Digital Smile Design in Dental Aesthetics

Why Digital Smile Design?

It is of vital importance that the design of the smile is done on an individual basis, taking into account not only the shape of the teeth but also the harmony of the margins of the gums, the lips and the shape of the face.

Digital Smile Design emerged as a response to modern society, to a new kind of patient with greater needs and much higher expectations. The odontologists who practise DSD are not just dental specialists, they are artists, “Smile designers”.

The main advantage of this innovative system is that it does not require special medical equipment. With well-taken, high-resolution digital photographs the odontologist can study the relationship between the patient’s teeth, gums, lips and smile and use this information to virtually plan the patient’s treatment using any kind of presentation software.

The Maxillofacial Institute has introduced three improvements through its use of DSD:

  • Improved aesthetic planning and design of the smile: with Digital Smile Design the odontologist plans, with millimetric precision, the patient’s entire odontological treatment.
  • Improved communication between the interdisciplinary dental team: thanks to DSD all the specialists involved in the case, from the odontologists and maxillofacial surgeons to the lab technicians, can see and discuss the ideal treatment plan at any time. This excellent communication tool allows the laboratory to translate the entire treatment plan into a real aesthetic mock-up that the patient can see before having the treatment.
  • Improved communication between doctor and patient: the patient can give their opinion on the final result and share with the specialist any concerns or doubts they may have about the treatment. Together they can achieve the ideal simulation for the final smile.

 From all of the above, we see that Digital Smile Design is not only a technical tool for virtual planning, but is also a work philosophy that promotes the greater professionalism and humanity of the odontologists.