Ever been curious about what your perfect smile would look like?
Thinking about rejuvenating your smile, and want to make sure it meets your expectations?
Smile design is no longer left to chance. At Melbourne Dentist a range of digital technologies are combined with sound design principles to provide you with a predictably stunning outcome.
Are you fearful that you wont get the smile that you really want?
You know a good smile when you see one… but how can you communicate your wishes to your dentist and lab technician?
With an experienced and professionally trained eye, we will see more dental possibilities than you do. The trick is to somehow integrate your wishes with what we know to make your new smile one you’ll be truly proud of.
So it’s our responsibility to inform and educate you so that you can really express your own personal choices.
And this is where Digital Smile Design steps in…
Two short visits with Melbourne Dentist will:
- Determine exactly what it is you want from your smile
- Add to your teeth with a quickly reversible, no-prep ‘test-drive’ simulation that will demonstrate the smile you’ve always wanted.
The 4 Steps of the ‘Test-Drive’:
- Make an accurate no-prep “mock-up” of your new smile directly on to your teeth using fast setting tooth coloured plastic.
- Critically reassess your proposed new smile with photo’s and video. There’s no better way to see your new smile in place, and even take a temporary version home for your friends and family to see.
- Gently and quickly remove the mock-up to return you to how you were.
- Make an appointment to prepare your beautiful new smile using the design you rubber stamped.
What is the process of Digital Smile Design?
With DSD it becomes easy to design smiles unique to you, matching you both aesthetically and personally. It allows you to be involved in your own smile design before you have started treatment. This way, there are no surprises with the end result… your new smile!
Your new smile will be completed over a series of appointments. The steps involved are as follows:
VISIT 1
Smile Test
You need to be able to trust that we are hearing what you are saying. The process to give you this peace of mind begins with an extremely thorough interview and includes the completion of the Smile Test Questionnaire.
CLICK HERE> to complete the questionnaire.
Animated Smile Guide Ap - Smile Guide Touch Pro
Fortunately we do have a way to visually show you what different smile arrangements look like. The ‘Smile Guide Touch Pro’ Ap is an iPad based program – it’s an easy-to-use animated smile guide. With the help of this interactive visual tool you can choose the new size, shape, and colour of your teeth.
Digital photography and Video
Many people who don’t like their smile teach themselves to smile in a ‘guarded’ manner. Lip movements in natural speech and smiling can be quite different than those of a posed smile.
Our job is to put you at ease and sometimes this means we have to take a short video clip. From this we can assess how your smile relates to your face during normal speech, smiling and laughter.
It’s the still images ‘captured’ from this video at just the right moments that we study in depth.
Moulds of your teeth are taken.
Plaster study models are made from these moulds that we can study further after you leave your first visit.
AFTER YOUR FIRST VISIT
- All your records are now compiled and used to formulate a digital blueprint with the ‘Smile Designer Pro’ Ap.
- Using the images we’ve taken, Smile Designer Pro blends art and science to map your ideal smile based on your facial landmarks and your chosen teeth shape, shade and form.
- Using the resulting digital smile preview, we can communicate with you visually to demonstrate exactly what we’re considering. We can then adjust your new smile design based on any feedback that you give us.
- Importantly, communication with our laboratory is greatly enhanced by this process. The images are calibrated and the adjustments we are proposing are given to our master technicians in the most minute detail. This is critical to the process of providing you the best possible smile.
WE SEND YOU A VIDEO CONSULT
- Once we’ve produced your digital smile preview, we can then send you a video consultation via email. Examples of our previous cases that have similar issues to yours may be included to demonstrate likely results. Costs are clearly outlined to help you make your decision…maybe even involving the input of a significant other!
- Adjustments to the design are made if necessary based on feedback from you.
VISIT 2
- The ability to ‘test drive’ the change to your appearance may be critical to your ultimate happiness.
- If you decide that you like what you see on the digital smile preview, and you wish to progress further, the moulds that we took at your first visit are sent to our lab. Your digital blueprint is also sent along with the moulds.
