Dr Raelene Sambrook

Eastman Dental Institute, London

Title: Smile design: How an art is being transformed by science and technology

Creating beautiful smiles is what prosthodontists do.  It requires an artistic approach harmonising the teeth with the face, person and their expectations.

Our appreciation of smiles has continued to evolve and in addition to defining smile design principles, our understanding of the perception of a smile has improved.  Furthermore, we have greater insight into how a smile can both positively and negatively impact on a patient’s wellbeing.

The immersion of dentistry into the digital age has led to significant technological advancements integrating into our treatment workflows.  Included in this is smile design technology, which continues to gain momentum in the field of aesthetic dentistry.   It is crucial to examine the role this technology has had on smile design, how it integrates with our design principles, and how this technology is being used to commodify a perfect smile. 

Whilst science and technology have improved our capability to assess, diagnose and treat, we should also consider the responsible and ethical implementation of these concepts and technologies to mitigate some of these negative aspects and promote a more balance approach to aesthetic dentistry.

Aim: To evaluate the role of digital technology in smile design

Learning outcomes:

• Describe different assessment tools for use in defining smile aesthetics
• Explain the use of technology in smile design
• Consider the impact of social media on smile perception
• Evaluate their own clinical practice and cosmetic dentistry

GDC Development outcomes: A, C, D

Raelene is an Associate Professor in Prosthodontics at the Eastman Dental Institute (London).  She is the programme director for the MSc Conservative Dentistry programme and deputy programme director for the MClinDent Prosthodontics (advanced training) programme. She also is an Honorary consultant at the Eastman Dental Hospital and works in private practice.

She graduated from the University of Queensland Dental school in 2000 and completed her Prosthodontics training at the University of Melbourne (Australia) in 2011.  In 2017 she completed an executive MBA at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland).

Her research interests are in ceramic materials, OHRQoL and smile design.