Study on the applications of digital smile design planning technique in complete dentures

Abstract

One of the most obvious trends in current prosthetic dentistry is the introduction of digital techniques. Of these, the techniques that offer the possibility of aesthetic prefiguration of the final prosthetic result are of particular interest to the dentist. The aim of this paper was to verify the applicability of the Digital Smile Design application, which is the most commonly, used aesthetic prefiguration application, an application designed for the dentate patient, to full edentulism. Two groups of full edentulous patients were formed: the first group, complete denture carriers, dissatisfied with the aesthetic aspects, that they wanted to improve in the new denture, and, the second group, newly bimaxillary full edentulous patients with high aesthetic expectations. Thus, on the first group, the tests were performed on the existing denture, and the second one with the maxillary occlusion template. However, the view of the final result offered the patients the chance to have a realistic picture of their desires regarding the shape, color, size of the teeth, which were inadequate in relation to age and facial typology. The use of this application also improves communication with the dental laboratory. In full edentulism, the current DSD technique can be used with some limitations and the use of it in this field needs more complex studies on larger groups of patients.