The Pop In Smile?

Technology in dentistry is advancing at a rapid pace. Transferring information has never been easier or more accurate for dentists and their laboratory partners. However, what about transferring information to the patient? After all the patients are what our business is all about and they should be at the forefront of our every thought.  

Our lives have certainly been enhanced and made a little easier with technology, but it seems that is has also created a culture of not connecting on a deeper level as we once did with our patients. It seems that, for some, technology has become an “assumption” based society with text, emails and photo sharing.

Technology is a great tool But should be treated as a tool and not a total solution. We still need the human vision, connections, energy, and in our profession, especially the final execution of the smile that was promised.  

Digital designs are a great tool, but what makes the final smile look like your computer image?

Diagnostic wax ups and fabricating temporaries with acrylic material on a patient who has already been prepped has been around for a while. Back in the early 80’s I first talked on stage about something I had been doing with my clients in office on patients. I developed this out of the frustration of, how can I get the design that is in my head out of my head and show it to the patient?? What came up was “temporaries” PRIOR to prepping the teeth…..before the dentist “marries the patient” - at that time I called it a Trial Smile. The Trial Smile is now talked about all the time is a removable option to illustrate what is possible in that particular patients mouth. You can still get the instructional videos that I did for these.

Fast forward to current time, now with digital technology we can wax up and design a smile to create a vision of the final outcome more efficiently. The dilemma with this is that dentists, digital designers and technicians have the same teeth libraries and the same tools to manipulate the design. BUT, when the person doing the digital designs modifies the pre-existing shapes of teeth and their position, the vision then become a personal interpretation of that particular operator and what they have in their mind, and not based on the patient’s desires anymore. You may end up with different tooth positions and different scaled teeth that maybe or maybe not right for the patient. Design is still very heavily reliant on the perception of the individual who is designing the case. For example look at the same case given to 3 different labs for wax ups - they were all given the same instructions by the dentist and yet, they all came out very different.

We are still using our Trial Smile, but it has been slightly modified, including the name, (now Pop In Smile) that one of my patients came up with for me, after she had one done. We were going to let her wear it home to show her husband and told her to be sure to take it out and clean her teeth. and she said I will “Pop It in” and then I will “Pop It out.”

Our Pop In Smile? is used for several different reasons. 

1.  To show the patient the vision of what they will look like and to make sure that the patient, the doctor and the lab technician are all on the same page with that. 

2. The dentist can then use it as a reduction guide to prepare the teeth, only, in the correct places and as little as possible.

3. Then the same silicone index from the Pop In Smile? can be used to fabricate the temporaries so that it will look the same as the Pop In Smile? did.

When the teeth are small and size and shape are being added and if the teeth do not have any undercuts a printed Pop In Smile can be made for the patient also. Your patient can see their new smile (to be) in actual 3D, in their mouth. Simply fill up the silicone index from the new smile design model with luxatemp (or similar) material and POP it in their mouth! When the material sets you POP out the silicone only from their mouth they will be able to see the new smile that will be locked onto their teeth. 

It will give the patient a clear vision of the finals. In many cases when teeth are small patients can function and talk with it because it is thick and stable as well as the path of insertion will be ideal because of the small size of the patient’s teeth.  

With these additive type cases, we have had pageant contestants actually wear their Pop In Smile while competing and for their photo shoots! They look amazing. Then once their contests are over, they can have their teeth prepared by their dentist. 

Or when a patient needs orthodontic treatment, but doesn’t want to do it. We design and print a model and fabricate a silicone index and the dentist tries that design made without tooth movement in the patients mouth, if possible, or just show them the model of how much tooth reduction has to be done and what look they will get without ortho.  

The patient will be able to see clearly which tooth is in the way and they will usually understand that the better treatment option is to do the orthodontics or they may decide they would rather have an aggressive tooth preparation to accommodate space for the new smile design vision. At least, the patient has seen what is possible and knows that one is a compromise.

We can also capture a picture of the design or a video clip on the computer and send it to the patient and the dentist prior to printing the models for the Pop In Smile??.

Our clients love this new technology! When the patient can see what they will look like, on their own face, they get the treatment done! It definitely increases patient case acceptance.

Call our office for more information at (800)510-9286 or email us at [email protected]