Smile Design: a healthy mouth is a happy mouth.
The old American stereotype of ‘poor British dental health’, notably discoloured or crooked teeth, still exists. To 80% of people, the UK is renowned for bad teeth. However, 75% of us also believe that a great smile is massively important. When it comes to the Hollywood pearly white paragons of straightness, whiter than white is the order of the day. However, British teeth could be described as having, perhaps a little more character. Americans have the idea that uniformity is equivalent to looking good whereas our British character reflects a more free-spirited, more radical view. A functional view of teeth and dentistry, opposed to an American philosophy of the aesthetic nature of teeth, which has given rise to the artificial smile we see splashed across show business and the media.a
Undoubtedly, wonky, gappy, sallow teeth can be perfectly healthy but when it comes down to it, it is not just the aesthetics of teeth that are important. I believe that the ability to reflect your confidence and pride through a gorgeous smile is essential. How you portray yourself and reflect your inner confidence can be affected by an uneven smile. Maybe, as a nation we are less preoccupied with our appearance and some do consider a crooked tooth as part of our character. However, you may be one of those whose wonky teeth do stop you living your life to the fullest. It is all very well, being told that it does not matter, but to me, it really does. Whether someone has good teeth or bad teeth, we all notice. That is why having nice straight teeth is so important; people with beautiful smiles are perceived as more beautiful than people with unattractive smiles because it is the smile that contributes to their overall attractiveness.
There really are additional benefits to improving the way you smile. You can feel better about yourself and not physically but mentally, too. People who smile are happier and healthier. As a thought, any of you out there who feel a little self-conscious about your smile probably find that there are other areas that you are conscious of, and this could well be holding you back from achieving all that you could. The smile is the most attractive expression of human nature; it shows, physically, our inner self. People enjoy being smiled at, it brightens their day and who knows what else. 
The Art of Smile Design
My passion as a dental and aesthetic practitioner has seen me voyage for the most ethical, economic and efficient technology to achieve the ultimate in Smile Design. Does a smile have to be perfect? Does it have to be white? Well, what I always say is – it’s simply down to the individual. Cosmetic Dentistry is a treatment that improves the appearance of your healthy teeth. Skewed teeth are straightened; creamy teeth become crystal and the gaping gaps are gone. A smile is priceless – to maintain it costs very little but is incredibly important. I always get asked to recreate famous smiles, but what actually makes a smile beautiful?
“Just because it’s white and bright doesn’t make it right”. The issue of opposing ideals: one person’s version of beauty may be glowing white teeth, another, the smile of a naturally aged 70 year old. Just like beauty, art is in the “eye of the beholder”. Every smile is an individual piece of art. Your vision may be a glamorous Hollywood smile makeover or perhaps minor fine-tuning to enhance a natural, pleasing smile; either way, a smile can dramatically improve the aesthetics of your face. Some clients will demand that perfect LA smile, flaunting the desirable dentures of Angelina Jolie, Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and the list goes on. Yes, I have the aptitude, technology and art to recreate that vision. However, there are still individuals with a more natural approach: the secret of great Smile Design is: simplicity.
The Science of Smile Design
Smile Design is a craft: a piece of art that through science and technique can create the perfect, individual smile design. Proper aesthetics is a highly individual goal, softer features or a vigorous dominant demeanor will be reflected in a smile, displayed through the size and shape of a client’s teeth. The same basic rules apply to make what looks good in someone’s mouth: the front teeth should be dominantly displayed to create a harmony with the rest of the face – this is where science meets art.
Divine Proportion was recognized by Phidias, a Greek Sculptor, for being a commonality in size and shape for spirals and patterns found in nature. This became known as the Fibonacci Series, and has a beauty and magic that is found in many of nature’s most beautiful creations from butterfly wings to the Great Pyramids of Egypt. When it comes to teeth, this proportion is a guide for dentists to determine the amount of tooth that is seen through a smile. The questions are raised: The eyes – do they smile, too? The corners of the mouth – how much do they lift up when we smile? How much tooth and how much gum show when we smile? How do our teeth look when we are talking? How does age affect our smile? The ratios of smile display to full smile; the proportion of gum to tooth; the amount of tooth display at rest or upon full smiling; the soft tissue cosmetics of lip size to nose size or upper facial height to lower facial height- are more than any patient needs to know, but an unyielding trust in their dentist to utilise this guide for the creation of a cosmetically pleasing smile framework is crucial.
