What makes the perfect smile? We recently came across an interview of our personal friend/mentor/patient, Dr. Pascal Magne, with Singular Magazine called “The Perfectly Imperfect Smile,” written by Kelly Lopez. Here are the main points:
- ‘Perfect’ Smiles Aren’t Perfect
Traditionally, beautiful smiles have been characterized by how white and symmetrical teeth are (more = better). Dr. Magne further explains to Singular, “The celebrity or old-fashioned Hollywood smile was about symmetry and uniformity.” (See “mouthful of chiclets” picture)
The problem with this approach to restoring smiles is that it looks unnatural or fake.
Our office has a history of steering patients away from this un-natural result. Many patients think attractive teeth are perfectly even and symmetrical. As far back as 1976, our founding father Dr. Stanley Vogel was quoted in People Magazine saying: “The teeth should be in harmony with the rest of the face. I don’t want these people to look as if they have a mouthful of Chiclets.” The debate of what makes a smile beautiful is just as relevant today as when Vogel was quoted in ’76. We continue to educate our patients and now we have the technology, techniques, and materials to mimic beautiful, natural teeth.
- Imperfection is Beautiful
“A natural, winning smile, enhanced by art and science, is indeed the ultimate fashion statement.” – Pascal Magne Interview with Singular Magazine
We couldn’t agree more.
“Biomimetics takes into account the natural differences and slight asymmetry between the left and right side of the upper teeth. The two front teeth are left slightly longer, which gives a slight ‘V-shape’ to the smile and an overall balance that is far more natural,” Pascal explains to Singular. We (Pascal included) believe there is no one-size-fits-all solution to creating beautiful smiles. Biomimetics takes into account each individual’s unique tooth structure, facial structure, and even skin tone to craft restorations that mimic nature’s beauty.
References and Additional Resources:
- The Perfectly Imperfect Smile by Kelly Lopez – Singular Magazine
- Hollywood Dentist Stan Vogel Keeps Smiles on the Faces of the Biggest Names in Show Business – People Magazine
The picture showing the white teeth: the midline is completely off. Why would you put veneers on and create the midline like that? Awful.
Hello. We didn’t. It was an example of un-natural veneers that people get but that is not something we did. Sorry for the confusion. Now I will say that 95% of people do not have upper and lower midline aligned and it may be impossible to align upper and lower midline, what maters more is upper midline being in harmony with facial midline. Best – MN
Hi I will like to have a perfect smile my is Petunia
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The dreaded square-white Chiclet teeth – so glad that this trend has changed and we have come to appreciate the value of having a few, tiny imperfections. The finished result will look so natural that people will think they are beautiful, real teeth!
Im glad the trend has changed as well. The best dentistry we can do looks so natural people do not know it was ever done and that’s how it should be. With the square-white chiclet teeth, everyone immediately identifies them as veneers or crowns.
This is some really interesting information on smiles. I have been thinking about getting some cosmetic dental work done here soon. I didn’t ever really think about how if your teeth were perfect it would look weird. It makes sense that you wouldn’t want them to be absolutely perfect because they would look fake. Thanks for the help!
Hey Jeff- anything too symmetrical automatically looks fake. Nature isn’t perfect and that is what makes it perfect! Glad it makes sense to you too!
Thanks for the information. Cosmetic surgery sounds pretty incredible. I really think it would improve the overall look of your smile. In fact, I’ve been thinking that I’d like to get some cosmetic surgery. I can’t wait to feel confident when I smile again!
Glad to help! Let us know if you have any questions!