Smile design is the planning stage that turns cosmetic dentistry from guesswork into architecture. Before any tooth is treated, your face, lips, gums and bite are measured, and your new smile is designed digitally around those proportions. You review the design, ask for changes and approve it before anything begins.
Dr. Dan Shaer holds a Digital Smile Design Certification and uses smile design as the foundation of nearly every cosmetic and comprehensive case at the studio in Beverly Hills, from a few porcelain veneers to a full mouth rehabilitation.
What is digital smile design?
Digital smile design is a method of planning a smile using photographs, video and digital scans of your teeth and face. Instead of designing teeth on a model in isolation, the dentist designs them in relation to your facial features: the midline of your face, the curve of your lower lip, the amount of tooth and gum you show, and the way your lips move when you speak and smile.
The design then guides every treatment that follows. It tells the dental lab the exact length, shape and position of each tooth, it shows whether orthodontics or gum shaping would improve the result, and it gives you a clear picture of where treatment is heading.
What Dr. Dan measures
Your smile is designed with the same principles architects use for buildings: symmetry, proportion, alignment and balance. The analysis typically looks at:
- Facial midline and the symmetry of the smile against it
- Lip line and how much tooth and gum show at rest and in a full smile
- The width to length ratio of each front tooth
- The curve of the upper teeth against the lower lip
- Gum levels and the shape of the gumline
- Your bite, so the design works for chewing and speaking, not only for photos
Who is smile design for?
You may be a good candidate if any of these sound familiar:
- Anyone considering veneers, a smile makeover or comprehensive treatment
- Patients who want to see the result before committing
- Smiles that feel out of proportion with the face
- Uneven gumlines or teeth of different lengths
- Patients combining orthodontics with cosmetic work
- Anyone redoing older cosmetic dentistry that never looked quite right
The only way to know for sure is an examination with digital scans. Dr. Dan tells you honestly whether this is the right option for you, and what the alternatives are.
Preview your new smile before treatment
The biggest benefit of smile design is certainty. After the digital design, a mockup lets you see the proposed shape and length of your new teeth in your own mouth. You can look at it, smile, speak and take photos, then ask for changes. Treatment only begins once the design feels right to you.
This also protects your natural teeth. Because the final result is known in advance, preparation can be limited to what the design actually requires, which supports a minimally invasive approach.
Why planning first leads to a better smile
Without a design, cosmetic treatment relies on the dentist and the lab interpreting what you want, one tooth at a time. Small differences in length or width add up, and the finished smile can look too long, too wide or slightly off center. A digital smile design removes that guesswork. Everyone involved works from the same blueprint, and you have already seen and approved it.
Planning first also shows what your smile really needs. Sometimes the design reveals that aligning a few teeth with Invisalign means fewer veneers, or that evening out the gumline makes the teeth look more proportional. Those are decisions you want to make before treatment, not after.
- A predictable result you approve in advance
- Clear communication with the dental lab
- Less preparation of natural teeth, because only what the design requires is done
- Function and appearance planned together, so the bite works as well as it looks
Treatments planned with smile design
| Treatment | What the design decides |
|---|---|
| Porcelain veneers | Length, shape, color and symmetry of each veneer |
| Invisalign | Where the teeth should move before any cosmetic work |
| Dental implants | Where the new tooth must sit to match the smile |
| Restorative dentistry | Shape and contour of crowns and onlays |
| Full mouth rehabilitation | The bite, the smile and every phase of treatment |
The smile design process, step by step
Every treatment at the studio follows the same mapped, guided process, from your first consultation to the final reveal.
- 01
Consultation and digital scanning
Dr. Dan listens to what you want to change, examines your teeth and gums, and takes digital scans, photos and video of your smile to confirm whether smile design is the right choice for you.
- 02
Facial analysis and 3D mapping
Your face, lips and bite are measured so the plan is built around your proportions, not a template.
- 03
Your smile blueprint
The treatment is designed digitally. You review the blueprint and ask for changes before any treatment begins.
- 04
Mockup and preview
A mockup lets you preview the design before anything is final, so you know what you are agreeing to.
- 05
Treatment
Once you approve the design, it becomes the blueprint for treatment: veneers, aligners, implants or restorations are completed to match it, with precision at every step.
- 06
Final reveal and after care
Your result is checked for fit, bite and comfort, and you leave with a care plan to keep it looking its best.
How much does smile design cost in Beverly Hills?
The cost of smile design depends on what your smile actually needs, so there is no honest one size price. Your fee is set after the consultation, once Dr. Dan has examined your teeth, reviewed your scans and designed your plan, and you receive a clear written plan before any treatment begins.
- Whether smile design is part of a larger treatment plan
- Which treatments the design leads to
- The number of teeth included
Payment options include cash, check or card, flexible spending accounts and select insurance coverage, plus third party financing through Cherry, Sunbit and CareCredit, which offer low monthly payment plans. For eligible patients there is a no interest option if fees are paid in full within a set number of months.
The most expensive dental work is often the work that has to be redone. Careful planning, quality materials and precise execution are what make a result last.
Why patients choose Dr. Dan Shaer for smile design
Dr. Dan Shaer is a Beverly Hills trained cosmetic and restorative dentist who plans every case the way an architect plans a building: symmetry, proportion, alignment and balance are mapped first, and the treatment follows the blueprint. His philosophy is simple. Great dentistry should be natural, minimally invasive and tailored to the individual, so your smile matches your face, your personality and your identity.
- Digital Smile Design Certification, so every plan is previewed before treatment
- Implantology Fellowship and Biomimetic Dentistry Certification
- European Minimally Invasive Dentistry Program and U.S. and European training
- Beverly Hills Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry Training
- One plan for function and aesthetics, reviewed and approved by you before anything begins
See real results in the before and after gallery, or book a consultation at the studio on Wilshire Boulevard.
