Smile Design – Personalized Planning for a Natural Smile

Ολική στοματική αποκατάσταση σε ασθενή με βρυγμό, πριν την θεραπεία, χαμόγελο ασθενούς

Ολική στοματική αποκατάσταση σε ασθενή με βρυγμό, μετά την θεραπεία, χαμόγελο ασθενούς

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Smile Design

Smile design is the first and most important stage before any cosmetic dental treatment. It is a process that allows us to accurately plan the final result and evaluate it before proceeding with any permanent changes to your teeth.

The goal of smile design is not simply to create a beautiful smile, but to achieve a result that suits your face, respects your natural features, and is based on healthy and functional teeth.

What Is Smile Design?

Smile design is the process through which we analyze and define the dental characteristics that require improvement, such as shape, size, position, and color. It is the first and most essential stage before cosmetic dental treatments such as porcelain veneers, composite veneers, crowns, or bridges.
The goal is not a standardized result, but a smile that is uniquely tailored to you.

Smile Analysis and Initial Consultation

When planning a new smile, we begin with a detailed analysis of your smile in order to identify which dental features can be improved. It is helpful if you have already identified what concerns you about your smile and teeth before your visit.
During the initial consultation at our clinic, we discuss your concerns so that we can fully understand your expectations and realistically define the scope of improvement.

Factors Evaluated in Smile Design

During smile analysis, several factors are taken into account, including:

gender and age
lip curvature and lip dynamics
length and width of the front teeth
gum position
proportions between the teeth
the relationship between the teeth and the face
Based on these parameters, we determine whether changes are needed in the position of the incisal edges, tooth inclination, or tooth proportions, and we design your new smile accordingly.

Digital Smile Design

Smile design is now performed digitally. We use specialized design software to apply the proposed changes to a digital model of your mouth, visualizing the improvements that are considered necessary.
Once the design is complete, a physical model of the mouth is created and printed, illustrating the expected final result.

Presentation and Evaluation of the Design

At the following appointment, we present the modified model and evaluate together whether the proposed changes meet your expectations or require adjustments.
In many cases, we create a “mock-up smile,” a prototype of the new smile made from composite materials, which can be placed over your teeth without any modification of the natural tooth structure.

Mock-Up Smile and Evaluation of the Result

The mock-up smile allows you to immediately see the result we aim to achieve. Together, we decide whether the proposed change is appropriate or if refinements are needed.
Once the expected outcome is approved, we proceed with treatment. The dental changes are reviewed again during the temporary restoration phase, where we evaluate:

the length and shape of the teeth
their position within the smile
speech
the overall harmony of the result
If necessary, adjustments are made to further improve the final outcome.

A Step-by-Step Approach with Active Patient Participation

Through this gradual and carefully controlled approach to aesthetic dental treatment, excellent results can be achieved. At the same time, you actively participate in every stage of the process, reaching the final result with confidence and reassurance.

BEFORE and AFTER

See in the photographs, cases that needed Smile Design and were treated in our clinic.

After

Her smile after the treatment managed to address the existing problems.

Ουλικό χαμόγελο μετά την θεραπεία με επιμήκυνση μύλης και 2 όψεις πορσελάνης

Before

Our patient wanted to improve her smile.

Her teeth were small, and the lateral incisors had gaps with the central ones.

After

After crown lengthening, we made 2 porcelain veneers on the lateral incisors to close the gaps and restore the teeth to their normal size.

Before

Patient had a gummy smile.

The gums were very visible when she smiled, and it was necessary to perform a crown lengthening procedure, which was completed in collaboration with a periodontist.

Smile design with crown lengthening and porcelain veneers

After

The new all-ceramic restoration was designed to widen the upper dental arch.

In addition to replacing the old restorations with new ones, we included 3 porcelain veneers in the design.

Χαμόγελο ασθενούς μετά την προσθετική εργασία στην άνω γνάθο

Before

Our patient had old bridges in the upper jaw.

He wanted a new set of teeth that would create a youthful appearance when he smiled.

After

The new prosthesis achieves the purpose for which it was made.

This would not have been possible without careful digital planning of the case.

Before

Before removing the old prosthesis, we digitally design the new smile to achieve the desired result.

Smile design with a metal ceramic bridge

After

We made 3 all-ceramic crowns and one porcelain veneer.

The new teeth would be wide and short if their crown had not been elongated beforehand, with a crown lengthening procedure.

