Smile design
Smile design is the process of planning the proportions, VITA shade and gum line of the 8–20 teeth visible when you smile, against the measurements of your face.
- Procedure time
- Planning 1 week · treatment 2–4 weeks
- Anaesthesia
- Depends on the treatments chosen
- Recovery
- Depends on the treatments chosen
- Sessions
- Analysis + mock-up + treatment
- How long it lasts
- Depends on the treatments carried out
Not a procedure, a plan
Smile design is not the name of a treatment on its own. It is a planning process that determines which of whitening, veneers, crowns, orthodontics and gum contouring are needed, and in what order.
So the right question is not “should I have a smile design” but “what treatments does the smile design say I need”. The output of the plan is a list of treatments and a sequence.
What is measured
The width-to-length ratio of the central incisors, the proportional relationship between the teeth, how much gum shows when you smile, and the line of the upper lip.
These are assessed from photographs, video and a digital intra-oral scan; the result is simulated digitally and then tried in the mouth as a mock-up.
- Width-to-length ratio of the central incisors — the aesthetic reference range is 75–85%
- How much gum shows when smiling — over 3 mm is planned separately
- The relationship between the incisal edge line and the curve of the lower lip
- How the dental midline agrees with the facial midline
- How the target VITA shade agrees with your skin and lip colour
The gum is part of the plan
If more than 3 mm of gum shows when you smile, focusing on the teeth alone will not fix the result; the teeth carry on looking short.
In that case gum levelling, or managing the movement of the upper lip with botulinum toxin, can be added to the plan. Which is appropriate depends on why the excess gum is showing.
Process and travel plan
Analysis and digital simulation take about a week after you send photographs and a scan; no travel is needed for that stage, which is the point — you should know the shape of the plan before you book anything.
On the treatment side, the time depends on what is chosen: a plan involving only whitening and veneers is completed in one trip of 7–10 days, while a plan that includes orthodontics or implants runs over two separate trips spread across months.
Who this is not for, and what not to expect
Smile design assumes the mouth is healthy. No aesthetic work begins while there is active decay, apical infection or advanced gum disease; those are treated first, and doing so may change both the cost and the timescale you were quoted.
A digital simulation is a design tool, not a promise of an identical result. The final appearance is decided by the biology of the tooth, how the gum heals and how the bite meets.
- Untreated periodontal disease — no aesthetic plan is carried out until the gum line has stabilised
- Skeletal bite discrepancy — not solved with crowns; an orthodontic assessment is needed first
- Sound, well-aligned teeth with a colour complaint only — a plan requiring preparation is the last option
- Uncontrolled bruxism — no treatment without a night guard in the plan
- A smile you want copied exactly from a photograph — tooth length and form are bounded by your own facial proportions
This page is general information and does not replace a clinical examination. The method, dose and timescale that apply to you are decided by a doctor after examining you.
Frequently asked questions
My teeth are healthy — can I still have a smile design?
How long does smile design take?
What is a mock-up and is it compulsory?
How many teeth are treated?
What is not included in a smile design plan?
Pre-assessment
Describe your situation and we will answer with a measurement
Send a photograph or an X-ray. A doctor in the relevant speciality will reply with a graft range, a number of teeth or a dose range in units. If you are not suitable, we say so plainly.