Modern Cosmetic Dentistry: Exploring the Dimensions of a Beautiful Smile

What makes a beautiful smile?

Beauty is subjective, but there are some methodical ways to approach this topic. At Lifestyle Smiles, we believe that creating a beautiful smile is like building a house. You need to know the dimensions of the land (the face), the floor plan (the lips and gums), and then you can start constructing the house and decorating the interior (the teeth).

How teeth can affect your smile

If individual teeth are too big, you may end up looking like Bugs!

Shape of Teeth

Teeth are usually categorised into three shapes: square, triangular, or oval. There has been some suggestion that the shape of one’s teeth can somewhat determine the character of that person. Usually, feminine teeth are more rounded, while a dominant individual would have more square-ish and sharp-edged teeth. However, there are no hard and fast rules – at the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference.

Many celebrities want a bright, white “Hollywood Smile”

Position and Alignment of teeth

Once you have the right size, shape, and colour of teeth, they may need to be aligned properly to complete the perfect look. This could be achieved through Invisalign, crowns, or veneers.
Or… simply nothing at all! We’ll consult with each patient on an individual basis to shape the most appropriate and desirable treatment plan.

How Facial symmetry can affect your smile

When it comes to smile design, we typically begin by looking at your face. Regardless of how attractive the teeth may appear, they need to be in balance with your facial elements. We look at the overall picture before homing in on the details of the smile.

The importance of the midline

The midline is the most important parameter when it comes to any form of aesthetics. When things are centred, they naturally look nice. Usually, the dental midline is collinear with the facial midline, but often that is not the case. This can be due to various reasons such as teeth drifting after extraction, crowding or poor dental work. It’s essential that we get the midline right, as this will affect the overall symmetry of the face.

Facial symmetry and dental harmony

Facial symmetry plays a vital role in smile design. The face is divided into three thirds: the upper, middle, and lower. In an ideal situation, each of these thirds is equal. Furthermore, there is a balance between the amount of teeth and the amount of gum in each third. The teeth should also have the correct proportions, colours, and positions to achieve overall facial harmony.

How we achieve facial harmony

At Lifestyle Smiles, we use the latest dental technology to assess facial proportions and dental harmony. We take into account your facial features, your unique facial shape, and skin tone to create a customised treatment plan for each patient.

Our team of experts uses various techniques such as computer imaging and 3D modeling to visualize the outcome of each treatment plan. This allows us to achieve optimal results and provide our patients with the best possible outcome.

How the lips & gums can affect your smile

The lips and gums are crucial in creating an attractive smile. Even if your teeth are perfectly aligned, they may not be visible if your lips and gums are not in the right place. Conversely, excessive gum exposure can draw unwanted attention.

Let’s focus on the upper lip. Ideally, when you smile, your upper lip should cover the upper edge of your teeth. If too much gum is visible, there could be several reasons for this.

• Increased upper lip movement
• Enlarged upper jaw
• Teeth are not fully erupted

In most cases, there are several factors involved in a gummy smile. Depending on the cause or causes, there are several treatment options available, such as soft tissue laser surgery, gum lift, Invisalign, upper jaw surgery, or even Botox.

The gums and lips work together to create a smile that is unique to you. The lower lip should ideally follow the curve of the teeth and complement the upper lip. It is aesthetically acceptable to show some of the lower teeth. However, the lower lip doesn’t move as much as the upper lip, and instead, it is stretched by the surrounding muscles to reveal more teeth.

When a patient opts for cosmetic dentistry procedures such as porcelain veneers, the dentist takes the importance of the lower lip into account to ensure that the top teeth are designed and finished to create a beautiful smile.

Here’s a recent example of our patient, “Ms Genevive”, who decided to undergo gum surgery to attain her ideal smile…

Before (top left), during gum surgery (bottom left), and After (right) shows how this treatment can help to improve the visual proportions of the teeth and gums to offer a more aesthetically pleasing result.

Here’s a photo of the gums about a week after surgery. You can see it’s healing quickly.

Genevive will be completing her treatment with Invisalign teeth straightening to get the perfect look.

For more information, you might be interested in reading our previous article about the different teeth straightening options available.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us should you have any questions at all.
Until next time, happy smiling!

Dr Warren Antonoff and all the staff at Lifestyle Smiles

At Lifestyle Smiles, we see a spectrum of patients at the clinic – some prefer an “understated, natural” look while others want a bright “Hollywood Smile”. Either way, as dental professionals it is our role to help you feel great about yourself, and over the decades we’ve been fortunate to help our patients achieve the look they desire using proven, safe and effective dental treatments.

Disclaimer: The material posted is for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Results vary with each patient. Any dental procedure carries risks and benefits. If you have any specific questions about any dental and/or medical matter, you should consult your dentist, physician or other professional healthcare providers.

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