Each smile style is a combination of the teeth shapes for the front six teeth. For example, the four front teeth (incisors) could be either square at the corners (s), square at one corner and rounded at the other (sr), or rounded at both corners (r). Similarly, the cuspids or eye teeth (third tooth back) could be pointed (p), rounded (r) or flat (f). Combining these different shapes each produces a uniquely different smile style. Note that the first smile design on the top left has a r-r-f design, meaning the four incisors are rounded and the canines are flat.

Please note, this smile library below is only to choose the basic shape of the front six teeth, and in no way reflect the color, length, surface texture or translucency that the porcelain veneers or crowns will have. Those other things are addressed in other aspects of smile design and choosing the best combination for your “sensational new smile.”

What is the perfect smile style for your new porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns? In my previous article about Smile Design, I discussed that there are over 30,000 different ways that a cosmetic dentist can create a new smile and one of the most popular smile guides, Dr. William Dickerson’s “LVI Smile Library”. This article features my other favorite “smile guides”, the Lorin Library, created by cosmetic dentist Dr. Lorin Berland of Dallas, TX.

In creating a new smile for you with porcelain veneers or all-ceramic crowns, we could use any of the above 18 smile designs from the Lorin Library or any of the 12 smile designs from the “LVI Smile Library.” However, in general I recommend against smile designs that have the cuspids (third teeth back from the center) too pointy (p) or too flat (f). Pointy cuspids can make the smile look to aggressive and flat cuspids can render an older looking smile.

It is so important in the beginning of treatment that my patient involve themselves in an active discussion with me regarding the different smile styles available and which would be most appropriate for them. We take into consideration the age, face shape, personality and a host of other things when recommending one smile style over another. Using our technique called “the trial smile” we’re able to make provisional veneers or crowns so that our patient can “test drive” their new smile prior to making any final decision regarding the smile design for their final porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns. This is very helpful, as many patients are very relieved that they can try out their smile before making their final decision.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

There have been some interesting studies with regard to the perception of facial beauty and the results are that symmetry was much more important than individual features. Since teeth and the person’s smile are the strongest focus area (where your attention is drawn when speaking to or looking at), the symmetry of a smile is incredibly important! However, most people have at least some inherent asymmetry: an eye higher than the other, a nose that is off, one side of the face longer than the other, lips that are move differently on one side than the other or show more teeth on one side than other when the person speaks or smiles, etc. Most of the time this isn’t a significant problem, but for others like this patient of mine, her crooked smile really bothered her.

Note how the teeth all point down to her lower right (her right is on the left of the photo), as seen from the five black lines. Also, that the bottom edges of the teeth cant (lean to one side) as well, as seen on the red line. Together, these all threw off her smile and detracted considerably from much of the beauty of her face.

To make things more interesting, this patient had some old dentistry that she didn’t like. The teeth and gums appeared as having different lengths. She wanted a whiter, brighter smile that would be even and symmetrical and offset her facial asymmetries. So, taking all aspects and features of her face in consideration here is the beautiful result we achieved with porcelain veneers and a new all-ceramic bridge (replacing her old-fashioned porcelain-to-metal bridge).

I can’t emphasize enough that in order to create a superb smile and result like this necessitated I pay particular attention to all of her facial features. I fine tuned the gum symmetry and length, shape of the teeth using provisional (temporary) restorations, which allowed her to “test drive” her new smile first. After achieving her full approval at this stage I was able to give my ceramist very specific and precise instructions on how to complete the final porcelain veneers and bridge. End result: A VERY SATISFIED AND HAPPY PATIENT!
Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

