Researchers have tested this question by taking one smiling side-on photo and digitally tipping the upper front teeth forward or back in 5 degree steps, leaving everything else the same. Dentists, orthodontists and people with no dental training all rated some angles as more attractive than others, and the most strongly forward-leaning versions often scored poorly. A small change in angle can shift how a side-on smile is judged.
This article explains what the angle of the upper front teeth is, what those photo studies found, why the best-looking angle depends on the face around it, and what can change the angle if it bothers you.
Written by Dr James Tran, BDent (University of Sydney), Graduate Diploma in Oral Implants, MICOI (Master).
The forward or backward lean is different from a sideways tilt
Dentists describe the upper front teeth with several separate angles. Seen from the front, a tooth can tip towards or away from the middle of the smile, which we cover in our article on front teeth that tilt sideways. Seen from the side, the same tooth can lean forward towards the lip (proclined) or back towards the roof of the mouth (retroclined). That forward or backward lean is called labiolingual inclination, and it is the subject of this article.
It is also different from overjet, which is how far the upper teeth sit in front of the lower teeth. The two are related but not the same, and our article on overbite and overjet explains the bite measurements.
How the angle is judged seems to depend mostly on the front face of the crown. In a 2024 study in the Journal of Orthodontics, Palmares and colleagues asked eight orthodontists to judge incisor inclination from smiling photos of 47 women and compared their ratings with X-ray measurements. Measurements taken along the front surface of the crown matched the orthodontists' judgements most closely (correlation about 0.85), while the traditional long-axis measurements matched less well (about 0.67 to 0.76).
What the photo studies found
Several research groups have used the same basic method: one photo, a range of digitally altered incisor angles, and a panel of raters. Their results do not point to a single ideal angle, and the most preferred version differed between studies, but in several of them strongly forward-leaning teeth were among the least liked.
| Study | Who rated the photos | What they found |
|---|---|---|
| Ghaleb and colleagues, European Journal of Orthodontics, 2011 | 30 dentists, 30 orthodontists and 30 lay people; photo of a 22-year-old woman, tilted up to 15 degrees each way | A 5 degree forward lean scored highest in every group. Orthodontists were more accepting of forward-leaning teeth; dentists and lay people disliked strong leans in either direction. |
| Naini and colleagues, Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2019 | 56 lay people and 14 clinicians; idealised female profile, front tooth surface set from 70 to 120 degrees to the horizontal | 85 degrees (slightly back from upright) was ranked most attractive, with 80 to 90 degrees the most attractive range. Too much forward lean was liked less than a backward lean. Beyond 105 degrees, most observers said they would recommend treatment. |
| Albwardi and colleagues, Cureus, 2022 | 135 participants in Saudi Arabia; profile of an adult man, tilted up to 15 degrees each way | A 5 degree backward lean was rated most attractive and a 15 degree forward lean least attractive. |
| Shavakhi and colleagues, BDJ Open, 2025 | 45 orthodontists and 45 lay people; one woman's profile altered to three face shapes | The preferred angle changed with the face shape (see below). For the forward- and backward-sloping faces, lay people preferred more backward-leaning teeth than orthodontists did, but for all three faces both groups picked the same angles as least attractive. |
These studies have limits. Each used edited photos of one or a few people, raters came from particular countries, and preferences may differ between cultures, ages and face types. Read them as a guide to a comfortable range, not as a target every smile must hit.
The face around the teeth changes which angle looks right
The angle that looks natural on one face can look odd on another. Shavakhi and colleagues altered the same smiling profile to create a face that slopes backward, a neutral face and a face that slopes forward. For the neutral face, both orthodontists and lay people preferred teeth with no extra lean. For the backward-sloping face they preferred teeth tipped back, and for the forward-sloping face they preferred teeth tipped forward. An earlier study by Chirivella and colleagues (Journal of Orthodontic Science, 2017) also found that ratings for the same changes in incisor angle and position differed between long, average and short face types.
This is why a dentist looks at the lips, nose, chin and overall profile, not just the teeth, before suggesting any change to tooth position.
Why front teeth lean forward or back
Many people simply have teeth that sit a little forward or a little upright, and this is part of normal variation. Some patterns have recognised causes.
Upper front teeth that tip back towards the roof of the mouth, together with a deep overbite, are the main features of a bite type called Class II division 2, as described in a Cochrane review by Millett and colleagues (2018). That review found no clinical trials comparing treatment approaches for this bite in children, so there is no trial evidence favouring one method over another.
