Digital Smile Design
Digital Smile Design (DSD) is a revolutionary digital analysis method that considers the proportion of teeth in a patient’s smile and overall facial features. With this data, the most esthetic, individualized smile is created. A new smile and properly restored teeth with DSD accomplishes these goals: the teeth appear very natural, are aligned correctly, have the proper color and harmonize with the patient’s individual face. This is called Facially Driven Esthetic Smile.
With DSD, a combination of clinical examinations and digital technology is used to analyze distinct facial and dental proportions. The relationships between a patient’s individual teeth, gums, lips and facial features are factored into the final natural, functional and beautiful smile. DSD is a unique process that consists of accurate measurements of the existing teeth, available space in the jaw and surrounding facial structures. This ensures that the restored teeth and new smile are an improvement of the original smile.
Dr. Alan Sulikowski is a pioneer in studying teeth proportion in smiles and how tooth form best fits a patient’s face.
He has taken part in the development of The Frame of Reference, a renowned published tool used as a guideline for the restoration of teeth and the alteration of teeth to improve upon the original smile. He studied perfect occurring smiles and created a tool to analyze any smile, understand what it is missing, then apply the DSD protocol for exceptional smile enhancement. Dr. Sulikowski challenged the common belief of tooth reduction in order to place restorations and created a methodology of minimally invasive dentistry: a protocol that allows for the achievement of a maximum result with a minimum amount of intervention.
This method was the foundation of DSD, and he is a key opinion leader of that protocol.
With Dr. Sulikowski’s foundational knowledge of DSD, each customized patient smile design can be clearly visualized beforehand and improved throughout the process. Patient collaboration is encouraged to create a smile that reflects the patient’s own personality, while achieving enhanced confidence and superior oral health and functionality. Along with the Restorative Dental Group team, your new smile will be maintained through proper hygiene care and regular dental checkups.