The Golden Proportion in Dentistry: A Literature Review

Context: In the last 2 decades, several studies have questioned the application of the rule of the golden proportion in dentistry. Therefore, the purpose of this review study was to assess the dental use of the golden proportion. Evidence Acquisition: We performed MEDLINE and Cochrane searches for English language literature published through 2015 using the following terms: golden proportion, golden ratio, and dentistry. Additional articles were then retrieved through hand searching the reference lists of the above articles. The manuscripts selected included review articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Results: The findings showed that the mean ratio of the relative widths of the central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines was 1.6:1:0.85 on both sides. The ratios were not influenced by either sex or previous orthodontic treatment. Conclusions: The results suggest that the rule of the golden proportion should not be used for treatment planning without observing individual modifying factors. Moreover, orthodontic treatment does not change the dentition toward the golden proportion.