When it comes to you getting porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns, have you given much thought to what is the best, or even better, the perfect “smile style” for you? In previous articles it was discussed that there are over 30,000 different ways that a cosmetic dentist can create a new smile and that there are over 60 different documented “smile styles” available for cosmetic dentists to use as guide and to better communicate with to the cosmetic dental patient and the dental ceramist. In this article we’ll discuss one of the most popular “smile guides”, Dr. William Dickerson’s “LVI Smile Library”. I am particularly fond of this library, as I started my advanced cosmetic training at Dr. Dickerson’s prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies over a decade ago. And since then, following many of the concepts I learned under his tutelage, I’ve done several thousand porcelain veneers and cosmetic crowns, created sensational smiles for hundreds of my patients. Each smile style is a combination of the teeth shapes for the front six teeth. For example, the four front teeth (incisors) could be either square at the corners, square at one corner and rounded at the other, or rounded at both corners. Similarly, the cuspids or eye teeth (third tooth back) could be pointed, rounded or flat. Combining these different shapes each produces a uniquely different smile style. Please note, this smile library below is only to choose the basic shape of the front six teeth, and in no way reflect the color, length, surface texture or translucency that the porcelain veneers or crowns will have. Those other things are addressed in other aspects of smile design and choosing the best combination for your “sensational new smile”.

For most females, the “Enhanced” smile style is one of our most popular designs. Note that the second teeth from the center are a little shorter than the front teeth. This is a youthful effect we call “the gull wing” that really looks nice on females. The “Hollywood” style above is a little more “toothy” and works well for males and especially those wanting to show off a little more teeth. The “Oval” style might look best on someone with a very round face. Notice how very round the edges of the four front teeth are? The “Aggressive” style has tooth edges that are flat almost straight across. We use it mostly for men and it simulates someone who might be a bit older and have a habit of grinding his teeth. The “Youthful” style simulates the shape of unworn teeth that might be seen in a 14 year old. Although many adults like this name because they think it might give them the illusion of being significantly younger, we almost always utilize this design in much younger individuals. The “Mature” style has squarish edges on the four front teeth and is another design that we frequently use for men. The “Softened” style is a very popular design that we use for those wanting their smile to help make them appear a little younger than their years. It is my preference to use smile designs that have the cuspids (also called canines, the third teeth back on each side) that are slightly round, not flat (too old looking) or pointed (too aggressive looking). It is important that both the patient and cosmetic dentist actively discuss the different smile styles at the beginning of the smile makeover process. Using our technique called “the trial smile” we’re able to make provisional veneers or crowns so that our patient can “test drive” their new smile prior to making any final decision regarding the smile design for their final porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns.
Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Susan had a lot of older dentistry and her teeth were very mismatched, especially with regards to having so many different colored teeth. Because she was so self conscious about the appearance of her teeth she was embarrassed to smile. Her previous dentists always restored one tooth at a time and the result was that none of her dentistry matched. Also her bite was off and she had considerable spacing around her gums. It was time for her to take a more comprehensive approach to restoring her smile.

BEFORE
We treated Susan with a combination of porcelain veneers and porcelain crowns. But, instead of doing them one at a time, we treated eleven upper teeth in just two visits. She was a little apprehensive, so we gave her a relaxing medicine in the form of a pill which really took the edge off for her.
As you can see from her photograph the results for her were miraculous and she loved her new smile! She looked younger and was no longer embarrassed to smile for photographs.

AFTER
Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Not everyone is fortunate to have a healthy, attractive smile. About 5% of the population are congenitally missing teeth (never had the “tooth buds” that form the teeth during childhood). A good percentage of those find that the missing tooth or teeth are the lateral incisors, the teeth right next to the front two teeth. When this happens there is usually some spacing of the other teeth, a disharmony and resulting asymmetry in the smile. Here is a photo of the smile of a wonderful lady with just such a problem who came to me asking for a solution to her unattractive smile. You can see that she only has five of her front six teeth, missing the lateral incisor on her right side.

