Digital Smile Design — What Is It?

Procedures for dental restorations are routinely performed on patients throughout the globe. Patients are seeking restorations from cosmetic dentistry to improve the appearance of their smiles or oral health which may have been affected by an injury, illness, and other issues. Unfortunately, not all restoration procedures offer similar results. Thankfully DSD or digital smile design has taken the world of dentistry by storm and is offering better results and outcomes for every patient.

Explaining Digital Smile Design

The digital smile design is a unique planning tool in dental treatment that has strengthened the diagnostic vision of the dental provider while enhancing the predictability of the treatment and improving communication between them and their patients. The treatment plan is developed based on a thorough analysis of the facial and dental proportions of the patient. The use of newer technology is helping dental providers to use photographs, temporary mockups, and videos to understand better the relationship between the teeth, gums, and lips to understand how they work together to create a smile for the patient.

Providers of digital smiles can also look at the emotional needs of the patient to understand how they react to certain situations. These are factors that can impact the treatment plan as the emotions are important to create a physical method to express the reactions. If you decide to embark on a journey with digital smile design you will be working with a group of providers that have an artistic vision which is essential for creating beautiful smiles along with the experience needed to give you positive results.

How Can You Begin the Process for Digital Smile Design?

When you decide to learn more about this process you will initially need to find a provider near you. After you have located a provider you can discuss the benefits with him or her to understand whether it is suitable for your needs. If you decide to move forward the provider will take 3D photos and videos of your mouth from different angles. An intraoral scanner is used to obtain the digital scan before importing the data into the software specially created for digital smile design.

By offering more views of the mouth the intraoral scanner works effectively and during the scan, the technician will watch the images popping up on the screen in real-time. It ensures that the right images are captured from all angles needed to create a visual representation of the final result. You will not be required to return for additional imaging after the initial consultation because the visuals would have allowed you to view the images to save you time.

The Procedure of Digital Smile Design

The dental provider will be looking at the digital library of various types and shapes after the data is imported into the software. The shapes and types will be placed over the tops of your teeth in the images to give you a quick glimpse of what you can expect from the treatment. It also allows the dental provider to create a physical model with the dental laboratory.

You can expect to be fully involved in the entire process from the beginning to the end. You must communicate your needs to the design of your dental smile. You will also be provided with an opportunity to approve the 3D model and mockup images to understand how your smile will look like after the treatment discovery. You can consider yourself as being in the driver’s seat when you choose a digital smile design. The provider will begin the restoration process only after you approve it. This often requires maintaining the model of your mouth as a guide for the preparation.

The provider will restore every tooth before moving onto the next. Any damaged teeth or fragments will be removed and the restored teeth will be placed as veneers or implants. The process will finally be completed by a polishing treatment that will help your teeth look clean and shiny.

Dental providers are using certain aspects of digital imaging software but many do not have access to a comprehensive solution like digital smile design. They are often unable to tell you what your smile will look like after the treatment but digital smile design can help to remove the miscommunication or unanswered questions because of a lack of clarity. Digital smile design is at the forefront of dental technology and ensuring dental care re-treatment that is the best for every patient. If you opt for this treatment you will be on your way to creating a treatment plan that will be unique to your dental needs and give you the smile you deserve.