The golden ratio is a useful idea in smile design, but it doesn't define a beautiful smile. When researchers measured the front teeth of people with attractive natural smiles, the golden proportion was uncommon. I use proportion as a starting point and then design around the person's face, lips, gums and preferences.
What is the golden ratio?
The golden ratio is a number, about 1.618, that appears when a line is divided into two parts so that the whole line relates to the longer part the same way the longer part relates to the shorter one. It has been called the golden mean, the golden section and the divine proportion.
A rectangle with sides in this ratio has a neat property. Cut a square off one end, and the piece that's left is a smaller rectangle with the same proportions. Mathematicians find the number interesting for many reasons like this.
Why is it linked with beauty?
For centuries, people have connected the golden ratio with harmony and perfection. It is often said to appear in the Egyptian pyramids, the Parthenon and the Mona Lisa. Those claims are popular but debated, and in many cases there is no evidence the builders or artists intended it. Some designers did use it on purpose. The architect Le Corbusier built a whole system of proportions around it.
How did the golden ratio come into dentistry?
In the 1970s, dentists proposed using the golden proportion to plan the upper front teeth. Seen from the front, each tooth would appear about 62 percent as wide as the tooth in front of it, moving from the central incisors back toward the canines. The idea gave dentists and laboratories a simple grid to work from, and it still appears in smile design discussions.
Does the golden ratio show up in attractive smiles?
Not consistently. In a 2004 study, researchers photographed 157 dental students whose smiles were judged attractive and measured the apparent widths of their six upper front teeth. They did not find the golden proportion between those teeth, and concluded that it is not a common feature of attractive smiles. Other researchers had already re-examined the idea and questioned whether it fits natural teeth.
That matches what I see. Smiles that look natural vary a lot. A rigid formula can produce teeth that look too narrow on the sides or too uniform across the front.
What do I look at instead when planning a smile?
Your face. The center of the smile should line up with the center of the face, and the edges of the upper teeth should follow the curve of the lower lip when you smile.
Tooth shape. Natural central incisors are usually somewhat longer than they are wide. In one study of extracted teeth, unworn upper central incisors were about 78 percent as wide as they were long.
The gum line. Even, healthy gums frame the teeth. Uneven gums can make well-shaped teeth look wrong.
Color and texture. Brightness, translucency at the edges and surface texture often matter more than exact widths.
Your preferences. Some people want a noticeable change. Many want to look like themselves on a good day.
Photographs, models and trial versions of the new shape let you see and react to the design before anything is final. You can see examples on our before and after page and in our e.max front teeth case.
Thinking about changing your smile?
If you're considering veneers or other cosmetic dentistry, bring photos of smiles you like and tell us what bothers you about your own. Contact our office at 3675 Hendricks Avenue in Jacksonville or call 904-398-1549.
Sources
Levin EI. Dental esthetics and the golden proportion. J Prosthet Dent. 1978;40(3):244-252. doi:10.1016/0022-3913(78)90028-8 (retrieved via PubMed)
Preston JD. The golden proportion revisited. J Esthet Dent. 1993;5(6):247-251. doi:10.1111/j.1708-8240.1993.tb00788.x (retrieved via PubMed)
Mahshid M, Khoshvaghti A, Varshosaz M, Vallaei N. Evaluation of "golden proportion" in individuals with an esthetic smile. J Esthet Restor Dent. 2004;16(3):185-192. doi:10.1111/j.1708-8240.2004.tb00032.x (retrieved via PubMed)
Magne P, Gallucci GO, Belser UC. Anatomic crown width/length ratios of unworn and worn maxillary teeth in white subjects. J Prosthet Dent. 2003;89(5):453-461. doi:10.1016/S0022-3913(03)00125-2 (retrieved via PubMed)
About the author. CJ Henley, DMD, is a general dentist in Jacksonville whose practice focuses on cosmetic and restorative dentistry, dental implants and dental care around head and neck cancer. Meet Dr. Henley.
CJ Henley, DMD, PA · 3675 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207 · 904-398-1549
Updated October 2026.