ArticleBDJ open2025
Attractiveness and determinants of maxillary midline diastemas in a West African smile.
Article in BDJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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3 authors.
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Abstract
introductionThis cross-sectional study examines whether the assumption that diastemas of 1 mm or greater are un-attractive is true in a Black West-African population, and identifies the determinants of attractiveness.
methodsA structured questionnaire was self-administered to adult participants, who rated digitally altered full-face colour photographs of a male and female model with diastema widths of 0-6 mm on a 5-point Likert scale. Quantitative data was analysed using SAS® (version 9.4) and SPSS® (version 26). Qualitative data was analysed with thematic analysis.
results375 participants completed the questionnaire (51% female, 48% male, 1% preferred not to disclose) with a modal age of 25-34. 65% of participants found maxillary midline diastema esthetic and/or desirable, with 63% of those with diastemas choosing to have no treatment, and the desire to have treatment decreasing with increasing age (p = 0.012). No smile was perceived to be unattractive, however female smiles were rated more favourably (p < 0.001) and increasing diastema width correlated with a decreasing attractiveness especially for diastemas wider than 3 mm in females and 2 mm in males. Diastema width, the gender of the model, and whether or not the participant had a diastema themselves was shown to impact perceptions of attractiveness in a multi-variable analysis.
conclusionThere is limited evidence to support the position that MMDs over 1 mm are not attractive in this population. Diastemas of ≤3 mm in females and ≤2 mm in males are considered attractive. In addition gender, diastema width, and an individual's own diastema (or absence thereof) impact perceived attractiveness.
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