The Eye-Tracking Study of the Impact of the Gingival Margin Height of Maxillary Lateral Incisors.

The objective of this study was to verify differences in eye-tracking metrics and subjective smile esthetic ratings between general practitioners, orthodontists, and laypersons in cases of maxillary lateral incisor gingival margin deviations. Unilateral apical and incisal gingival margin deviations of 1, 2, and 3 mm were digitally produced in pictures of a man and a woman smiling. Specific areas of interest (AOIs) were created in each picture. Eye-tracking metric data included the time to first fixation (TFF) and number of fixations (NF). A specific sensor and software were used to acquire information on the eye movements. Data on the smile esthetic ratings were obtained using a visual analog scale (VAS). Analysis of variance and Pearson correlation were applied. The TFF on the AOIs in the mouth was shorter for general practitioners and orthodontists, signifying that general practitioners and orthodontists rapidly perceived the features in these areas, while for laypersons, the TFF was shorter for the AOIs of the eyes (P < .05). The NF was greater on the AOIs in the mouth for general practitioners and orthodontists, whereas to the laypersons, the NF tended to be greater on the AOIs in the eyes. Mean VAS scores differed between observer groups (P < .05). For the male picture, the 1-mm and 2-mm apical gingival margin deviations received the highest scores from the laypersons, while for both female and male pictures, the 1-mm apical deviation received the highest scores fr...

Source: International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry - February 9, 2020 Category: Dentistry Tags: Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent Source Type: research