I read with great interest the cover article entitled “Photographic and videographic assessment of the smile: objective and subjective evaluations of posed and spontaneous smiles” by Walder et al, published in the December issue (Walder JF, Freeman K, Lipp MJ, Nicolay OF, Cisneros GJ. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2013;144:793-801).

Early on in my first read of the article, I was dumbfounded by the statement in the introduction that “the dental literature is surprisingly lacking in its discussion of the dynamic nature of the smile as it relates to the methods used to elicit, record, and reproduce it and how it reflects our patients’ esthetics.”

The following articles address this topic.

• 1.

  Nafziger YJ. A study of patient facial expressivity in relation to orthodontic surgical treatment. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 1994;106:227-37.

• 2.

  Ackerman JL, Ackerman MB, Brensinger CM, Landis JR. A morphometric analysis of the posed smile. Clin Orthod Res 1998;1:2-11.

• 3.

  Ackerman MB, Ackerman JL. Smile analysis and design in orthodontics: diagnosis and treatment planning in the digital era. J Clin Orthod 2002;36:221-36.

• 4.

  Ackerman MB. Digital video as a clinical tool in orthodontics: dynamic smile design in diagnosis and treatment planning. In: McNamara JA, editor. Information technology and orthodontic treatment. Volume 40. 29th Annual Moyers Symposium. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; 2003.

• 5.

  Sarver DM, Ackerman MB. Dynamic smile visualization and quantification. Part I: evolution of the concept and dynamic records for smile capture. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2003;124:4-12.

• 6.

  Ackerman MB, Brensinger C, Landis JR. An evaluation of dynamic lip-tooth characteristics during speech and smiling in adolescents. Angle Orthod 2004;74:43-50.

• 7.

  McNamara LJ, McNamara JA Jr, Ackerman MB, Baccetti T. Hard and soft tissue contributions to the esthetics of the posed smile in growing children seeking orthodontic treatment. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2008;133:491-9.

• 8.

  Schabel BJ, Baccetti T, Franchi L, McNamara JA. Clinical photography vs digital video clips for assessment of smile esthetics. Angle Orthod 2010;80:490-6.

I hope that this deficiency in scholarship by the authors will instruct others how to more thoroughly review the literature on any particular topic.