Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

Cosmetic dentists understand that communication with the patient over what they expect, what they want their teeth to look like, is critical to their success. In order for you to be happy with the result, you need to have strong input into the artistic planning of your smile. To help you accomplish that, I’d like to give you an idea of the three smile designs.

A sexy smile has variation in the lengths of the teeth. Since the central incisors tend to be longer than the other front teeth when they first come in and then wear down over time to an even length, we associate longer, more prominent central incisors with youth and "sexiness."

Therefore, in this smile design, the central incisors are significantly longer than the lateral incisors. This smile design conveys youth and boldness, or it can also convey warmth. A sexy smile design also draws the eye to the center of the face, emphasizing the nose and chin. It is good for people with prominent, attractive lips.

Teeth in the sophisticated smile make a straight horizontal line. A sophisticated smile conveys maturity and intelligence. It tends to emphasize the width of the lower face. When teeth first erupt, the lengths tend to be more uneven. As we age, they wear to even lengths. Therefore, we associate teeth of even lengths with maturity, wisdom, and "sophistication."

A sporty smile is between sophisticated and sexy. The central incisors are a little longer than the laterals. A sporty smile design conveys casualness and informality, and can also convey warmth. It’s not quite as serious as the sophisticated smile nor as young as the sexy smile.