An Assessment of the Maxillary Canine Torque’s Aesthetic by Prosthodontists, Orthodontists, and Laypeople

Our work aims to assess the perception of practitioners in the field of orthodontics and prosthodontics regarding aesthetics, as well as the assessment of laypersons consulting at the Casablanca dental consultation and care center (CDCC), in regard to the torque of the maxillary canine. Based on the level of significance (alpha) of 0.01 and the effect size of 0.90, the sample size was calculated to achieve 80% power. This calculation showed that 24 subjects in each group were necessary. Five photographs have been modified by the Adobe Photoshop Software from an initial photo of a natural aesthetic smile without prior orthodontic treatment. The modifications concern the torque of the two maxillary canines having initially a negative torque on the 23 and a positive one on the 13. The photos were then organized in a power point presentation format, with the same rate of increase and centering within the slide. Of the 72 participants only 68 responded to the survey. 4 participants could not participate for personal reasons. Once the results were obtained, all the data were integrated into the Excel table and processed by statistical analysis. Given the findings of our investigation, after the right and left symmetrical negative torque, the negative asymmetric torque on one side and zero on the other was also appreciated and well noted by the 3 categories of participants. We can conclude that the subjects did not experience any discomfort from a small asymmetrical torque between the two contralateral canines.