An organized and systematic approach is required to evaluate, diagnose and resolve esthetic problems predictably. It is of prime importance that the final result is not dependent only on the looks alone. Our ultimate goal as clinicians is to achieve pleasing composition in the smile by creating an arrangement of various esthetic elements.

Harmonizing an esthetics smile requires a perfect integration of facial composition and dental composition. The facial composition includes the hard and soft tissues of the face. The dental composition relates more specifically to teeth and their relationship to gingival tissues. A smile design should always include the evaluation and analysis of both facial and dental composition.

Facial beauty is based on standard esthetic principles that involve proper alignment, symmetry and proportion of face. Analyzing, evaluating and treatment planning for facial esthetics often involve a multidisciplinary approach which could include orthodontics, orthognathic surgery, periodontal therapy, cosmetic dentistry and plastic surgery. Thus, esthetic approach to patient care produces the best dental and facial beauty.

But in our clinical practice, unless and otherwise there is an obvious discrepancy in the face, we restrict our smile makeover to the dental composition only.

There are two facial features which do play a major role in the smile design: the interpupillary line and lips.

The interpupillary line should be perpendicular to the midline of the face and parallel to the occlusal plane. Lips are important since they create the boundaries of smile design. If we come across major discrepancies in the above-mentioned two factors, then we have to seriously consider the correction of the facial composition, before we venture into the correction of the dental composition.