Intrinsic Beauty of Teeth - Chapter 1

Anatomy of a captivating smile, mathematical beauty of the Fibonacci Sequence-The Golden Ratio and what our teeth have in common with flowers, seashells and galaxies

Dr Bianca Piscioneri

 

Your teeth are so intrinsically and beautifully complex in design and function - totally individual to you like a fingerprint - while at the same time, share mathematical principles in beauty with the universe.

What you should know about your teeth and your smile

Anatomically, the mouth is a major communication zone of the face. It is a vital part and the focal point of daily interaction. Beyond cosmetics, a captivating smile is a reflection of self-confidence and radiance from within. This self-confidence in turn helps to elicit positive feelings in others in our vicinity, creating a positive feel-good loop of interaction.

In my experience, I have observed patients smile with their eyes but habitually leave the upper lip long concealing the shortened upper incisors or they subconsciously pull the lower lip over their upper incisors. It has been rewarding to educate our patients over the years about their Smile Potential, achieving full engagement of their face and smiling in an open inviting way. 

The universe may often appear to us as unpredictable, random, even chaotic in many ways. The famous physicist, Professor Brian Cox, is certainly at least one expert who explains the universe as a highly organised physical realm bound by just a few mathematical and physics laws which, in turn, determine the complexities of everything.

One of the ways these laws express themselves in nature is through the Golden Ratio. At GGDS we understand this principle very well and employ it as a reference in smile design and reconstruction.

 

"The wow factor is how the beauty in our teeth is mathematically connected to daisies, sunflowers, nautilus sea shells and galaxies."

 

For example, there is a mathematical beauty in the relationship between upper incisors as neighbours. Their ratio is often calculated as the Golden Ratio - or Phi, 1.61803398875… - and is directly tied to a numerical pattern known as the Fibonacci Sequence. This sequence of numbers is composed of numbers that are the sum of the previous two numbers in the sequence; this is how we get Phi. This ratio is everywhere in nature, expressed in arrangement of petals in flowers, seed heads in sunflowers, seashells and galaxies. Examples of this logarithmic phenomenon are also reflected in art, architecture and music.

The wow factor is how the beauty in our teeth is mathematically connected to daisies, sunflowers, nautilus sea shells and galaxies. Understanding this - together with the complexities of natural tooth mechanics, contours, ridges, angles, bevels and fissures and many other aspects - will insure that the restored tooth is not just a simplistic, flat dimension of 'white'.

Discover The Biomimetic Way™

The Biomimetic Way is the higher order of thinking about dentistry and somewhat revolutionary in the history of how we have approached our learning and understanding in this field. Biomimetic means to mimic or copy what is life-like and the natural tooth is the most successful and ideal reference worth copying when we restore teeth. The Biomimetic Way is about minimally invading the tooth, conserving the natural tooth structure and placing restorations such as 100% pure porcelain veneers using advanced techniques in adhesive dentistry so that the tooth and restoration are fused together. Teeth are designed by nature to last a life time and hence are an excellent model to emulate.

 

"Each tooth has been perfectly designed for a specific function..."

 

A critical step in rejuvenating smiles and teeth is to have a deep and precise understanding about the natural tooth, the relationship of teeth to each other, the anatomy of lips, the cupid's bow, philtral columns, and the relationship of upper incisors to the lower lip.

Each tooth has been perfectly designed for a specific function and in broad terms that is why front teeth look different to back teeth, side premolar teeth and canines.

Within each tooth there are three important layers: enamel, dentine and the DEJ - the Dentino-Enamel Junction that connects the enamel to dentine. Enamel is brittle and on its own, it can shatter like glass. Dentine, on the other hand, is more malleable and softer, analogous to clay and on its own, it is also weak to sustain every day forces in eating and function over life time. The enamel is supported by dentine and together they are connected by DEJ.

 

"In my experience, patients really appreciate their teeth and smiles being respected and restored with these principles..."

 

Understanding the scientific elements of this junction, enamel and dentine trilogy is the cornerstone in understanding Biomimetic Dentistry. In my experience, patients really appreciate their teeth and smiles being respected and restored with these principles and a precision which ultimately conserves tooth structure and minimises the drilling and excessive removal of these precious layers of tooth.

Read our next blog, Intrinsic Beauty of Teeth - Chapter 2, to learn more about Biomimetic Dentistry, what this means for you in being fully informed about your options and how you can be a part of our Teeth For Life™ Care Model at GGDS.