At Waterside Dental Care we have undertaken considerable training in designing new smiles both in London and New York and given by the dentists who have provided some of the worldâs most famous smiles including Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas. Creating an attractive smile takes a lot of planning and considerable creativity by the dentist and the dental technician. Nothing is left to chance. It's important to plan the new smile before the teeth are touched and we do this using wax, following the principles we have learned: The front teeth should be more long than wide, the usual length of the central teeth is 10 or 11 mm and the width 75 -80% of this. To ensure the correct sizing of the teeth around the smile we follow the principals of Golden Proportion, which is a formula of how things relate to each other that is replicated throughout nature. Consequently the size of the second upper tooth should be slightly shorter and thinner ( 0.6) than the centre ones and the front third of the canine teeth should be slightly smaller than the second teeth (0.6). The shape of male teeth tends to be square with female teeth being more rounded. To avoid the "dark side corridor" and to support the cheeks the side teeth should be built out if necessary. The lower level of the upper teeth should follow the shape of the lower lip when the patient smiles. The upper level of the upper teeth should emerge from a beautifully sculptured gum line, and gum contouring may ne necessary. The top and bottom of the central and the canine teeth should be level, with the levels of the second teeth being slightly shorter. The colour of natural teeth should match the colour of the whites of our eyes. In Britain historically we have usually opted for a natural smile but recently it has been fashionable to follow the American penchant for super white teeth, the glamour smile, and now we have extra white shades available that even the American dentists call "Toilet Bowl White" which will suit some people but could make the teeth look look like a row of "Chicklets". To assess a smile we use photographs and models and listen to what a patient is wanting to achieve. Sometimes just restoring the front four teeth and whitening the others can achieve the desired result. Sometimes the ten smile teeth will need to be restored. When the treatment design has been approved with the patient and the teeth are prepared they are covered with temporary plastic restorations whilst our dental technician creates the permanent ones in porcelain. These temporary restorations are created in plastic using a template from the approved wax design and in the colour closest to that chosen by the patient is used. This means the patient gets chance to live with their new smile to see if they want any modifications before the final restorations are fitted. We take photographs of the temporaries and the permanent restorations so we can assess the smile between appointments. Creating a new smile involves skill, expertise and considerable artistry, particularly from the dental technician. The treatment takes time to plan and provide and inevitably can seem expensive, but attaining an attractive smile that can light up a room, steal hearts and open doors and that we are happy to flash is priceless!