A perfectly-proportioned smile is one where your lips align in a 90-degree angle with the center of your face. Of course, most people have imperfections that add character and individuality to their faces. Your eyes may not be identical or the nose may lie a little to the left or right of the center of your face. The most important feature is your smile because that’s the first thing which everyone notices. If you’re not quite happy with your smile anatomy or how the teeth and lips align, chances are that you’ll feel self-conscious and shy. Feeling unsure about your looks may lead to a withdrawn personality. People might perceive you as sad or even, arrogant and unapproachable. Thankfully, a visit to our smile line dental clinic can help you with these problems and let your personality shine through.

Understanding the Lip Line and Smile Line

The lip line is the horizontal line created by the lower edge of the upper lip. When you smile, the lips pull back to expose the upper teeth. A person with an average smile anatomy will expose only the upper teeth and some of the lower teeth, but not the gums. On the other hand, a high smile line shows off the upper gums also. A low smile line may show only a small section of the teeth, if at all. Any flaws in the alignment of the teeth, missing dentures, gaps, and other problems can affect the aesthetics of your face. In addition, you might find it difficult to speak or chew normally. That’s where the experts at our smile line dental clinic come in. The right treatment ensures that you have perfect functionality, durability, and harmony after a smile makeover.

Why Consulting an Expert is Essential

If you need smile treatment, you’ll want to contact professionals who are trained well in the science of repairing the oral structure. The entire mouth is made of an intricate network of bones and joints using muscles and gingival tissues to connect them. An improper bite can affect not just your smile, but could cause long-term problems. The doctors at our smile denture clinic in Calgary will take care that the teeth, gums, muscles, bony structure, and joints function in perfect alignment. If needed, you’ll get dental veneers or crowns along with dental implants to restore smile anatomy.

Important Nuances of a Smile Anatomy

Designing a beautiful smile involves four basic elements that together affect the ultimate aesthetic appeal of your looks. After an initial examination, the professionals at our smile line dental clinic will advise you on the nuances they’ll repair. Here’s a quick look at them:

Muscular and Skeletal Structure of Your Face

Since your smile is formed with a combination of hard and soft tissues, doctors take a series of digital X-rays and photographs to analyze the entire facial structure. Using expertise from experience and training, dentists also use visual assessments to put together a treatment program. How your lips cover the teeth and movement of the tissues when you laugh and speak also influence the procedure and the end results you’ll need.

Gingival or Gum Structure

The appearance of your gums has a big part to play in the aesthetics of a smile. Any problems like uneven contours of the gum line, inflammation, and gingival disease may need treatment. You may also need repairing for the excessive exposure of the tissues around the teeth. Or, for the gums receding back from the teeth that give the appearance of tooth elongation.

Smaller Nuances

Every person has a unique dental structure. And, the doctors at our smile line dental clinic keep these micro considerations in mind when working on your teeth. For instance, the particular color of your natural teeth, any specific markings, and their translucence. The exact way your teeth reflect light is another nuance to plan for when designing your smile. In case you need veneers, crowns, caps, or bridges, the dentist must take care to match the appliances perfectly with the original teeth so they blend in properly.

Deeper Nuances

Our smile denture clinic in Calgary has a team of experts that includes a cosmetic dentist and laboratory technician who designs the prostheses you’ll need. These professionals work together to understand the proportions of the front teeth and individual facial characteristics. Using their technical and aesthetic training, they’ll design the ideal smile anatomy that coordinates your facial features and teeth. The shape and size of the front and back teeth and their arrangement against each other together define the attractiveness of your smile.

Important Considerations for an Aesthetically Appealing Smile

When studying your facial structure to repair imperfections, dentists take several factors into consideration. For instance:

Imaginary Midline of Your Face

As explained earlier, a perfectly proportioned face should have features that are balanced on both sides. Imagine a line going down the center of your face at equal distances from the front of your ears. This line should align with the center of the incisors on the upper jaw. Cosmetologists rarely focus on the eyes, nose, and chin because these features may not be exactly balanced. For the purpose of aesthetics, the right approach is to identify the point between the eyebrows and the inverted arc in the center of the upper lip. The line drawn connecting these points is the accurate midline to choose for the smile anatomy. Our dentists at the smile denture clinic at Calgary make sure that the orientation of this midline is at right angles with the supposed line connecting the corners of your mouth.

Framework of the Lips Covering the Teeth

Your lips create the framework for the smile anatomy by lending shape and a window for the teeth and lips. The right shape and symmetrical structure of the lips can enhance your smile. Though, many people have asymmetrical lips that somehow, add to their attractiveness. When examining you, the dentists at our smile line dental clinic may ask you to smile broadly. By measuring the line connecting the corners of the mouth, cosmetic dentists work out the width of the teeth exposed between the lips. When designing your smile for a youthful appeal, doctors ensure that that the upper front teeth fill around 75% to 100% of the exposed space between the upper and lower lips.

