“Golden Proportion” and symmetry: What are they and how important are they in esthetic dentistry?

The Golden Proportion was first attributed to Pythagoras in 530 BC and is a ratio of 1:1.618. This ratio was then incorporated into art by Leonardo Da Vinci and Luca Pacioli and the most prominent example is in Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man”. This same proportion is naturally found in , snowflakes, flowers and sea creatures, including nautilus shells, starfish.

It is a common belief that symmetrical smiles and teeth that are arranged in a particular form are the most esthetic. Furthermore, in dentistry, the concept of the Golden Proportion, which is the ratio of various elements of the face relative to the dentition, is also perceived to be esthetically pleasing

While classic beauty tends to follow the rules of symmetry and the ratio of Golden Proportion, there are multiple examples of beautiful smiles and attractive faces that lack symmetry and do not follow this ratio. Hence, there are other factors which must be considered and which influence the attractiveness of individuals, including physiognomy and ethnic and cultural perceptions of beauty.

Source: Principles and Practice of Esthetic Dentistry (Elsevier 2015)