Perception of laypersons and dentists regarding esthetic facial changes: a systematic review

Abstract

The need for greater understanding of subjective standards of beauty is important when combining a successful dental plan with the real needs of patients. This study aimed to perform a systematic review to assess whether dentists are more critical in assessing facial esthetics than laypersons. The cross-sectional studies selected compared dentists and laypersons regarding the perception of facial changes through photographs. The survey was conducted in four databases (PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, and OpenGrey) with no restriction of time or language, and was assessed by two reviewers who were based on the PVO strategy. Then, a manual search through the references of the selected articles was performed in order to find surveys that did not fit in said search strategy. The examiners assessed the risk of bias and quality in individual studies. The process of data synthesis was performed through a descriptive analysis of the selected studies. Three relevant articles were selected from an initial total of 979 articles collected. Most studies found that dentists were more critical than laypersons; however, facial modifications were different. Only one survey manipulated the changes on a computer, while the others worked with changes on the patient. Given the methodological diversity of the studies, it was not possible to establish a parameter to validate the results presented.