Facial & Dental Photography in a Professional Photography Studio followed by an in-depth analysis by Dr. Hami

Communication in clear English

The challenge of aesthetic dentistry is trying to decipher the mental-image a patient has in their mind of what they want to achieve, namely, their 'aspirational identity'. The skill of a good aesthetic dentist is therefore to act as a translator - to take what is essentially a mental image, and bring that to physical reality. Many dentists fail here because a mental image has to be conveyed by words, and words are incredibly open to interpretation, and a lot can get lost in translation, between what the patient is saying, and what the dentist understands. This is where Dr. Hami excels as a master communicator, and given the caliber of our dental clinic, we attract some of the most aesthetically demanding patients in Marbella, and having arisen to this challenge for almost a decade, we have refined our process and can consistently deliver excellence.

Design considerations

Designing a smile must always begin by considering a patients face. What are its proportions? How much teeth are shown when smiling? What attractive features of the face do we want to bring further attention to? What less attractive features do we want to compensate for with an intelligently planned design?

• If the nose and lips of a patient are attractive we want to draw the eye to these areas by perhaps making the central top front teeth a little more prominent, as teeth are the most reflective surfaces on the face.
• If while talking the patient doesn't show enough teeth, then by elongating the front teeth, we can instantly make the smile look more youthful.
• If the patients smile looks very worn, or the edges seem too square, this can sometimes make a smile look a little old and 'aggressive', which may not match a patients 'warm' personality, and so curving the edges of the front teeth can make them more 'welcoming', and creating a bigger step between their central and lateral incisors can make their smile look much younger, as we are all born with this larger step, but it is gradually lost as we age due to tooth wear etc...

Many of these concepts are much more easily understood during our in-person consultation. During this appointment Dr. Hami will take high-definition photos of your face and teeth, and carry out a detailed analysis of your facial and dental features, and propose a plan that can give you a stunning, yet natural smile.

Facial & Dental Photography in a Professional Photography Studio followed by an in-depth analysis by Dr. Hami

Digital Smile Design & 3D Modelling

Once an in-depth analysis has been made it is time to actually design the size, shape and positioning of every individual tooth, and make sure it works together harmoniously. This is done either by Digital Smile Design using just photos, or Dr. Hami adding removable material to your teeth directly, taking photos of these changes, and asking a lab to send us your physical mock up and trying this in your mouth (see below). Every case is different. For some merely just visualising a 2D image of the before and after of their smile gives them the confidence to proceed with the process, while others may need to actually see the design physically in their mouth, to see it from all angles, and to test how they talk with the new teeth, and how their lips adapt around the new smile. During your consultation together we will together determine what the best method is for you to get a vision of your new smile, prior to beginning the treatment.

You can visualise the rough design in your mouth prior to beginning the case

Once we have a design proposal, it is important we test drive this in your mouth physically. Here we can assess if the design is harmonious with your face, and identify any details which need slight modification prior to beginning the work. We'll assess your smile, and how much teeth you show when talking and 'at rest' (i.e. when your muscles are relaxed, where typically you must show between 1-3mm of tooth tissue). You can even choose to go home with the mock up in your mouth to show your family and friends, and for your eye to get accustomed to your new smile. The mock up also allows us to make sure you speech is not affected, and for certain cases where we are making big changes, it is important to make sure you won't have a lisp or difficulty pronouncing certain words etc. We can add or remove material to the mock up in your mouth to tweak the design, and in some cases we even order from the lab different design versions, and try the different smile varieties in your mouth, and you can choose your favourite. This decision doesn't have to be made in 24 hours of course, as we'll take lots of photos of the different designs in your mouth, and you can take all the time you need to grow to love your new smile, and when you are ready only then we'll get started with the actual procedure.

On the day we actually begin the procedure, and have minimally shaped your teeth, you will leave home with the new design in your mouth as provisional veneers while we wait the 1-2 weeks the lab needs to make the final porcelain veneers. The trial smile is a plastic version of the final outcome, and although it is not an exact replica of the final shape, it is very close in proportion, and allows your eye to further get used to your new smile. This gives you the opportunity to provide further feedback about your final design, and sometimes the day following your procedure, Dr. Hami will sit down with you and assess how the provisional veneers look and feel, when you are no longer numb, and have had a little more time to grow more accustomed to them. Although usually most design decisions have already been made during the mock up phase, and most patients are completely happy with their final design, others may choose to ask the lab for minor changes, and we still have the luxury to do this, if needed

What makes our porcelain veneers in Marbella so spectacular yet, natural-looking?

Finally the key to get an amazing aesthetic outcome is hugely dependent on the skill and caliber of the lab. Part of the secret of not getting fake, bland-looking teeth, is to mimic the internal anatomy of a natural tooth. This is achieved first and foremost by working with a master ceramist (some with more than 35 years of experience), and secondly in employing a technique called 'cut-back', which is where a very strong eMax core that is milled by a computer to fit the underlying tooth structure perfectly, is then 'cut-back' and hand-layered with translucent ceramic so that light can pass through the tooth to a similar degree as seen in natural teeth.