Technology and Imaging
Digital smile design
Digital smile design is a planning method that uses photos, scans and software to show a patient a digital mockup of a new smile before treatment starts.
Digital smile design, or DSD, uses software to analyze a person's smile from photographs and scans. The dentist can then design changes on screen and show a digital mockup of the planned result before any treatment starts.
A review says DSD helps visual communication and lets patients take part in the design of their own smile. Because cosmetic treatment can be irreversible, seeing a preview can help a patient decide. The review also covers limits: a mockup shows a plan, and real results can differ.
DSD is a planning tool, not a treatment. It may be used with veneers or other cosmetic work. See the smile makeover page for the practice's own description. This entry does not say the practice uses DSD software.