ABSTRACT
The smile is a standard by which individuals often are judged. Gingival display is an important component of the smile. While perceptions vary between the sexes and between laypeople and dental professionals, gingival display of ≥4 mm has been considered excessive and unattractive. The amount of gingiva that an individual displays can vary depending on the type of smile the individual produces. An emotional or forced smile will produce greater upper lip movement and gingival display than a posed smile. Much of the dental literature that discusses gingival display focuses on subjects of a limited age range, has a limited number of subjects, or neglects to determine the gingival display with maximum upper lip movement. The purpose of this prospective observational investigation was to document the smile type, gingival display, and upper lip movement of male and female subjects in different age groups.
