Determining Factors of a Custom Smile Design

Are you considering improving your smile with cosmetic dental treatments? For the best results, you want to work with an artistic smile-design dentist with the knowledge and skill to develop the ideal smile makeover for you as an individual.

At Luminous Smiles, AACD-accredited cosmetic dentist Dr. Desai does just that. You can put your smile in the hands of the best cosmetic dentist in and around Newport Beach, California, for stunning results that suit your appearance and personality. 

Dr. Desai takes these five factors into account when developing unique smile designs.

1. Shade

If you were asked what color you’d like your teeth to be, you’d probably answer, “White.” However, picking the perfect color is not that simple. A skilled smile-design dentist must put quite a bit of thought into choosing the right shade.

In fact, pure-white teeth would appear jarring and incredibly unnatural. Instead, choosing the correct off-white shade takes into consideration a variety of factors. 

For example, the ideal shade depends on whether you’re whitening all your teeth or simply having a single discolored tooth adjusted to match your remaining natural smile.

Your skin tone also plays a role in choosing the right shade for your teeth, as you want them to complement your natural undertones. Matching the shade of your teeth to the natural color of the whites of your eyes is likely to provide a radiant yet natural appearance.

2. Proportion

There’s a concept used in cosmetic dentistry and other artistic disciplines called the “golden proportion.” This is the idea that certain proportions are naturally right—and that ensuring your smile follows this proportion is a vital design element.

The impact of the golden proportion is most prominent in the two front teeth. Their width should equal 70% of their height to achieve the correct proportion. However, dentists use other factors to determine the appropriate proportions between different teeth as well.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to planning the perfect smile.

3. Smile Style

Did you realize that the style of your smile shapes both the goal and outcome of your smile makeover? Don’t worry if you didn’t, because your artistic smile-design dentist certainly knows how to incorporate your smile style into your treatment plan.

The most common smile style is the commissure smile. About two-thirds of people have this smile, which is characterized by the corners of the mouth moving up and out. This movement creates a bowlike shape. The upper teeth feature prominently in the commissure smile, so they’re a key area of focus.

Other people have a cuspid smile. This smile is named after the cuspids, or canine teeth. If this is your smile style, your smile starts out by raising the lips above these teeth, with the outside following. The cuspid smile shows a lot of the upper gums, which could make gum contouring a beneficial treatment option in your smile makeover.

The rarest smile style is the complex smile. It involves more active use of the three distinct muscle groups associated with smiling. The complex smile is wide and shows off more of the lower teeth than the commissure or cuspid smile.

4. Face Shape

The perfect smile for one face isn’t necessarily right for another. Your face shape plays an important role in determining what will complement and accentuate your features.

In general, the primary face shapes—round, oval, square, and heart—each have their own smile design principles. Your dentist will also take into account more nuanced differences, such as the way your lips move when smiling, your facial symmetry, and other factors.

5. Personality

Your smile design dentist takes your personality into account as well. Different smile features express different points of your personality and can make you appear friendly, bold, approachable, or formidable.

You can see this concept at work in many famous smiles. You might notice how Brad Pitt’s square-shaped teeth accentuate his strong, masculine features. Julia Roberts is well known for her wide, toothy grin, a perfect example of a complex smile.

Start your smile makeover with the best cosmetic dentist in and around Newport Beach, CA.

Dr. Desai is the only female AACD-accredited cosmetic dentist in Newport Beach and has industry recognition as a leader in smile design. You can work closely with an artistic smile-design dentist to craft your perfect treatment plan by scheduling your appointment with Dr. Desai at Luminous Smiles today.