- This digital ‘prescription’ guides the laboratory technician in the placement of tooth coloured wax onto the model taken of your mouth.
- A very quick and simple process allows us to transfer this design on the model directly onto your teeth using a fast setting tooth coloured plastic. This allows you quickly ‘test drive’ your smile.
- The treatment plan details, including appointment numbers, timing and costs, are fully discussed with you.
- In certain circumstances you may be able to go home with this mock-up in place to show family and friends.
VISIT 3+
- The teeth are prepared according to the prescription determined by your digital blueprint.
- The wax-up model is used to quickly transfer a fast setting resin to your teeth before they are prepared. The test drive resin is now used to direct precisely where and how much preparation is required.
- Accurate moulds are taken of your prepared teeth. These are then sent to the laboratory.
- Temporary veneers are placed onto your teeth that will look exactly like the digital design.
- Our master ceramicist uses the information from the digital smile design and the wax-up to produce perfectly proportioned ceramic restorations.
- Finally, you return to us and the bonding procedure is undertaken. The ceramics are glued to the teeth with incredible strength and beauty the result.
Getting to Know You
VISIT 1
Smile Test
You need to be able to trust that we are hearing what you are saying. The process to give you this peace of mind begins with an extremely thorough interview and includes the completion of the Smile Test Questionnaire.
CLICK HERE> to complete the questionnaire.
Animated Smile Guide Ap - Smile Guide Touch Pro
Fortunately we do have a way to visually show you what different smile arrangements look like. The ‘Smile Guide Touch Pro’ Ap is an iPad based program – it’s an easy-to-use animated smile guide. With the help of this interactive visual tool you can choose the new size, shape, and colour of your teeth.
Digital photography and Video
Many people who don’t like their smile teach themselves to smile in a ‘guarded’ manner. Lip movements in natural speech and smiling can be quite different than those of a posed smile.
Our job is to put you at ease and sometimes this means we have to take a short video clip. From this we can assess how your smile relates to your face during normal speech, smiling and laughter.
It’s the still images ‘captured’ from this video at just the right moments that we study in depth.
Moulds of your teeth are taken.
Plaster study models are made from these moulds that we can study further after you leave your first visit.
Smile design process
AFTER YOUR FIRST VISIT
- All your records are now compiled and used to formulate a digital blueprint with the ‘Smile Designer Pro’ Ap.
- Using the images we’ve taken, Smile Designer Pro blends art and science to map your ideal smile based on your facial landmarks and your chosen teeth shape, shade and form.
- Using the resulting digital smile preview, we can communicate with you visually to demonstrate exactly what we’re considering. We can then adjust your new smile design based on any feedback that you give us.
- Importantly, communication with our laboratory is greatly enhanced by this process. The images are calibrated and the adjustments we are proposing are given to our master technicians in the most minute detail. This is critical to the process of providing you the best possible smile.
Smile design preview and feedback
WE SEND YOU A VIDEO CONSULT
- Once we’ve produced your digital smile preview, we can then send you a video consultation via email. Examples of our previous cases that have similar issues to yours may be included to demonstrate likely results. Costs are clearly outlined to help you make your decision…maybe even involving the input of a significant other!
- Adjustments to the design are made if necessary based on feedback from you.
Smile 'Test drive'
VISIT 2
- The ability to ‘test drive’ the change to your appearance may be critical to your ultimate happiness.
- If you decide that you like what you see on the digital smile preview, and you wish to progress further, the moulds that we took at your first visit are sent to our lab. Your digital blueprint is also sent along with the moulds.
- This digital ‘prescription’ guides the laboratory technician in the placement of tooth coloured wax onto the model taken of your mouth.
- A very quick and simple process allows us to transfer this design on the model directly onto your teeth using a fast setting tooth coloured plastic. This allows you quickly ‘test drive’ your smile.
