Download Do Your Teeth Complement Your Face Shape?

GetGorgeous
Do Your Teeth
Complement
Your Face
Shape?
As cliché as it sounds, the best accessory one can have is a
beautiful smile. Find out how you can achieve a smile that
complements your face shape and your facial features.
By Jacquelyn Tan
Cosmetic dentistry is one of the centrepieces for most dental practices and it
focuses on improving the appearance of a person’s gums and teeth to result in a
pleasing smile. This could be a whiter and brighter smile, straighter teeth or a more
symmetrical gum line. Dental aesthetics, if strictly adhered to, follows the Golden
Proportion which has been applied to many aspects of beauty.
The Golden Proportion
The Golden Proportion or ratio is known as the basis for perfect beauty found in
ancient Egyptian and Greek architecture. It is expressed numerically through an
irrational number, and is marked with the letter (phi) ≈1.618.
When applied to dentistry, the Golden Proportion states that the teeth look most
harmonious when viewed from the front if the amount of visible tooth surface of
the central incisors to lateral incisors forms a ratio of 1.6 to 1.
Today’s beautiful smile, as trends dictate, is composed of the teeth being pushed
forward and out to the front and sides of the mouth, filling of the spaces with
an exaggerated presence of teeth, a dazzling white monochrome canvas with
minimal artistry.
It is simply the Hollywood “wider and whiter” model.
32 HealthNews
GetGorgeous
SMILE FOR YOUR FACE SHAPE
The following is a guide to different facial shapes and their complementary teeth shapes:
Small face:
Steer clear of long, squareshaped teeth as they might
look too overwhelming and
disproportionate to your petite
size. Opt for shorter and more
rounded teeth.
Angular or square-shaped face:
Aim for a smile with soft edged
teeth, sharp angles may look
too harsh. This will soften up
and contrast the sharp angles
of your face’s contour.
Fuller face:
Slightly longer teeth
are your best bet
because they can create
a slimming effect – a more
streamlined appearance.
Thin face:
Avoid thin and long teeth as it
will add unnecessary length.
Broaden your smile with
slightly wider teeth to break up
the length and add fullness.
Correcting the Smile
Aesthetic dentistry also includes orthodontic treatment,
porcelain veneers and tooth whitening.
Orthodontic treatment helps to correct the alignment of the
teeth or jaw while porcelain veneers – wafer-thin, custommade shells of porcelain placed over the prepared surface of
a natural tooth – help to recreate the natural look of teeth by
improving the shade and contour of teeth.
Porcelain veneers are one of the best ways to achieve a
perfectly customised smile that will compliment your face
shape in all the right ways. Moreover, it resist stains better than
resin veneers and better mimic the light reflecting properties of
natural teeth. Tooth whitening, as its name suggests, serves to
improve colour harmony.
“When advising patients on dental aesthetics, other than the
Golden Proportion, factors like symmetry, lip length, smile
line, gum line, space constraints, parafunction habits, financial
and time constraints, need to be considered and discussed,”
explained Dr Lee Leing, Dental Surgeon, Raffles Dental.
greater functionality and be a great confidence booster. After
all, a smile is a curve that sets everything straight, the best
clothing is confidence and the best make up is a smile.
“The best clothing is
confidence and the
best make up is a smile.”
Furthermore, when it comes to aesthetic dentistry, it is difficult
to standardise aesthetics because the perception of beauty
varies from person to person. Dr Lee shared: “Besides the
pursuit of certain fundamental theories, we must take into
account the dental and facial characteristics of the patients.
Ultimately, I feel the most important factor is the management
of the patient’s expectations.”
Besides pure comestic reasons, aesthetic dentistry can confer
HealthNews 33