When you look in the mirror, do you see a smile that you feel needs aesthetic improvement? Perhaps you have a few chipped or cracked teeth. Or a few unevenly-spaced teeth. Or your teeth have unsuccessfully responded to whitening treatments.
Thankfully, cosmetic dentistry can easily address these issues. But are you hesitating because you’re unsure of what your final smile will look like? We understand you want to know you’ll love the results. That’s why Dr. Ritzau and the team at Shoreline Dental Studio offer Smile Test Drives using Digital Smile Design.
What is a Smile Test Drive?
Simply put, Digital Smile Design — or DSD — is a digital treatment planning tool that allows your dentist to plan your treatment and get a preview of the outcome. As your San Clemente cosmetic dentist, digital smile design is very much a collaborative process between our expert dental team and you. Through digital captures and trial mock-ups of your teeth, mouth, and face, we get a precise sense of the relationship between your lips, teeth, and gums to create a natural-looking custom smile that fits your goals. And you’ll get to see your treatment options digitally before you begin treatment with no financial commitment.
Who Can Benefit from Digital Smile Design?
Like we mentioned, Digital Smile Design takes uncertainty out of your smile makeover. It’s an option for any of our patients who are looking to beautify their smile with cosmetic dentistry treatments like dental veneers and want the assurance of knowing what their new teeth will look like first.
Here is what the experience of getting veneers with your South Orange County dentist would look like with Digital Smile Design:
Step 1: Cosmetic Dentistry That Starts With Digital Imaging
If you’ve had dentistry treatment with us before, you might have had images of your teeth and mouth captured by our ITero digital scanner. With this innovative tool, we take quick and painless digital images of your teeth with a handheld wand. The images render as digital 3D models of your teeth that we can review and use for virtually planning your treatment. We capture both still and video images to best view your mouth from all angles. We might also take digital x-rays and do a bite analysis to record a complete picture of your dental anatomy.
Restorations like veneers require a high level of detail and customization, so having a 3D virtual mock-up of your teeth ensures your veneers fit precisely and work with your unique teeth. And using digital imaging to help plan your cosmetic dentistry is efficient. You won’t have to come back for additional imaging and your Shoreline dentist can start your treatment sooner.
Step 2: Designing Your Smile With Digital Smile Design
The imagery from your digital scans is imported into the DSD software so we can start designing your cosmetic restoration. We consider this phase of the process creative, technical, and of course, collaborative.
Your Shoreline dentist looks through Digital Smile Design’s library of forms and shapes to find the porcelain veneers that best suit your teeth. The goal is to create harmony between your face, lips, teeth, and gums for your perfect smile.
We print a 3D model of your teeth right in our office and place our selections onto it to survey and predict different outcomes. You’ll then receive digital previews — Digital Smile Design photos to help guide you to the smile you’ll love the most.
Step 3: Taking a Digital Smile Design Test Drive
Arguably the best perk of the Digital Smile Design process is you get to take a “smile test drive” before committing to your new smile! This is a fantastic way for you to provide informed feedback which is critical for moving forward with your cosmetic dentistry treatment.
A smile test drive involves coming in to try a physical 3D mock-up of your new smile overtop of your teeth. You and your Shoreline team can check for real-life fit and see what your restorations look like when you talk or smile. We take a few photos, then a few minutes later, you see a digital presentation on our big screen: your new smile and a simulation of your treatment plan on a 3D model of your mouth.
The smile test drive really makes your smile come to life, giving you complete control and confidence for approving your new smile. Once you’ve given your final approval, we can move on to the next step in your veneers: putting them in!
Step 4: Applying Your Veneers
Your dentist might keep the mock-ups or model of your mouth from the Digital Smile Design process as a preparation guide. Tooth fragments or damaged teeth are removed, and your veneers added, one-by-one. If you’re feeling a bit nervous about the procedure, we offer comfort options like sedation dentistry and our Signature Comfort Menu to help ease your experience.
Get Veneers With A Team That Cares About Your Confidence
Digital Smile Design takes all the uncertainties you might feel about improving your smile by visualizing the process, every step of the way. So if you’re thinking, “Where can I find Digital Smile Design near me?” Shoreline Dental Studio is your Orange County Digital Smile Design provider who pairs innovation with compassionate, personal care.
Contact us today for a complimentary cosmetic dentistry consultation with your expert San Clemente and Mission Viejo cosmetic dentists.
