So, who has got the best smile?

Just showing your teeth won’t do. Scientists have recently drawn up parameters for what constitutes the perfect smile.

For one thing, it has to be clear, open, warm and unambiguous. There’s more: the whiteness of the teeth should match that of the eye, and the width of the mouth should be half that of the face; very little gum should show.

According to aesthetician Dr Jamuna Pai, who has trained Miss India contestants, the mouth shouldn’t be too small, and a little bit of the molars should show. The front teeth should be big enough. She adds that, “A heart-shaped face always compliments a good smile, while a heavy jowl doesn’t.” Best smiles around? “Sushmita Sen’s got a nice smile since it’s warm and there’s nothing negative about it,” she says.

But, according to lensman Daboo Ratnani, a gorgeous smile isn’t always a perfect smile. “When I do photoshoots with men, I don’t like them smiling. I like them to project a kind of attitude that doesn’t come with a smile. But if you were to choose the best smiles, then John Abraham’s got an interesting one — it’s flirtatious and naughty. SRK’s smile is charming. Among the women, Madhuri Dixit Nene and Aishwarya Bachchan have the best smiles in Bollywood. Their smiles light up their faces and their eyes emote that feeling,” he says.

But in Bollywood, bright smiles are often manufactured. According to sources, the likes of Priyanka Chopra, Esha Deol, Dia Mirza, Aishwarya Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Koena Mitra and Neha Dhupia have undergone orthodontic treatment to make their pearly whites shine brighter.

In fact, Madhuri Dixit Nene — who tops most people’s list of best smiles — is one of the few B-Town actresses who’s blessed with a natural smile.

Among the men, Tusshar Kapoor visits the dentist for regular touch-ups, while SRK, being a chain smoker, has to have stains removed from time to time. Abhishek Bachchan is possibly the only one who hasn’t gone knocking on the dentist’s door as yet.

Celeb cosmetic dentist Dr Sandesh Mayekar puts smiles in three categories — designer smiles, perfect ones and attractive ones. A designer smile is one that’s best suited for that particular face, while a perfect smile is one that’s been made cosmetically perfect. An attractive smile is one that might not be technically perfect, but charming nevertheless. He says, “Yesteryear actress Nutan had what I’d call the golden proportionate smile; it was perfect. Actress Gayatri Joshi and models Sheetal Malhar and Ujwala Raut have nice smiles. Among the newcomers, Sonam Kapoor has a nice smile. SRK’s got a designer one and John’s is attractive. Aishwarya’s smile is too perfect.”

Be it a toothy grin, a half smile, a dimpled smile or a ear-to-ear beam like Julia Roberts’, a smile should exude happiness. Make-up artiste Cory Walia believes the brilliance of a smile has a lot to do with the region one hails from. “Punjabis and Haryanvis traditionally have the best smiles because of the dairy produce in their diets. Hence, Dharmender had the best smile among his contemporaries. Juhi Chawla also has a lovely smile, and Hema Malini’s smile is still stunning. But smokers like Preity Zinta don’t have naturally gorgeous smiles and that’s when make-up comes to their rescue.”

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com