Artistic Smile Design | Digital Planning for Dentistry

Cosmetic Dentistry with a genuine artistic replication of nature

Artistic Smile Design process

Smile design provides personalized plans for cosmetic dental care. It is a mutual sharing of treatment options based on stated patient desires and expectations.

When it comes to cosmetic dentistry, patients want different things based on their unique preferences. Most people want dramatic results that still look natural. Artistic smile design refers to the treatment planning process for cosmetic dentistry. We define it as a mutual sharing of treatment options. It is based on a patient’s unique desires and expectations.

The artistic component is balanced with a mathematically based planning process called digital smile design. Digital planning for cosmetic dentistry requires advanced training.

Dr. James Fondriest is one of the leading cosmetic dentists in the country. He runs a full time private practice that specializes in comprehensive aesthetic restorative dentistry. He is also a nationally recognized speaker and dental educator.

What Is Involved in an Artistic Smile Design?

Artistic smile design involves much more than teeth cleanings, whitening someone’s teeth, or putting on braces. When you decide to improve your smile, we will invite you to share your dreams, desires, and expectations with us. To help you get your desired results we strive to fully develop and understand your goals. In the sections below, we will explore the general steps of the smile design planning process.

After: We provided a mixture of crowns bridges and veneers for her. She took an active role in exactly how they were going to look.

After: We provided a mixture of crowns bridges and porcelain veneers for her. She took an active role in exactly how they were going to look.

Before: This Highland Park patient wanted a brighter healthier smile. She hated the black lines on her crowns at the gumline and the varied unnatural look to the existing crown work. Her floss would shred on her poorly fitting dentistry.

Before: This Highland Park patient hated her old crowns. There were thin black lines at the gumline above her crowns.. Her floss would shred on her poorly fitting dentistry.

Initial Consultation- The Interview

To identify your goals, a comprehensive interview is performed. We listen to your dental history. We want to know if there were any bad experiences that you want to avoid.

There is an old saying in medicine that “Our patients are their own best doctors”. This means that you above us know what issues are most important to you. We want to know your fears and limitations. Our goal is to build a strong trusting relationship with our patients.

The Clinical Information Gathering Process

Artistic smile design includes documenting facial asymmetries, lip drape, and movement patterns with clinical photography, video, and portraiture. The facial mask is essentially a picture frame for the smile. This frame can be altered, just as your teeth, gums, and jaws can. By taking all elements into consideration, we can provide beautiful results that are truly personalized.

Treatment Planning | Digital Smile design

Once the information gathering is complete, the clinical images are uploaded into our specialty software program for analysis. This sophisticated digital smile design process requires many hundreds of hours of supplemental training. Most cosmetic dentists or prosthodontists do not have this cosmetic training.

If your dentist has this training, the photos will be more thoroughly evaluated. The photos are assessed digitally and compared with anatomical averages. The variations will be used to create more and more creative treatment options.

The math based planning process of digital smile design

There are established natural averages for facial and dental proportions. Just as an orthodontist uses ranges of normal, we use these averages as guidelines to compare them to your dental anatomy. In this way, Dr. Fondriest can ensure that your smile enhances your facial proportions and contours. Any variation gives us an opportunity to suggest possible treatments.

Many cosmetic options cannot be performed in our office but rather are done by other specialists. If we do not offer the treatment you require, we will refer you to a trusted specialist in the area. We will work with them throughout the process.

Discussion of Possible Solutions

First, all of your treatment options are collected during the artistic smile design process. Then we strive to present solutions to you as clearly as possible. By fully explaining your options, you can make a better informed decision.

Each client varies in their schedule, temperament, motivation, level of hygiene, and planned financial investment. More importantly, doctors try to match a plan with your willingness to hold out for the ideal. In a gentle way, we try to help all of our patients make a plan that fits their needs and budget. Collaborative cosmetic dentistry planning allows our patients to feel ownership in the treatment decisions.

Treatment Planning for Dental Implants

Before placing a dental implant, thorough planning is essential. Doing so can help your dentist choose the type of implant and where it will be placed.

It is important that the surgeon and restorative dentist have a close working relationship. Hopefully, they both employ the newest digital x-ray techniques and planning software. A dental CT scan is usually taken during the initial visit. This special x-ray provides a 3-D view of the jawbone and surrounding oral landmarks.

When planning for implants, it is important to know where the nerves and sinuses are. The dentist will work with the surgeon to decide where to place the implants. If any bone grafting needs to be performed, that will be planned also. Grafting is used to improve strength and aesthetics of the final restoration.

Learn more about the highest level of artistic smile design

We recommend looking for an artistic doctor, consider one who teaches on the subject and has written many articles on cosmetic dentistry. No matter what type of treatment you require, pre-planning with artistic and digital smile design is essential to achieve a beautiful smile. To schedule a visit, contact us or give us a call at 847-234-0517.

Dr. Fondriest is a Nationally recognized and highly sought after cosmetic dentist serving clients from throughout the United States