Orofacial Esthetic Perceptions Among Periodontists, Prosthodontists, General Dentists, and Dental Students: A Comparative Study
Kübra Ceran Deveci, Mehmet Oğuzhan Ergin, Nuray Zulkadir ErginABSTRACT
Purpose
The aim of this study was to compare orofacial esthetic assessments among periodontists, prosthodontists, general dentists, and dental students using an adapted observer‐rated version of the Turkish version of the Orofacial Esthetic Scale (OES‐Tr).
Methods
Five groups of 30 assessors—periodontists, prosthodontists, general dentists, 5th‐year dental students, and 4th‐year dental students—evaluated standardized photographs of natural smiles from 10 individuals using seven items adapted from the OES‐Tr. Linear mixed‐effects models were used to account for repeated assessments.
Results
Educational/specialization group significantly affected total OES‐Tr scores. General dentists assigned higher scores than 4th‐year dental students and prosthodontists. Group differences were observed for tooth alignment, tooth shape and form, tooth color, and the appearance of the gums. Age and sex were not significantly associated with OES‐Tr scores.
Conclusion
Within the limitations of this current study, it was concluded that orofacial esthetic assessments differed according to educational/specialization group. Significant group differences were observed for tooth alignment, tooth shape and form, tooth color, and the appearance of the gums. No statistically significant associations were observed between assessors' age or sex and orofacial esthetic assessments.