Dr. Jessica Cohen has earned a stellar reputation as a skilled and caring orthodontist, and as the namesake behind the “Dr. Jessica smile.” But have you ever wondered how the Dr. Jessica smile came about? After all, crafting a gorgeous grin isn’t just happenstance. Plenty of research went into determining exactly what makes a mouth attractive. In fact, one such study was co-authored by Dr. Cohen herself!
Here’s a closer look at this study, and some further insight into how orthodontists just like her determine how to improve the aesthetics of your smile!
The Study
In 2011, Dr. Jessica Cohen published the study “Determining Facial Attractiveness for Orthodontic Treatment: A Study of Facial Characteristics of Female Caucasian Beauty Pageant Winners” along with co-author Dr. Robert J. Manasse.
The purpose of the study was to help orthodontists determine how to use the facial features of women deemed conventionally attractive to help with orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning.
For their research, Dr. Cohen and Dr. Manasse observed photographs of the facial features of 27 beauty pageant winners between the ages of 20 and 47, evaluating their profile convexity, lip position, and the proportions of facial thirds and symmetry.
The Findings
In their research Dr. Cohen and Dr. Manasse noted that among the participants, youthfulness was a resoundingly common factor in their perceived attractiveness, and so too was “increased maxillary gingival and incisal display,” or in other words, a broad smile with visible incisors and gums.
The aesthetics of the women’s smiles were compared to a study by Kokich Jr et al. [19] which suggested that while there is a variety of different opinions on what makes a smile beautiful, orthodontists typically prefer to only expose 2mm or less gingival (gum) tissue in their patients smiles. Interestingly, however, the women in Dr. Cohen’s study frequently displayed much more gum tissue than this.
The study did however confirm the idea that a beautiful female face has a lower facial height, and that adults with “unusually juvenile” facial characteristics are considered to be more attractive. This could explain why the women were found to be more beautiful despite the increase in visible gum tissue, as this is typically a feature that is more common in youth.
The Takeaway
Ultimately, Dr. Cohen’s research found that there is a close relationship between attractiveness, a youthful appearance, and a decreased lower face. This means that when it comes to your orthodontic treatment, it is important to have plenty of tooth and gum exposure to maintain a pleasant aesthetic. Furthermore, because tooth and gum exposure naturally decreases with age, reducing their visibility prematurely can make the face appear older than its years, and age it faster later in life.
The Dr. Jessica smile factors in all these elements to help craft a beautiful, youthful looking smile that is both well-balanced and meticulously shaped. If you’re ready to experience the difference Dr. Cohen can make in your own smile, schedule a consultation today!
About Dr. Cohen
Dr. Jessica Cohen is a board-certified orthodontist whose research on the aesthetics of beauty pageant winners and facial attractiveness has set a gold standard in how orthodontists can make your smile both beautiful and functional.
Dr. Cohen is an active member of the Chicago Dental Society, the Illinois Society of Orthodontists, the American Dental Association, and the American Association of Orthodontists.
To learn more about how you can get your own “Dr. Jessica smile,” please schedule a consultation by visiting our website or calling us at 224-427-6800.