Μετά την διόρθωση του επιπέδου των ούλων και τις ολοκεραμικές στεφάνες, χαμόγελο ασθενούς

Before

The young patient had 3 old crowns and a resin veneer.

She desired the improvement of the crowns and the closure of the gap between the two front teeth.

After

The new prosthetic work, besides providing a new color and quality, improved the length-to-width ratio of the teeth.

It required careful planning of the outcome to achieve a satisfactory result.

Μετά την διόρθωση του επιπέδου των ούλων και τις ολοκεραμικές στεφάνες

Before

Before we proceed with the change of the prosthetic work, the gums were moved to a new position so that the teeth would have better length.

Crown lengthening and all ceramic crowns

After

The patient’s smile immediately after the cementation of 4 all-ceramic crowns.

The shape and morphology of the new crowns were obtained after careful design of the smile.

Ολοκεραμικές στεφάνες σε 4 πρόσθια δόντια, χαμόγελο ασθενούς

Before

Our patient had 4 porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns that were not aesthetically pleasing.

The old crowns had a pronounced inclination to the labial side.

They did not fit the gums properly and did not match the curvature of the patient’s lower lip.

After

The 4 all-ceramic crowns were made after a careful design of the smile.

The aim was to create 4 front teeth with correct morphology, inclination and correlation to the lower lip.

Ολοκεραμικές στεφάνες σε 4 πρόσθια δόντια

Before

Intra-oral view of the old crowns.

We don’t just have to replace the old crowns with new ones.

We have to give the new restorations the right length and shape to enhance the patient’s facial features.

Improving aesthetics with new crowns and a new smile design

After

In the new prosthesis, the length of the teeth, their inclination and their relationship to the lower lip are carefully planned so that the result restores the appearance of the patient, who is only 50 years old.

Αντικατάσταση παλιάς οδοντοστοιχίας με νέα, σχεδιασμός χαμόγελου

Before

Old denture that did not properly support the patient’s lip.

When the patient smiled, the smile appeared inverted, with the posterior teeth showing more than the anterior teeth.

Smile design for a patient with a full denture

After

4 porcelain veneers improved the patient’s smile significantly

χαμόγελο ασθενούς, σχεδιασμός και υλοποίηση με όψεις πορσελάνης

Before

Congenital missing lateral incisors is pretty common.

The canines emerge in the position of the lateral incisors, leaving gaps with the rest of the teeth while their shape and colour greatly affect the appearance of the smile.

After

When designing the smile, we try to give the teeth the right proportions of width and length so that the result looks natural.

Before

The teeth were narrow in relation to their length. The canines which replaced lateral incisors were recognisable by their pointed shape and darker colour.

Congenitally missing lateral incisors, smile design and restoration with porcelain venners

Questions

Do I need Smile Design?
Smile design is necessary when significant changes are planned for your teeth, such as adjustments to their position, length, shape, or proportions, before proceeding with a definitive prosthetic or cosmetic restoration.
Through smile design, all required changes are carefully planned in advance so that the final result blends harmoniously with your smile and facial features, avoiding arbitrary decisions during treatment.
How Will I Know If I Will Like My New Teeth Before Treatment Begins?
When major changes to the smile are planned, the result is tested before any permanent intervention on your teeth. This is achieved through a mock-up smile, which allows you to preview how the final result will look.
The mock-up helps you gain a clear understanding of the expected outcome, while also allowing us to assess whether further adjustments are needed. The design is also reviewed during the temporary restoration stage, where refinements can still be made.
Can the Design Be Changed If I Don’t Like Something?
Yes. Smile design is not a rigid process. If, during the mock-up stage or the temporary restoration phase, something does not meet your expectations, modifications can be made before proceeding with the final restorations.
This is precisely why smile design precedes treatment: it provides control and flexibility, without irreversible changes to the teeth.
Is Smile Design a Treatment?
Smile design is not a treatment on its own. It is a planning and preparatory stage that precedes cosmetic or prosthetic treatment.
It allows us to determine precisely which treatment is most suitable for you and how it should be carried out, ensuring that the final result is predictable, functional, and aesthetically harmonious.
In Which Cases Is Smile Design Not Necessary?
Smile design is not required for simple or limited aesthetic procedures, such as minor corrections to a single tooth or treatments that do not affect the overall appearance of the smile.
However, in more complex cases—where multiple teeth are involved or the overall smile appearance changes—smile design is a fundamental step for the success of the treatment.