What Is Dental Aesthetics and Smile Design?

1 – What is smile design?
A smile is one of the strongest signs of youth on a face, and age is one of the most noticeable factors in smile design. Smile design means assessing aesthetic criteria such as the lips, teeth and gums to create a beautiful smile that suits the person. In recent years, digital impression systems have made it possible to plan and apply smile design faster and more precisely.

2 – What are the rules of a perfect smile?
For a perfect smile the teeth should be straight and free of crowding. The upper central incisors should stand out slightly more than the others, and the teeth should have no stains or discolouration. Ideally, the upper dental arch is visible up to the first molar when smiling. The lip line should be in harmony with the gum line, and the gum levels should be symmetrical. The teeth should suit the shape of the face and the lips, and the imaginary line along the edges of the upper front teeth should follow the curve of the lower lip.

3 – Which criteria matter when designing the most suitable smile for a face?

What the patient wants is essential. Talking with the patient about their personality, social life and what they dislike about their smile guides the treatment plan.

The lip line, tooth length, gum level, tooth colour, tooth alignment, the harmony of lips and teeth while smiling and the smile line are all taken into account.

4 – Does the ideal tooth shape depend on face shape? (square, triangular, long and round faces)

Yes. Teeth prepared to suit the shape of the face look more natural and aesthetic. Gender also matters: softer, more oval teeth are usually preferred for women, while more angular teeth give a more masculine look for men.

5 – Which treatments does smile design include?

Smile design may include raising the vertical dimension, teeth whitening, pink aesthetics (gum aesthetics), laminate veneers, zirconia or E-MAX porcelain restorations, implants, orthodontic treatment and cosmetic contouring. With these treatments and regular care, a younger-looking smile is possible.

a) Whitening can be done at home or in the clinic. In a single session of about 40 minutes, the tooth shade can become several tones lighter. At-home whitening can be used for a few days to reinforce the result. Depending on eating and drinking habits, the result can last for several years.

b) Porcelain laminate veneers are thin porcelain shells bonded to the front of the teeth. Their advantage is that only a very small amount of tooth tissue is removed. Veneers can give whiter, more aesthetic teeth in a short time.

c) Zirconia is widely used in aesthetic dentistry. Because this ceramic material lets light through, it gives a very natural look. It is tissue-friendly and does not cause adverse reactions in the gums.

d) Orthodontic treatment corrects crowding with porcelain or metal brackets or clear aligners and brings the teeth into their ideal position.
e) Implants replace missing teeth without harming the neighbouring teeth.

6 – Can the right smile design make you look younger?

Facial features change over the years. Small wrinkles appear and the skin around the mouth and chin starts to lose firmness. Wrinkles above the lip form and the teeth become less visible. Gum recession caused by tartar and gaps left by lost teeth affect your smile and can lower your self-confidence. Missing teeth that are not replaced also reduce the vertical dimension and the height of the lower face, and they prevent proper chewing. When the upper teeth show less than the lower teeth while talking or smiling, the face looks older. To correct this, lost jawbone can be rebuilt with the box technique (osteo-bioregeneration), so the patient looks younger and regains functional chewing.

7 – How long does the treatment take?

A plan is made based on the examination. Using impressions, photos or videos, a digital smile (computer-aided) trial is placed in the mouth without grinding the teeth, and the tooth length, alignment and colour that best suit the face are decided. The patient can see the new teeth before treatment starts. Depending on the mouth and teeth, treatment can be completed on the same day or within 2 to 15 days. Smile aesthetics is a complex treatment.