So, how does a cosmetic dentist make a smile for her that looks as if she has all her teeth? Well, the first thing I had to do was solve her gum problem. As you can see, she had a “gummy smile”, showing too much of her gums, which we easily corrected by doing “laser gum recontouring”, a relatively painless and non-invasive procedure.
Next, I placed eight porcelain veneers, but this is where the creativity came in. Since she was missing the second tooth (lateral incisor) on her right, I made the third tooth (canine) look like a second tooth (lateral incisor), and the fourth tooth (first premolar) look like a third tooth (canine). Just like “magic”, we used illusions to make it look as if she was not missing any teeth, and the result was an incredible new smile for her. The gums were even, no more spacing, appearance of no missing teeth, whiter teeth color and normal teeth shape. She was elated with the final results!

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Many people get porcelain veneers on their teeth because their natural teeth became worn, shortened and chipped over the years. So, how does a cosmetic dentist know how long to make the new teeth?
Cosmetic dentistry is an art and there is no absolute rule, but there are many guidelines and generalities that I use in determining the length of the teeth.
One thing is how much of the teeth show when smiling? When the upper lip is at rest and the mouth is slightly opened so that the back teeth are not hitting, we usually like 1-2 millimeters of the upper front teeth to be showing. That would be consistent with unworn teeth on a person in their 20s or 30s. Even patients in their 40s or 50s usually want to look a little younger, so that is a good guideline.
Another thing is if a person smiles, do they show the gum line of the upper teeth and the entire length of the four front teeth? If so, then another thing comes into play – the length to width ratio of the front teeth. Studies have shown that both dentists and patients like the appearance of the upper front teeth most often if their length is 1.29 times longer than the tooth width. Or, said another way, if the width of the front teeth is 75-80% of the length of the front teeth.
The lower lip gives us another guide, as when the patient smiles the teeth generally look very good if they follow the curve of the lower lip, which dentists call “the smile line”. Here is a photo of my patient Jill Frick (who was previously Mrs. U.S.Globe). Note how her teeth beautifully follow her lower lip.

The above are just some guides, but the ultimate guide is “does the patient like it” and “do they look good with that length of teeth?”
In our cosmetic practice in Laguna Niguel, CA, we always verify that the patient likes and approves of the length of the front teeth BEFORE we tell our ceramist how long to make them. Our patients wear temporary veneers, called “the trial smile”, for several days and then comes back to us for verification. This gives our patients an opportunity to actually function with the length of the new teeth before making them. It’s important that they like the length, and also have no speech challenges with the new length. If they are too long, sometimes patients will have challenges with the “f” sounds (like “fire truck” or “fifty-five”) or “v” sounds (”victor”, “victory”) or if they are too thick on the back challenges with the “s” sounds (like “sixty-six”).
The “trial smile” is a beautiful way for our patients to preview and sample the length of the new veneers and solves many of our challenges. If the patient says that they are too long, then the trial smile teeth can be shortened to the patient’s liking and then measured for the lab. If they are too short, the trial smile teeth can be lengthened as well.
What is extremely important is that the length of the front porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns be a decision made by both the patient and the cosmetic dentist together, and not made solely by the ceramist (who probably has never seen the patient in the flesh). Unfortunately, there are many dentists who do veneers and have their ceramist do all of the designing, including the decision of how long to make them.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Judith had gone to the dentist all her life. Each time she went it was to a different dentist, and each time only one tooth was treated. Thus over the years she ended up with each tooth different in size, shape and color. Her smile was a hodge podge and she hated the way it looked. It was time to have her “old dentistry” replaced to give her a nice smile.

When told that all her old dentistry on her upper could be replaced at the same time and would only require two appointments, she was amazed. She had thought that it would take months and multiple visits. Here is the incredible change we achieved for Judith in just two dental appointments replacing old caps, bonding and a bridge.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Tierra, Mrs. Desert States from Reno, NV, just had her smile makeover with porcelain veneers by Dr. Huefner four days before the Mrs. U.S.-Globe Pageant. Before coming to Dr. Huefner, Tierra had short, chipped and discolored teeth, but left with a sensational new smile! Tierra just beamed on the runway at the pageant and placed as the second runner up and is shown here with Dr. Huefner.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

