Digital Smile Design (DSD)

More than a quarter of people are uncomfortable with smiling because of their teeth, according to a recent survey. Research has indicated that 28 percent of people do not show their smile when photographed because they feel their own smile is not very pleasant. Moreover, more than half of the people, having to choose what to change themselves, indicated their smile as the first aspect to be modified to improve their aesthetics.

In this context, the Digital Smile Design (DSD) method was born and inserted , proposing itself as an aid to improve and simplify the work-flow and communication in the dental field.

In fact, to obtain aesthetic results consistent with correct biology and patient expectations, the latter must be investigated through questionnaires and a detailed interview, but some requests can certainly be better understood through a digital design of the final aesthetic result.

Even if perfectly understood the patient's aesthetic needs, collected, the problem remains of transferring this information and giving it shape in the realization of the final products; the digital work-flow makes it possible to clearly understand aspects that are too often conditioned by subjective perceptions.

The DSD protocol aims to offer advantages in various areas:

Aesthetic analysis

Communication

Patient management

educational

The DSD presents itself as an instrument with many facets, it can in fact improve the diagnosis phase, the planning of a treatment plan and the communication with patient and collaborators, producing an increase in the predictability of treatment. The efforts required to take advantage of DSD technology are rewarded by a treatment sequence that becomes more logical and simple, resulting in less waste of time, material and money. After an accurate digital study and having drawn the appropriate lines, at this point, it will be time to transfer the study carried out and the information collected into something of material. Thus the technician can proceed with the development of a precise diagnostic wax-up. The following step, important for evaluating the precision of the DSD protocol, is a mock-up to be tested in the patient's mouth. The clinical trial can be performed using a direct mock-up or a temporary restoration, depending on the complexity of the case. After patient approval, restoration procedures can be modified as needed.