And, that’s not all. The edges of your upper teeth should lie parallel to the lower lip. Also, the bottom line of the lower lip should cover the lower jaw gum line completely. Whatever may be the shape or size of your smile, this rule always applies.

Using these principles, the aesthetic dentist designs smile anatomy and the appearance of your teeth and gums.

Color and Texture of Your Teeth

The exact color and consistency of your teeth must align with several factors that can affect your ultimate appearance. Few people are aware that these factors include the color of your eyes and hair and skin tone. In addition, the upper and lower teeth should also look similar. Contrary to popular belief, dentists don’t focus on getting you the brightest and whitest teeth possible. Instead, a shade card helps pick out the optimum color that gives you the best effect. Other considerations include:

  • The two central incisors in the upper jaw are the brightest teeth and clearly visible
  • The incisors on the two sides are similar in coloring to the central incisors but somewhat lower in value or brightness
  • The sharper longer teeth on both sides of the incisors have a denser or more saturated coloring
  • The first and second teeth or premolars behind the canines look similar to the second incisors
  • The typical shading of the teeth that are visible when you smile.

Size and Shape of the Teeth to Match Facial Structure

It might interest you to know that the shape of the teeth can affect the impression of your facial structure. For instance, if the two front incisors of the upper jaw are longer and almost square in shape, a rounder face gains a slimmer look. Further, if your teeth have proper length, you’ll seem younger. Since aging can cause wear and tear, older people tend to have smaller teeth. As the dentists at our smile line dental clinic will inform you, the most dominant teeth of the smile anatomy are the front two incisors. The condition of these teeth can influence the overall appearance of your face. And, how you look when you speak and smile.

Teeth Can Lend a Masculine or Feminine Appearance to Your Facial Structure

Cosmetic dentists can design your smile to give it a more masculine or feminine look. For instance, women typically have smaller teeth that may be more roundish or oval in shape. On the other hand, men’s teeth have a squarish structure and may be larger with blunter edges. You can safely rely on the artistic skills, experience, and expertise of a trained dentist to transform your teeth and give you the perfect looks you want.

First Steps in Repairing Your Smile Anatomy

When you visit our smile line dental clinic, the doctor begins by conducting a careful examination of your teeth. Here are some of the conditions that can affect your smile and need repairing.

  • Incidence of periodontitis or gum disease that can discolor the teeth
  • Health of the soft tissues
  • Condition of the natural teeth
  • Possibility of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ)
  • Strength and integrity of the bone
  • Unwanted spaces between the teeth
  • Gummy smiles
  • Elongated teeth with the gums receding
  • Extent of the mouth opening
  • Overbite and alignment of the teeth when the mouth is closed

Next Steps in Smile Makeovers

Once the evaluation is complete, the dentist will check your dental history for an overview of any procedures you have had in the past. Next, the experts at our smile line dental clinic will put together a treatment plan. For instance, you may need surgical solutions like bone grafting, implants, or any kind of prosthetics. Accordingly, you’ll receive an estimate of the time frame of the treatment, number of appointments, and precautions necessary. In case you need to take time off work or other usual activities, the dentist will help plan your schedule. In addition, the doctor will talk to you about the possible costs involved so you can plan insurance coverage and out-of-pocket expenses. This is when you can ask questions and clear any doubts.

Planning the Long-Term Success of the Treatment

An important part of designing a perfect smile is understanding how to maintain dental work. Before getting started, your doctor will check for issues like bruxism and any habits like biting nails and hard objects. To prevent bruxism, consider wearing night guards for teeth grinding. You’ll also receive directions at our smile denture clinic in Calgary on how to keep your teeth healthy with proper brushing and flossing. Some patients may have the habit of thrusting their tongues against the front teeth causing them to misalign. An important part of maintaining a proper smile anatomy is to give up bad habits that can take away from the positive effects of any treatments you get.

Ready for a Smile Transformation?

Transforming the anatomy of your smile, and with it, your attractiveness is not so challenging anymore. You only need to contact expert dentists like the ones at our smile line dental clinic in Calgary. Stop by for an initial consultation and you will be surprised at the nuances of smile reconstruction that Dr. Jennifer Silver explains. Talk to her about your expectations from the treatment and she’ll give you an overview of what to expect.

Are you ready to schedule an appointment? How about calling us at this number: (403) 278-1415. You can also add your details on the Contact Us page and we’ll get back to you with all the information you need. Contact us. Today!

References:

  1. Principles of smile design
  2. Aesthetic Dentistry 78 Dental Update Patient Assessment: Preparing for a Predictable Aesthetic Outcome
  3. Why Cosmetics Work: More Depth To Facial Differences Between Men And Women Than Presumed