Introduction: Self-perception of smile aesthetics has been suggested as the most common reason for seeking orthodontic treatment. A recent study concluded that an improvement of dental attractiveness at the end of orthodontic treatment had positive effects on self-esteem. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between one’s self-perceived smile aesthetics and their self-esteem. Methods: A survey was conducted where each subject completed an evaluation of their smile aesthetics and a Rosenberg Self-esteem Test (RST). A smiling photograph of each subject was evaluated by dental professionals for dental aesthetics and straightness. Results: Female students rated their teeth straighter than males (mean = 78.5, p value < .0001). Self-esteem varied by race (p = 0.0017). African Americans had the highest self-esteem. There was a significant relationship between a subject’s satisfaction with their smile and their self-esteem (r = .30, p < .0001), but not with their self rating of their smile straightness (r = 0.11, p = 0.0528). Conclusions: Subjects with straight teeth perceived their smile as more aesthetic. Subjects that perceived themselves as having a more aesthetic smile had a higher self-esteem. Subjects that had orthodontic treatment in the past perceived their teeth were straighter and their smile was more aesthetic. There was no relationship between previous orthodontic therapy and self-esteem. Perception of smile aesthetics may be a more important aspect and a better predictor of self-esteem than a subject’s actual smile aesthetics.

Orientador: João Maurício Ferraz da [Unesp] Silva / Resumo: Este estudo foi descritivo e teve como objetivo avaliar os enceramentos diagnóstico convencional e o digital, baseados no mesmo Planejamento Digital do Sorriso em 2D, realizado através de um protocolo fotográfico. Foram selecionados 20 pacientes, que foram moldados com alginato para obtenção dos modelos de estudo convencional e foram também escaneados para a obtenção do modelo virtual utilizado para o enceramento digital. O planejamento 2D foi então enviado ao laboratório de prótese juntamente com os modelos em gesso e os modelos virtuais, realizando então os enceramentos diagnósticos. A prova destes enceramentos foi realizada por meio de um ensaio restaurador seguindo uma ordem aleatorizada. A avaliação do ensaio restaurador foi feita sob a preferência de um dentista avaliador experiente e especialista em prótese dentária e do paciente através de questionário. Foi avaliada também, a preferência do paciente em relação às técnicas de impressão: analógica e digital. As respostas foram tabuladas e submetidas a teste estatístico. Os pacientes mostraram preferência pelo enceramento diagnóstico convencional em relação ao digital em 65% dos casos. Os pacientes mostraram preferência pelo método de impressão digital em relação ao convencional em 80% dos casos. O dentista avaliador mostrou preferência pelo enceramento convencional em 50% dos casos e pelo digital em 50% dos casos. / Abstract: This study was descriptive and aimed to evaluate the conventional and digital diagnostic waxing, based on the same 2D Digital Smile Planning, performed through a photographic protocol. Twenty patients were selected, who were molded with alginate to obtain the conventional study models and were also scanned to obtain the virtual model used for digital waxing. The 2D planning was then sent to the prosthesis laboratory together with the plaster models and the virtual models, performing the diagnostic waxing. The testing of these waxing was performed by a restorative assay following a randomized order. The evaluation of the restorative trial was made under the preference of an evaluating dentist and the patient through a questionnaire. It was also evaluated the patient's preference over printing techniques: conventional and digital. The answers were tabulated and subjected to statistical test. The patients showed preference for the conventional waxing over the digital one in 65% of the cases. Patients showed a preference for the fingerprint method over the analog in 80% of the cases. The evaluating dentist showed a preference for analogous waxing in 50% of cases and digital for waxing in 50% of cases. / Mestre

<b>Introduction</b>: Today one of the primary goals of any kind of dental treatment is the achievement of balanced smile aesthetics, as patients increasingly attend dental clinics to improve their appearance. The main aim of the present study was to assess and compare the smile aesthetics created by the use of two orthodontic bracket systems (self-ligating vs. conventional ligating) as a part of analysing secondary outcomes of two randomised clinical trials comparing between these two systems. <b>Methodology</b>: The assessment of smile aesthetics was done by analysing and scoring post-orthodontic treatment 125 frontal smile photographs subjectively and objectively. The subjective evaluation was performed by 20 dental professionals and 20 laypeople, while the objective assessment was done by one principal examiner using a group of smile aesthetics parameters. <b>Statistical analysis</b>: Multiple regression statistical analyses were performed to test the association between subjective and objective assessment of smile aesthetics in order to find the significant smile aesthetics predictors and assess the effect of the bracket type (self-ligating vs conventional) on the resulting smile aesthetics. <b>Results</b>: The finding from this research shows that the bracket type was not an important smile aesthetics factor in all the statistical models, although there are other important smile aesthetics factors as there was a significant correlation between the subjective and objective assessment of smile aesthetics parameters (Pearson’s correlation coefficients “r” > 0.50). <b>Conclusion</b>: There is insufficient evidence to reject the null hypotheses of no significant difference in the smile aesthetics created by the two orthodontic bracket systems. An Orthodontic Smile Aesthetics Rating (OSAR) tool has been developed.