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smile with symmetry

Digital Smile Design: An Innovative Tool in Aesthetic Dentistry


A smile is one of the most individualized statements you can make, perfectly geared to your facial structure and unlike any others. If you are confident in that smile, you’ll use it more often. If not, however, you may find ways to hide it or not use it all.

Fortunately, today you have options when it comes to creating a confident smile you will love to share. With a new technology called Digital Smile Design (DSD), you can also see the outcome long before committing to any dental procedures and treatment plans.

Focusing on your oral health along with perfecting your smile can make all the difference and even boost your confidence. But what exactly is Digital Smile Design, and what are its advantages?

What Is Digital Smile Design?

Digital Smile Design, or DSD, is an advanced dental planning tool to help you see the potential smile you can have, all before committing to a treatment plan. With a thorough digital analysis of your dental and facial structures, your dentist presents you with a mock-up of a smile designed specifically for your facial characteristics.

This patient-centered approach takes into account how your teeth, gums, and lips work together to create a smile and finds ways to utilize that in creating your best look. Everyone has their own unique smile curve or arc, and DSD works with that to create a more catered, balanced, and beautiful smile.

High-resolution digital photographs and videos are the essential tools to accomplish this. From there, your dentist will create a treatment plan that may involve altering the size, position, shape, and color of several teeth or just a few to create a smile you’ll love to use.

What Can You Expect During the Digital Smile Design Process?

The overall goal of DSD is to carefully analyze not just your dental structure but also your facial structure by way of digital technology. Balance and symmetry are key components to achieving your best smile.

Here are the necessary steps you can expect during the Digital Smile Design process.

  • Meet with an experienced and dedicated DSD provider and discuss benefits and any concerns you may have. Also, this is the time to share what you like and want in a smile.
  • Your dentist will conduct a series of three-dimensional photographs and videos of your mouth, teeth, and gums by way of an intraoral camera. Every possible angle is imaged, both horizontally and vertically, to provide an overall view of your facial structure and how it moves.
  • Data from the intraoral camera is imported into the specialty software, creating a visual representation.
  • Your dentist will conduct an in-depth review of the images and use an expansive digital library to try out different tooth shapes and forms by placing them over your images.
  • Mock-up images and a three-dimensional model are developed, showing what your smile can look like once a full treatment plan is completed.
  • Once you approve the treatment plan, restoration can begin. This may require several steps and appointments, but it will be worth it when you finally see how beautiful your smile becomes.

What Are the Real Advantages of Using Digital Smile Design?

The advantages of Digital Smile Design are many. A customizable approach to your individual needs and wants when it comes to a smile tops the list. Your unique features are at center stage, and a personalized approach creates confidence and predictability in the results ahead.

You also stay involved in the planning process and even help engineer your perfect smile along with your dentist. In other words, you always have a say in the look you want and how to achieve it. Knowing ahead of time what your particular results will be gives you something wonderful to look forward to.

Along with these, a dedicated treatment plan can lead to fewer appointments down the road and better planning of your valuable time. You’ll experience higher levels of communication with your dental team because everyone is on the same page. You know where you’re going and how to get there.

Ready to Design Your Perfect Smile?

Ready to design and fall in love with your new smile, even before you have it? All it takes is a consultation with Angela Bateson, DDS to get started. With over 25 years of dentistry experience and a dedication to the newest technologies, Dr. Bateson believes everyone should love their smile and wants to help them achieve it.

Conveniently located in Findlay, Ohio, the dental team at Angela Bateson, DDS takes the time to listen to your needs, wants, and concerns relating to your dental health. From there, you can expect a personalized treatment plan designed just for you.

Our office utilizes the newest technologies, including Digital Smile Design software, to provide patients with everything they need. Contact us today at (419) 863-2594 to schedule an appointment and get started on that incredible new smile.

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