Online Cosmetic Smile Self Analysis

Welcome to the Cosmetic Smile Self-Analysis. This self analysis uses 21 principles of smile design to help you critically evaluate your own smile at home, and to better understand the problems and potential solutions to improving your smile.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: Please evaluate your smile using each principle one-by-one and appropriately mark your answer. Check off all smile design parameters which DO NOT meet the criteria of an ideal smile. To complete this exercise, you will need a mirror, and if possible a close up photo of your smile, and a millimeter ruler.

Width:Height Ratio

The width:height ratio for the front incisor teeth should be 75-80 %. This means the front of the incisor teeth should be taller than they are wider, like a rectangle sitting upright or on its end. For example, if the width were 8.0 mm and the height 10 mm, the ratio (8/10) would equal 80%.

Mesial Inclination

Each upper tooth which is visible in the smile should have a slight inclination or toed-in tilt that is toward the midline of the mouth. If each of these imaginary lines on the front teeth were extended downward they would meet or converge at or near the navel point over the abdomen.

Midline Placement

The positioning of the mid-line between the two front central incisor teeth should be on a line drawn from between the eyes and down through the nose, lips and chin. Furthermore, the cant or angle of this midline should not be tilted to the left or right, but should be straight up and down.

Color, Shadings, Stains & Markings

All visible teeth should be of a uniform color or shade, preferably on the lighter side. Smiles are compromised when one or more teeth are darker than the rest, or when there are white or dark spots or markings on the enamel.

Smile at Rest

Middle-aged adults should show 2-4 mm of the incisal end of their upper teeth when at rest or when slightly smiling. This amount slightly decreases with age as the “window” of the mouth begins to sag downward showing more of the lower teeth in the smile window.

Gum Line Symmetry

The gum tissue frames the teeth and forms a "curtain' for the teeth. The height and scalloping of the gum line should be symmetrical or matched evenly between the left and right sides. Balance and symmetry are important parts of what makes an attractive smile.

Gum Line Margin Heights

The height or position of the gum line over the upper lateral incisors should be slightly lower than the height of the gums positioned over the adjacent central incisor and canine tooth.

Gaps or Diastema

A diastema is a gap or spacing between the teeth. It can happen because of teeth which are too small for the amount of space available in the arch form, and/or because of malocclusion or crooked teeth.

Gummy Smile

A "gummy smile" is when too much gum tissue shows above your front teeth when you smile. Ideally there should be only a slight amount (1 to 3 mm) of gum tissue showing above the front teeth when you smile.

Gingival Zenith

The height or position of the gum line as it tracks across the face of each tooth varies from tooth to tooth. The 'zenith' or highest point should be in the center of each lateral incisor, and should be 2/3rds of the way (toward the next tooth back) across the face of the central incisors and canine teeth.

Smile Line Follows Lower Lip

The smile line (the incisal or biting edge) of the upper front teeth should parallel or generally follow the contour of a normal lower lip in a relaxed or slight smile.

Horizontal Plane

The left to right horizontal biting plane of the mouth should parallel the floor or horizon when standing. It likewise should parallel a line drawn between the eyes (the inter-pupillary line). The horizontal plane from the front to the back of the mouth should also generally parallel the floor. (Note: Some people’s eyes and ears are not naturally on a level plane.)

Gum Tissue Health/Bad Breath

Healthy gums do not bleed and are light pink in color and are stippled in texture (like an orange peel). Gum disease is linked to heart disease. It can also be very unsightly, smelly and socially offensive! Oral bacteria cause tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath! Any plan for an attractive smile and good oral health must include necessary gum therapy and/or regular dental maintance along with good oral hygiene practices to promote and maintain good gum health.

Contact Points

Each tooth should touch its neighbor tooth at a contact point which 'snaps' when flossed. This contact point should be positioned near the biting edge of the two upper central incisors, and gradually move upward in its position with each tooth contact moving toward the canine teeth.

Malalignment or Crowding

Teeth should be straight and fit evenly side by side. Crooked and crowded teeth are harder to maintain and create an 'unkempt' appearance in the smile. Crowding happens when there isn't enough room for teeth or when the jaws are too small, often due to growth and development problems. Bone loss and tooth loss can also cause teeth to be uneven.

Incisal Embrasure

The corners of each tooth create a point of separation from its neighboring tooth. This outline shape between the front teeth forms a triangle silhouette appearance. This is best seen as a triangle shape wedge between the teeth and on the biting edge of the front teeth. Each incisal embrasure or triangle should be symmetrical with its opposite left/right side counterpart, and should increase in size moving back away from the midline.

Golden Proportion

As in nature, the proportion principle follows the "rule of thirds". Each tooth away from the midline should be two-thirds as wide as the previous tooth when viewed straight on from the front. Proportion plays an essential role in creating a balanced and pleasing look to the eye. When teeth and smiles are properly proportioned it creates a dimension of beauty seen and mimicked in nature known as the "golden proportion".

Black Triangle

A dark see-through "black triangle" appears between the front teeth at the gum line when the teeth are too far apart or the underlying bone level dissolves away. When this happens, the gum papilla shrinks and allows the darkness from the back of the mouth to show through as a dark triangle.

Vertical Dimension

The loss of vertical dimension can make you look older. The vertical distance between the nose and the chin can be shortened due to improper growth and development of the jaws and the bite in the first place, or because the teeth have been worn down or become missing. When the jaws and dental bite are properly positioned it creates a vertical proportion to the lower part of the face that is pleasing to the eye and generally healthy for the jaws and jaw joints.

Dark Silver Mercury Fillings

Silver-mercury fillings tend to expand and contract and increase in size over time. This can cause cracks to form which can weaken and damage the tooth. Dark metal fillings also cast a dark shadow through the tooth and blemish the smile.

 

 

Old Dentistry

Older dental fillings and crown restorations can experience wear and break down just as do the teeth they have restored. Dark lines at the edges of old porcelain crowns become more visible when gums recede. Old porcelain crowns often lack a natural vital appearance and appear more opaque and white when compared with natural teeth next to them. Old composite fillings can yellow or darken as they age. Modern cosmetic materials and methods can restore and update an aged or worn-out smile and create a natural looking smile.