The Psychological Effect of Excessive Gingival Display on Egyptian Females.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of excessive gingival display on oral health-related quality of life of Egyptian females. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 individuals with excessive gingival display and 160 controls matched for gender and age, attending the outpatient clinic. The outcome was oral health-related quality of life evaluated using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire. Results: Participants with excessive gingival display had a higher total OHIP-14 score (6.37 ± 3.34) in comparison with the controls (3.68 ± 2.54, p = <0.001). Impacts were also significant in the domains: functional limitation, physical disability, psychological discomfort, and psychological disability. Mean gingival display on maximum smile in the excessive gingival display group was 3.84 ± 1.13 mm. Conclusion: Excessive gingival display negatively affects the overall oral health-related quality of life, especially the psychological domain in this particular population. The results of this present study justify the correction of excessive gingival display to improve individuals' oral health-related quality of life.