The Principles of Smile Design
Proportion, symmetry, and light behavior — the quiet architecture of a beautiful smile.
A convincing smile is not the whitest — it is the most proportionate. Contemporary smile design begins with the face, moves to the smile line, and only then considers individual teeth.
Facial proportion first
Tooth proportion is meaningful only in relation to the lips, midline, and horizontal facial reference lines. Digital planning makes these relationships visible before any treatment begins.
Golden ratios — used carefully
The "golden proportion" is a starting point, not a prescription. The most natural smiles bend the rules where the face demands it.
Light behavior
Natural teeth are translucent at the edges, opaque at the body, and reflect light unevenly across their surface. Great ceramic work respects this — flat, uniform "veneers" read as artificial precisely because they behave like a single surface.
General education
Presented with the historical professional background of Dr. Marianna Zadov, DDS. General information only, not individualized dental advice; no clinical care is offered.
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