Hide your bottom teeth, cover the gums, and set the lips at the right angle – the three most vital ingredients that create the perfect smile. Or at least according to dentists and researchers who came up with the formula.
The study on the perfect smile is featured in the Dental Clinics of North America journal. The researchers considered everything from the size and the width of each tooth to the colour, shape, and curve of the teeth.
Smylife.co.uk says improving the appearance of the smile can contribute to a more positive attitude and higher self-esteem. What, then, does it take to have the ideal smile?
Face, Gums, Teeth and Lips
‘Everyone wants the perfect smile’, said Dr Nicholas David, researcher and part of the Loma Linda University of Dentistry. The mouth is not the only one responsible for the smile, contrary to what many think.
To create the ideal smile, you need to consider all kinds of factors and dimensions. That includes the size and shape of the face, the lips and gums, and of course, the teeth. Moreover, colour and shape are also important.
Ratio and Proportion
The ideal smile involves strict mathematical ratios, says the researcher. Its width should be no less than the half of the face’s width. Both lower and upper lips should be symmetrical on each side of the facial midline.
The smile should reveal most of the upper teeth and very little or none of the lower teeth. The teeth on either side of the front teeth (laterals) must be 61.8% the size of the bigger teeth. The length of the central teeth must be about 1/16 of the facial height, and the width must be 80% of the height.
The ideal height of the central teeth varies, so long as they do not interfere with the lower lip.
Arrangement
Crooked teeth have no place in the ‘Perfect Smile’. All the visible teeth must be even and straight, and all restoration works you have had in the past must not be apparent. Avoid a ‘horsey’ smile by hiding most of the gums and if visible, they must be pink.
Shade
One of the most noticeable things about the smile is the colour of the teeth. They need to be the same colour as the white of your eyes. If you leave the bleach on too long or overdo whitening, it creates an unnatural effect that is more disturbing than pleasant.
Currently, Cheryl Cole holds the title for the scientifically Perfect Smile, from her tooth colour, tooth condition, face shape, smile confidence to lip condition and colour.
We cannot all be Cheryl Cole, but there are always cosmetic treatments and teeth whitening to give us hope.