The Smile Design Facelift
Cosmetic Dentistry is all about improving the smile using tooth whitening, straightening, crowns, veneers, cosmetic dentures etc. However, the smile is not just about teeth, but about improving the muscle tone and tackling the slackness of the face that can come with age or with poor tooth structure. Smile Design is essentially a Dental Face Lift. Facial rejuvenation through dentistry has an amazing anti-aging effect. Teeth are vitally important when it comes to Smile Designs, but the gums and the lips need to come into consideration when dealing with the overall ‘frame.’
When achieving a Smile Design, there are extra dimensions we need to consider to achieve the perfect results. When you look at the bigger picture i.e. the face, we have to consider the other aspects. Botox and fillers help to rectify a crooked smile, make thin lips fuller and help to lower those gummy smile lines. Botox is also transferable in its dental uses: it can relax the jaw muscles of bruxists which in turn eases wear of teeth, headaches and any head or neck pain. Facial volume is also a major key to looking younger. Today, the focus has moved from traditional face-lifts to injectables. Prepare for another seismic shift, which has revolutionized the dental and aesthetic industry: the answer to staying youthful could now lie with the teeth. A youthful face has a three-dimensional quality, veneers can help to create and maintain this, and each one is individually tailored to flatter the face, reliving many of a ‘horsey’ appearance. The veneers are crafted like fine pieces of jewellery to the upper and lower teeth, helping to boost the cheeks, plump the lips and restore any lost facial volume. Building out the upper sides of the teeth causes the arch to widen and also lifts the cheeks. The lips appear fuller with a slight lengthening to the top two front veneers; the corners of the mouth are also subtly lifted, pushing the lips back up and out. The overall results in a fuller, younger face and noone will know why. It takes a certain artistry to know where to build up and reduce but small, simple changes can really cause a transformation: one millimeter to the surface of the back teeth translates into three millimeters in the front of the mouth: instant age rejuvenation. Also, recent research indicates that investing in the best cosmetic dentistry won’t just make you look younger, it will also make you appear richer! In an era of stealth wealth when the super rich often eschew the obvious designer labels, a recent report revealed that shop assistants and those who work in car dealerships etc look at our smiles first to determine how much disposable income we have. While eccentric millionaires may wear scruffy clothes with scuffed accessories, the smile never lies, or so the theory goes. Straight, white teeth show a lifetime of maintenance and investment, so it seems that our smiles are becoming the only instant giveaway about the state of our finances!
Snap-On-Smile Design
Cosmetics dentistry, specialising in improving the overall aesthetics of teeth, has introduced the newest, economical way to have a beautiful smile: the Snap-on-Smile. They simply slide over the top of your existing teeth, giving you the appearance of a perfect smile. Snap-On-Smile is as easy as it is painless- a smile designed to be beautiful. Invented with the economical advantages in mind, it is no longer the sole preserve of the wealthy to have an A-list smile. Made with a strong, thin resin material, it is incredibly durable, and eating and drinking are no problem. It has a 23 colour shade variety guide with 18 designs to choose from: invasive surgery, whitening, bridges, and veneers are now overshadowed by this clever technical advance. Snap-on Smile, however, cannot treat problems such as tooth decay: it is not advisable to wear Snap-On-Smiles if you have underlying dental issues, which should be treated immediately. People who are lacking in teeth cannot use it; Snap-On-Smile secures around the teeth, keeping it in place. Snap-on Smile may also be used as a temporary means to have a perfect set of teeth. Another function for Snap-on-Smiles, could be using them on patients who want an impression of how the aesthetics of their face can be improved with more permanent treatments to correct their teeth from misalignment and discoloration. A Snap-On Smile can also serve as an analysis example for a patient who may be considering a full Smile Design transformation in the future. Snap-On Smile promotes its life changing appeal: truly allowing the confidence to smile.
CONCLUSION….
For a perfect, well designed, smile, the teeth and the eye line should be on the same plane and parallel. Facial symmetry is an essential role in attaining the ‘vision’ of perfection so many demand. Having a beautiful smile imparts self-confidence; it endears you to others and can help with that dream job which you have been aspiring to. Celebrities and mere mortals alike are undergoing Smile Design treatments, from small porcelain chips to teeth, which are stained, crooked or chipped so that the teeth can be in the right form. Everyone deserves to have a bright, confident smile, and those seeking it out now have several modern dentistry and orthodontic options available to them, each with its own series of aesthetic, age rejuvenating and confidence building benefits.
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