Smile design in Istanbul at our Bahçelievler clinic means planning your aesthetic treatment around your face, lips, gums and teeth before any tooth is touched. Photographs, video and an intraoral scan are used to create a digital plan, which can usually be tried in your mouth as a temporary mock-up. Smile design is not one procedure but a roadmap that may combine whitening, gum contouring, veneers, crowns or orthodontics.
Smile design in Istanbul at a glance
- Planning time: usually a few appointments; the overall timeline depends on the treatments chosen.
- Anaesthesia: not needed for analysis or mock-up; local anaesthesia is used for tooth preparation or gum procedures.
- Visits: examination, records, design presentation, mock-up and treatment visits.
- Recovery: immediate for whitening or bonding; typically a few weeks if gum surgery is included.
- Reversibility: the digital design and mock-up are reversible; tooth preparation is not.
How digital smile design works
Digital Smile Design (DSD) analyses your smile on calibrated photographs and video. Reference lines show your facial midline, the curve of your lower lip and the proportions of your front teeth. These lines give the dentist, the dental technician and you a shared visual language [1].
The design is then merged with a 3D scan of your teeth. From this, a digital wax-up is prepared. A thin temporary material is pressed over your own teeth to create the mock-up, usually without any drilling. You can look at it, speak with it and smile with it before you decide anything.
Key factors we assess include:
- alignment of the dental midline with the face
- how much tooth and gum show when you smile
- the smile arc – the edges of the upper teeth following the lower lip
- tooth width-to-length ratios and symmetry of the gum line
- shade, translucency and surface texture
Who is smile design suitable for?
Smile design may suit adults with healthy gums who are bothered by discoloured, worn, chipped or uneven front teeth, gaps, a gummy smile or old restorations that no longer match. A typical plan might start with teeth whitening, followed by porcelain veneers or zirconia crowns where needed. If teeth are out of position, clear aligners may come first and reduce the need for drilling.
Treatment is usually postponed if you have untreated gum disease, active decay, uncontrolled teeth grinding, or if jaw growth is not yet complete. Gum problems are treated first through gum disease treatment. A definitive diagnosis and treatment plan is always made by the dentist after a clinical examination.
Smile design Istanbul: step by step
- Examination: teeth, gums, bite and jaw joints are checked; X-rays or 3D imaging are taken if needed.
- Your goals: we discuss what you would like to change and what you want to keep.
- Records: facial photographs, a short video and an intraoral scan.
- Digital design: tooth shape, length and smile arc are planned around your face.
- Mock-up: you try the design in your mouth; adjustments are made together.
- Preparatory care: cleaning, gum treatment, whitening or orthodontics as required.
- Final treatment: veneers, crowns, bonding or gum contouring according to the approved design.
- Follow-up: bite check, a night guard if you grind, and regular reviews.
If you are visiting Istanbul for treatment, please tell us your travel dates early. Some plans can be grouped into fewer visits, while others need time between steps for healing.
The evidence behind smile analysis
Our approach to smile design in Istanbul rests on published evidence. Classic research described measurable smile factors such as tooth display, incisal curve and lip relationship [2]. Kokich and colleagues reported that dentists notice small asymmetries more readily than lay people [3], which is why your own priorities matter. The smile arc has been discussed in detail in orthodontic literature [4], and textbooks recommend a systematic aesthetic analysis before restorative work [5]. Periodontal references stress that gum health must be established before aesthetic restorations [6].
Risks, side effects and aftercare
In smile design, analysis and mock-ups carry no physical risk. Treatment steps can cause temporary sensitivity, mild gum irritation, chipping of veneers or crowns, or shade differences over time. Prepared teeth may need restorations renewed in future. Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth, avoid biting hard objects and wear a night guard if advised.
Getting to us from around Bahçelievler
We are on Ferit Selimpaşa Caddesi, opposite Basın Sitesi Migros, about 600 m from the M3 İlkyuva metro stop. From Bakırköy you can take Marmaray, and from İncirli the Metrobüs, then change to M3. Patients from Şirinevler, Yenibosna, Güngören and Haznedar can reach us easily by public transport, which helps with the several visits smile design in Istanbul usually involves.
Frequently asked questions
Will my teeth need to be drilled?
Not always. Some smile designs involve only whitening, bonding or orthodontics. If veneers or crowns are planned, a controlled amount of enamel may be removed, and this is explained clearly beforehand.
Can I see the result before treatment starts?
Yes. The digital design is shown on screen and can usually be tried in your mouth as a mock-up. Final shade and surface details may differ slightly from the temporary trial.
How long does smile design take?
The planning phase usually takes a few appointments. The total time depends on the treatments involved; orthodontics or gum surgery can extend it to several months.
Does smile design hurt?
Photographs, scans and mock-ups are not painful. Tooth preparation and gum procedures are carried out under local anaesthesia. Some sensitivity afterwards is common and usually settles within days.
Can I communicate with the clinic in English?
You can send us messages in English via WhatsApp, including photos of your smile. A full assessment, however, requires an in-person examination.
References
- Coachman C, Calamita M. Digital Smile Design: a tool for treatment planning and communication in esthetic dentistry. Quintessence Dent Technol. 2012;35:103–111.
- Tjan AH, Miller GD, The JG. Some esthetic factors in a smile. J Prosthet Dent. 1984;51(1):24–28.
- Kokich VO Jr, Kiyak HA, Shapiro PA. Comparing the perception of dentists and lay people to altered dental esthetics. J Esthet Dent. 1999;11(6):311–324.
- Sarver DM. The importance of incisor positioning in the esthetic smile: the smile arc. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2001;120(2):98–111.
- Fradeani M. Esthetic Rehabilitation in Fixed Prosthodontics, Vol. 1: Esthetic Analysis – A Systematic Approach to Prosthetic Treatment. Chicago: Quintessence; 2004.
- Newman MG, Takei HH, Klokkevold PR, Carranza FA (eds). Newman and Carranza's Clinical Periodontology, 13th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2019.
Appointments and contact
To find out which smile design options in Istanbul could suit you, book an examination. Aesthetic planning is carried out together with our endodontics and aesthetic dentistry team, and gum procedures with Dr Mehmet Fuat Bozaba.
- Address: Bahçelievler Merkez Mah. Ferit Selimpaşa Cd. No:44A, 34180 Bahçelievler / Istanbul (Basın Sitesi, opposite Migros)
- Phone: +90 544 289 66 33
- WhatsApp: +90 544 289 66 33 – you are welcome to write to us in English
- Opening hours: Monday–Saturday 10:00–21:00, closed on Sunday
Directions and booking details are on our contact page.
This content has been reviewed by the dentists of Yayla Dental Akademi. Last updated: October 2026
Medically reviewed by the dentists of Yayla Dental Akademi.