to the Department of Orthodontics, Bhojia Dental College, with the chief complaint of midline diastema. The photographs were modified by photoediting software and arranged according to the previous studies on anterior diastema by Frush and Fisher, Lombardi, and Simian. A visual analog scale with scores 1–4 (1, most attractive; 2, attractive; 3, less attractive; 4, least attractive) was used to rank these photographs by the students. Comparison between various variables was made by using chi-squared test. Results Smile attractiveness from the most to the least attractive was Simian > Frush and Fisher > Lombardi > midline diastema among both dental and nursing students. Gender and presence of diastema had no relation with the students’ perceptions (p > 0.05). Conclusion The location and width of diastema had an important role in the perception of dental diastemas. Midline diastema was a gap with most negative perception.