When trying to teach people smile design and dental morphology, I realized that people had different levels of visual perception. Although the inclusion of aesthetic parameters in different DSD programs varies, the basic smile design procedure remains the same. For a smile designer, it doesn't matter if the case is a simple direct composite or veneer case; or a complex full-mouth rehabilitation; or a denture case; or even a complex case of orthodontics or orthognathics. As a technician I had 2 main mentors, Juvenal de Souza and Pinhas Adar, in the process of going beyond being a ceramist and becoming a true smile designer as well.
There is also the possibility of incorporating the 4D concept in which movement can be added to the Smile design concept. The start is great: you don't have to assume or imagine what your new smile will look like because your dentist shows an accurate digital preview. When a patient wants to achieve that smile but is skeptical to undertake the treatment procedure, because they cannot visualize the outcome of their treatment, that is when, a doctor can use the digital smile design tool (DSD). Once the new smile design is achieved, it can be digitally presented to the patient for appreciation and feedback.
Facial integration with smile design was also introduced at this stage, but the connection to the 3D digital world was missing. With DSD you can design better smiles, plan treatment more effectively as a team, create perceived value and increase case acceptance, perform better treatments more efficiently. The decision-making process, in a smile design project, begins with 2D analysis, integrating frontal and sagittal views, and the final verdict always comes from dynamic facial analysis with video images. At that time, some other professionals, including Edward Mclaren, also began using Photoshop primarily to analyze color and work with previous aesthetic cases, however, face-driven smile design was still elusive.
As it is, that a static photograph taken at a certain time cannot guarantee the ideal moment captured in the idealistic rest position and a real maximum full smile position, videos are useful to allow the choice to capture the photo at the perfect moment. A digital smile design is a personalized treatment plan to improve the appearance of your overall smile, including your teeth and gums.