- The treatment plan details, including appointment numbers, timing and costs, are fully discussed with you.
- In certain circumstances you may be able to go home with this mock-up in place to show family and friends.
Creating your smile
VISIT 3+
- The teeth are prepared according to the prescription determined by your digital blueprint.
- The wax-up model is used to quickly transfer a fast setting resin to your teeth before they are prepared. The test drive resin is now used to direct precisely where and how much preparation is required.
- Accurate moulds are taken of your prepared teeth. These are then sent to the laboratory.
- Temporary veneers are placed onto your teeth that will look exactly like the digital design.
- Our master ceramicist uses the information from the digital smile design and the wax-up to produce perfectly proportioned ceramic restorations.
- Finally, you return to us and the bonding procedure is undertaken. The ceramics are glued to the teeth with incredible strength and beauty the result.
What can Digital Smile Design Help to Correct?
Common concerns for people considering undergoing a smile re-design include discoloration, crooked, worn and gappy teeth. Gummy smiles can also be addressed.
Discoloration
The appearance of teeth that are stained due to smoking, food dyes, aging, and other factors can be dramatically improved with teeth whitening or porcelain crowns and veneers.
Crowding
Worn teeth
Teeth wear is a common reason to seek smile re-design and digital smile design is indispensible in planning to remedy this complex condition.
GappyTeeth
As there are a number of reasons why spaces can develop, there are many treatments that digital smile design may utilise to address this issue.
Gummy Smiles
Assessment of captured video is the perfect way to assess the relationship of the moving lip to the amount of gum shown at various points of a smile.
What procedures are involved in Digital Smile Design?
Digital Smile Design plans commonly include a combination procedures that may include:
What type of smile are you after?
There are two types of smiles people generally request:
- The “Perfect” Smile (the Hollywood Smile)
- The “Natural” Smile
The smile portrayed in the film, TV and advertising industries has a very strong influence on contemporary dental treatment.
It is characterised by perfect white teeth, often falling beyond the range of traditional tooth shade guides (‘Hollywood White’).
People looking for the “perfect” smile will typically expect:
Perfect symmetry around the midline
If you draw a vertical line down the middle of your face, that line would be directly between the front teeth.
Perfect symmetry around the midline provides a smile that looks “balanced” from one side to the other.
A smile line exactly matching the curvature of the lower lip.
Maximum teeth regularity and alignment
Each tooth is aligned perfectly and is a mirror image of the corresponding tooth on the other side
Maximum teeth brightness.
By adding artistic “natural” touches and subtle irregularities we can make your teeth look just different enough to create real character.
People looking for the “natural” smile will typically expect:
A general sense of alignment and regularity.
The two front teeth must always be a mirror of each other.
Individual characterisations or ‘asymmetries’ are subtly added to the teeth either side of the two front teeth.
A general uniformity of colour and a definite brightness, but not overtly noticeable.
The “Perfect” Smile
The smile portrayed in the film, TV and advertising industries has a very strong influence on contemporary dental treatment.
It is characterised by perfect white teeth, often falling beyond the range of traditional tooth shade guides (‘Hollywood White’).
People looking for the “perfect” smile will typically expect:
Perfect symmetry around the midline
If you draw a vertical line down the middle of your face, that line would be directly between the front teeth.
Perfect symmetry around the midline provides a smile that looks “balanced” from one side to the other.
A smile line exactly matching the curvature of the lower lip.
Maximum teeth regularity and alignment
Each tooth is aligned perfectly and is a mirror image of the corresponding tooth on the other side
Maximum teeth brightness.
The “Natural” Smile
By adding artistic “natural” touches and subtle irregularities we can make your teeth look just different enough to create real character.
People looking for the “natural” smile will typically expect:
A general sense of alignment and regularity.
The two front teeth must always be a mirror of each other.
Individual characterisations or ‘asymmetries’ are subtly added to the teeth either side of the two front teeth.
A general uniformity of colour and a definite brightness, but not overtly noticeable.
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