Digital Smile Design- An Overview of 3D Digital Workflow

Smile designing is a branch of cosmetic dental procedure that corrects imperfections of the teeth and restores dental health and appearance of the person. Today Digital Smile Design (DSD) is changing the future of dental practice worldwide. It’s a unique approach to modern dentistry is revolutionising smile designing clinics worldwide. DSD is a software which used worldwide, is based on specific photographs and software analysis. DSD is a tool (software) that helps in easy communication and discussion between all the smile designers, dental laboratory technician as well as with patients. DSD especially can be used in a multidisciplinary approach and hence not only used in prosthetic rehabilitation but also used in other branches of dentistry like Orthodontic, Periodontics, etc., The concept of smile designing is not new. The need of aesthetic can be traced from the earliest civilisations of both the Phoenicians (about 800 BC) and Etruscians (about 900 BC). They used to carve animal tusks to simulate the shape, form and hue of natural teeth. Pierre Fauchard (1678-1761) from of France, together with several colleagues modernised and promoted dentistry and also started aesthetic practices. There are many parameters such as dentofacial parameter, gingival parameter, ease of use, documentation ability, cost, time required, systematic digital workflow and organisation, and compatibility of the program with Computer-aided design/Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) or other parameters that may affect the user’s decision. DSD helps both clinician and patient to improve treatment planning and stimulate the final results of the treatment. There are many software available, and the clinicians can use any of the software according to their needs. Some software can be used easily as a mobile app. This article reviews the basic principles of smile design, various parameters of smile design, comparison of various software, uses, advantages and limitations of DSD.