Tuesday 21 October 2014

9 Main Principles of Smile Design



An esthetically pleasing smile not only enhances the way you look but also makes you feel more confident, optimistic and fulfilled. Achieving an attractive and healthy smile requires the teeth, gum tissues, facial and dental muscles, structures and joints all function in harmony.

What is Smile Design?
A smile design is an aesthetic process that changes the size, shape, color and alignment of the teeth and alters the facial and dental tissues in order to enhance one's appearance. Because it is a highly technical process, it needs to be performed by a dental expert with a diverse knowledge background and extensive experience.

The cosmetic smile makeover requires making a perfect integration of facial composition (the hard and soft tissues of the face) and dental composition (teeth and their relationship to gingival tissues). Harmonizing an esthetics smile requires complete evaluation and analysis of your mouth shape, lips, gum lines, and the natural shape of your teeth.

Main Principles
There are many aspects, contours and angles considered when developing the smile you desire. Following are some major principles which need to be taken into consideration when designing the most aesthetically pleasing and optimally functional smile

Symmetry: The front two teeth's symmetrical length and width is most important for a pleasing smile. Symmetry around the centreline is a defining feature of an aesthetically attractive smile. By ensuring symmetry of the two front teeth and other teeth close to the midline, the appearance of dental symmetry can be created to change your entire smile.

Horizontal Alignment: Ideally the horizontal tooth line should be well aligned so it is parallel to the eyes. The tooth line parallel to horizontal axis of your face is generally considered most attractive.

Vertical Symmetry: Draw an imaginary vertical line through the centre of your eyes, nose and chin. This mid-line should also run through your two central incisors (front teeth), thus making those two teeth a mirror image of each other.

Smile Width: A wide smile with visible rear teeth is often considered an ideal smile, displaying your teeth from molar to molar. On the other hand, a narrow smile makes your front six teeth, from canine to canine, appear larger and keeps the back teeth in shadow, creating an unpleasant and darker smile.

Gum Line: The most attractive smiles have straight, symmetrical gum lines that follow the line of the upper lip, giving your gums the reasonable exposure, preferably showing only the triangular parts of gum between the teeth.

Smile Line: The most appealing, youthful looking smile has well-proportioned embrasures-the natural, slight triangular spaces between the tips of your upper teeth- which gradually increase in size towards the rear teeth. The bottom of your upper teeth should match the imaginary curve of your lower lip.

Tooth Dimensions: The ideal proportion of each individual tooth is an essential element to create the ideal smile. Preferably, the width to length ratio of the two front teeth should be approximately 4:5.

Tooth Shade: Shade of your teeth plays an important role in creating a bright, elegant smile. If you are displeased with the color of your teeth, don't despair as it is now possible to change the shade of your teeth, thanks to the new smile design techniques. There are a variety of color and translucency options available in cosmetic dentistry that can make your smile so natural and radiant.


Golden Proportions: An ideal ratio of the visible widths of all six maxillary anterior teeth is considered as 60% of the width of each central incisor, lateral incisor and canine. This golden proportion percent is difficult to apply as different patients have different facial and dentition proportions. Adherence to this principle limits aesthetic creativity and this may lead to smile design failure.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7762776

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