In adults, gum disease can also change how the front teeth sit. When the supporting bone is lost, teeth can drift, a change called pathologic tooth migration. In an Iranian study of the records of 314 patients with periodontitis at a dental school in Shiraz (Khorshidi and colleagues, 2016), 11.4% had pathologic migration, and none of those with mild disease did. In a Lithuanian study of 121 adults aged 30 or over with advanced (stage III to IV) periodontitis, 74.4% had migration of their upper front teeth, mostly as new spaces between teeth and teeth that had moved down (Zasčiurinskienė and colleagues, European Journal of Orthodontics, 2023). Front teeth that start to spread apart, drop down or move in adult life are a good reason to have the gums checked, and gum health needs to be assessed before any tooth movement is planned. Our guide to the stages of gum disease explains what a dentist or OHT looks for.
Changing the angle means moving the tooth
Inclination is about where the whole tooth sits in the bone, so changing it is usually a job for orthodontic treatment with braces or clear aligners. At Lumi our dentists provide both fixed braces and clear aligners; we are general dentists, not orthodontists, and more complex bites may be referred to a registered orthodontist. Where teeth have moved because of gum disease, a 2023 review in the Australian Dental Journal (Oruba and colleagues) reported that orthodontic treatment can correct this migration, and that teeth with reduced gum support can be moved safely provided gum infection and inflammation are controlled.
Veneers and bonding cover the front surface of a tooth. They change how that surface looks, but they do not move the tooth, so the root stays where it is in the bone. How much they can disguise a lean depends on the individual teeth and bite, which is part of what our article on veneers versus aligners for crooked teeth discusses.
Looking at your own side-on smile
A quick phone photo taken from above or below can change how tipped the teeth appear. For a fairer view, stand with your head level and looking straight ahead, have someone hold the phone at lip height exactly side-on, and take one photo with lips relaxed and one with a full smile. Our article on why a smile looks different in profile explains how camera angle changes the picture.
If you are bringing photos to a consultation, our guide on how to describe the smile you want lists the views that help most. If you live interstate, our guide to travelling to Sydney for treatment explains how to plan a visit.
Common questions
Is it a problem if my front teeth lean forward a little?
Not necessarily. In the Ghaleb study, a slight forward lean was the most preferred version for every group of raters. A lean is more likely to need a closer look if it is marked, is changing, or comes with a bite or gum problem.
Do dentists and other people judge the angle the same way?
Not exactly. In Ghaleb's study, orthodontists were more accepting of forward-leaning teeth than dentists and lay people, and in Shavakhi's study, for the forward- and backward-sloping faces, lay people preferred more backward-leaning teeth than orthodontists did. Both groups in Shavakhi's study did agree on which angles looked least attractive for each face shape.
Can clear aligners change the angle of front teeth?
Orthodontic treatment with braces or aligners moves teeth, including changing how far they lean. Whether aligners suit a particular case depends on the bite and the amount of movement needed, which is assessed at a consultation.
See your side-on smile properly
If the angle of your front teeth bothers you in photos, you can ask about it at a free cosmetic consultation at our Melrose Park practice. Current offers are on our current deals page.
Sources
- Ghaleb N, Bouserhal J, Bassil-Nassif N. Aesthetic evaluation of profile incisor inclination. European Journal of Orthodontics, 2011. PubMed 20716642
- Naini FB, Manouchehri S, Al-Bitar ZB and colleagues. The maxillary incisor labial face tangent: clinical evaluation of maxillary incisor inclination in profile smiling view and idealized aesthetics. Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2019. PubMed 31478034
- Albwardi M and colleagues. The influence of maxillary incisor labiolingual inclination on smiling profile esthetics among Saudis. Cureus, 2022. PubMed 35154945
- Shavakhi M, Yavari A, Tavakoli Tafti K. Aesthetic perception of maxillary incisor inclination in smiling profile of different facial divergences. BDJ Open, 2025. PubMed 41360778
- Chirivella P and colleagues. Comparison of the effect of labiolingual inclination and anteroposterior position of maxillary incisors on esthetic profile in three different facial patterns. Journal of Orthodontic Science, 2017. PubMed 28197396
- Palmares S, Caseiro R, Pereira R, Jardim L. Perception of maxillary incisor inclination and its correlation with dental cephalometric measurements. Journal of Orthodontics, 2024. PubMed 38682492
- Millett DT and colleagues. Orthodontic treatment for deep bite and retroclined upper front teeth in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018. PubMed 29390172
- Khorshidi H and colleagues. The prevalence of pathologic tooth migration with respect to the severity of periodontitis. Journal of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry, 2016. PubMed 27652243
- Zasčiurinskienė E and colleagues. Malocclusions, pathologic tooth migration, and the need for orthodontic treatment in subjects with stage III-IV periodontitis. European Journal of Orthodontics, 2023. PubMed 36869811
- Oruba Z and colleagues. Orthodontic treatment in patients with periodontitis: a narrative literature review. Australian Dental Journal, 2023. PubMed 37688346
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for an in-person assessment by a dental professional.