There are a myriad of reasons why the outcome of porcelain veneers may not look beautiful and “real”, but in doing porcelain veneers for over 20 years the most common problems that I see dentists having are one or more of the following:

1. Making the porcelain veneers too thick
2. Poor choice in color/shade of the veneers
3. Veneers poorly shaped, too long or too short
4. Unnatural translucency or opacity of the porcelain

The above photo is an example of a patient who came to me to replace a slightly broken and otherwise unnatural looking veneer. You can clearly see that the porcelain veneer (the one tooth that is chipped) has poor color, is too thick and actually looks “fake”.

But notice this photo above and the veneer that I created to replace the unnatural looking broken veneer. It has better color, identical thickness to the natural tooth next to it, and great natural-like translucency. It is also made of a type of porcelain called Empress, which also undergoes a special process which actually makes it stronger than the previous old veneer.
The great news is that today many dentists are taking advantage of special cosmetic dentistry training programs (like LVI, Rosenthal Institute, Hornbrook group, Nash Institute,American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, etc.) and learning the advanced techniques to avoid those common pitfalls. And, with the proper training and by utilizing a skilled ceramist as part of the “smile design team” those common problems with porcelain veneers can all be avoided by your cosmetic dentist.

Unfortunately in this day and age any dentist who does “white fillings” or “porcelain caps” considers and advertises themselves as a “cosmetic dentist”. What dentistry really needs, but doesn’t have at present, is a dental specialty called “cosmetic dentist”. But since that doesn’t exist, there are several important things that one should strongly consider when choosing a cosmetic dentist:

1. Ask about the dentist’s training. Where, other than their undergraduate dental school did they learn the techniques that they’re utilizing.
2. Does he/she have any advanced credentials in cosmetic dentistry?
3. Ask to see photos of actual patients that the dentist has treated. As a general rule, the more cosmetic patients the dentist has treated, the more likely you’ll see photos of those patients hanging proudly all over the dentist’s office.
4. Ask about the ceramist and laboratory that the dentist uses. Do they specialize in cosmetic dentistry? Does the lab have a website that you can visit?
5. How well does the dentist and staff communicate with you? Do they “really” listen to your needs and expectations regarding your cosmetic dentistry? Listen to your heart – is the dentist sincere and do you really trust the dentist that he/she really knows cosmetic dentistry and will give you the very best?
6. If you weren’t referred by someone else who had cosmetic dentistry by the dentist, ask if you could speak with some of his cosmetic patients regarding their experience.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA

Kandes had crooked teeth and didn’t want braces. She was also “Mrs. Southwest 2005? and competed in the Mrs. U.S. Globe beauty pageant. So, how could she get a beautiful smile without doing the old braces route?
The answer of course is that cosmetic dentistry with porcelain veneers is usually a great alternative to orthodontics, especially for adults. Although not technically orthodontics, the results are straight teeth in just a couple visits, which in comparison to the traditional 1-3 years of orthodontics seems to be almost “instant” in comparison.

The photo above shows what she didn’t like about her teeth and smile. Her teeth were crooked, chipped and discolored. She especially didn’t like her upper left eye tooth (canine), which she called her “fang tooth”.

The photo below is the beautiful result we achieved with porcelain veneers in three visits to Dr. Huefner’s Sensational Smiles cosmetic dental practice in Orange County, California.

Although there are many circumstances when orthodontics is absolutely the best course of treatment (younger patients, teeth with good color or “bleachable”, teeth not worn, chipped or having multiple fillings or crowns), there are also many times when cosmetic dentistry is a preferably way of getting a sensational new smile (adult, discolored teeth, crowded or spaced teeth, multiple fillings o chipped teeth). Clearly the advantage of a couple visits and the ability to create the color, shape, position and length of the teeth to compliment the patients face gives cosmetic dentistry many advantages to the busy adult.

Dr. Norman Huefner, General and Cosmetic Dentistry, Laguna Niguel, CA