With the advancement of technology and scientific studies, many methods are now available to achieve more beautiful smiles, and the concept of "aesthetic dentistry" is becoming more prevalent in our lives.

What is Smile Design?

When we think of oral care, solutions to problems like tooth pain, bad breath, and tooth loss come to mind. However, today, the aesthetics of the smile, related to teeth and gums, also hold great importance. Aesthetic problems arising from cavities, gum diseases, crooked teeth, abnormal discoloration, and tooth loss can negatively affect individuals' social lives. Additionally, they can lead to self-esteem issues, causing people to avoid smiling in public.

Sometimes, even with healthy teeth, an individual may wish to improve the imbalance, shape, or form of their teeth and gums for aesthetic reasons. A beautiful smile not only boosts psychological strength but also creates a better impression on others.

When thinking of aesthetic dentistry, one of the first concepts that come to mind is "SMILE DESIGN." Smile design is the process of restoring the aesthetic appearance of teeth and gums that are affected for various reasons, taking into account the patient's facial features and needs, to achieve a natural and beautiful look. Smile design is a multidisciplinary approach that involves a combination of various procedures.

What Does Smile Design Include?

Since each patient's aesthetic needs are different, the procedures are personalized. Factors such as the patient's:

• Facial features,

• Gender,

• Age,

• Expectations
  are taken into consideration when determining the procedures.

First, existing cavities and gum diseases are treated, and teeth cleaning procedures are applied. Following that, procedures are determined based on the patient's needs. These procedures generally include gingivectomy (gum aesthetics), teeth whitening (bleaching), replacing missing teeth with implants and prosthetics, porcelain laminates and crowns, botox for correcting asymmetric smile lines, zirconium crowns, and orthodontic treatments (braces).

How is Smile Design Done?

The first step in smile design is to properly understand the patient's aesthetic expectations and needs. Problems are identified and planning is done on models prepared from the measurements taken from the patient's mouth.

Then, using special software with intraoral and facial photographs of the patients, measurements are made and facial harmony is calculated.

Afterward, the closest images to the final result are shown to the patient through the programs and temporary restorations that closely resemble the final design.

Once the planning is complete, if orthodontic treatment is not necessary, the gum level irregularities are first corrected. In cases where there are missing teeth, planned implants and any other required surgical applications are performed.

After the healing period of surgical applications, if necessary, teeth whitening procedures are applied. At this stage, visual and structural problems in the teeth are often addressed using aesthetic composite fillings.

When this method is insufficient, porcelain laminates, crowns, and zirconium crowns come into play. For porcelain laminates, generally, no abrasion is done or minimal abrasion is performed on the teeth.

If porcelain or zirconium applications are deemed appropriate, modifications are made during the trials based on the patient's feedback.

Throughout these procedures and trials, the shape and contour of the lips are also considered, and the final design is completed. Sometimes, medical aesthetic applications like fillers and botox on the lips and face can also enhance the smile.