Perioral age-related changes in smile dynamics along the vertical plane

Objective: To evaluate the changes in characteristics of perioral musculature at rest and when smiling, with respect to age and gender, measured along the vertical plane in a randomly selected sample of a North Indian population. Materials and Methods: Perioral musculature of 195 subjects (divided into three age groups) was recorded using standardized videographic methods. Two frames of each subject—at rest and widest posed smile—were analyzed for a comprehensive list of parameters. Data was evaluated using SPSS version 16 software. Two-way analysis of variance and post hoc least significant difference tests were conducted. Results: Significant observations were increased resting upper lip length for females; decreased upper lip thickness, maxillary incisor exposure, and lip elevation for males; and increased smiling upper lip length for both sexes. Conclusions: With age, the smile gets narrower vertically, especially for the male population. The pattern of change observed in the present study must be considered and incorporated during treatment planning to deliver healthier and long-lasting results to patients of all age groups.