The aesthetic qualities of a smile play a crucial role in social interactions, affecting an individual’s perceived attractiveness and emotional communication. This study investigated the relationship between smile aesthetics and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among Chinese college students. This cross-sectional study recruited 220 college students in China using convenience sampling. Frontal smile images were obtained from each participant to evaluate the Smile Index, Gingival Display, visible teeth count during smiling, and buccal corridor ratio. The psychosocial impact of the dental aesthetics questionnaire and oral health impact profile-14 were used to evaluate the OHRQoL of the participants. Correlations were observed between the number of visible maxillary teeth and self-assurance in dental appearance ( R = 0.158, P = .026), as well as between the width of the buccal corridor and its influence on social perceptions ( R = 0.149, P = .149 for social impact; R = 0.161, P = .023 for oral health impact profile-14). In contrast, a negative correlation was observed between the buccal corridor width and dental self-assurance ( r = –0.156, P = .027), while the index for gingival exposure exhibited a robust negative relationship with concerns related to aesthetics ( r = –0.185, P = .009). The aesthetics of smiles appear to be related to OHRQoL among college students, highlighting the crucial role of aesthetic factors in orthodontic interventions. These results emphasize the necessity of a holistic dental care approach that integrates both functional and aesthetic aspects of oral health.
Huang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.