The Principles and Patterns of a Great Smile

Smile Principles
Smile line

The shape of your teeth should follow your Smile Pattern. For a Commissure Smile the convex smile curve through the six upper anterior teeth should follow the curve of the lower lip.

Dominance of the Central Incisors

Your two maxillary incisors (upper front 2 teeth) should be symmetrical and their width should be 80% of their height with a perpendicular midline.

Silhouette

The curve of your maxillary incisors (upper front 2 teeth) should match or silhouette the curve of the laterals (teeth beside front teeth). The laterals should silhouette the cuspid (eye-teeth) and so on.

Progression and Maxillary Incisal Embraseurs

The embraseurs between the maxillary centrals (upper front 2 teeth) should be the smallest with the respective embraseurs gradually getting larger to the cuspid (eye-teeth). This creates the illusion of delicate laterals.

Progression of Contacts

The contact points should follow the smile line and silhouette the lower lip.

Axial Alignment

The vertical axis should be perpendicular and begin to angle mesially (toward the centre) from the midline to posterior teeth.

Gingival Zenith

When you are smiling we should see no more than 3mm of gum tissue. Also the gum crests between teeth should follow the smile line.

Smile Patterns
67% The Commissure Smile

Where the corners of the mouth are first pulled up and outward followed by the levators of the upper lips contracting to show the upper teeth. (Courtney Cox Arquette)

31% The Cuspid Smile

Where the levator labii superiorois are dominant. They contract first, exposing the upward and outward. (Tom Cruise)

2% The Complex Smile

Where all the levators of the upper lips, the levators of the corners of the mouth, and the depressors of the lower lips contract at the same time, showing all the upper teeth and lower teeth simultaneously. (Julia Roberts)

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