By Christian Coachman
⋅ 3 min read
⋅ 30 May 2019
Editor’s note: this article was updated in August 2024 to add three new book recommendations.
What's on your bookshelf? There are many books that have inspired me, Marcelo Calamita, Newton Sesma and many others on our facially driven, interdisciplinary treatment planning and smile design journey.
Despite all the recent technological evolution in dentistry, most of the principles presented in these publications are still entirely valid and vital for modern esthetic interdisciplinary dentistry. All these books, in one way or another, are highlighting the importance of seeing the big picture and amplifying our diagnosis process to deliver better plans for our clients.
The Smile Design process also plays a crucial role in the process of improving our visualization and helping our eyes to see what we need to see – after all, we cannot find solutions for problems that we don't see!
In this article I would like to share just some of the best digital smile design books I would recommend for dental professionals.
Inspiring books for dental professionals
1. A philosophy of the Practice of Dentistry (1982)
By Lindsey Pankey and William Davis
2. Evaluation, Diagnosis And Treatment Of Occlusal Problems (1989)
By Peter Dawson
3. Functional Occlusion: From TMJ to Smile Design (2006)
By Peter Dawson
4. Fundamentals Of Esthetics (1990)
by Claude Rufenacht
5. Principles Of Esthetic Integration (2000)
By Claude Rufenacht
6. Interdisciplinary Dentofacial Therapy: A Comprehensive Approach to Optimal Patient Care (1994)
By Richard Roblee
7. Prosthodontics: Principles And Management Strategies (1996)
By B. Owall, A. Kayser, G. Carlsson
8. Esthetics In Dentistry (1998)
By Ronald Goldstein
9. Science And Art Of Porcelain Laminate Veneers (2003)
By Galip Gurel
10. Esthetic Analysis: A Systematic Approach to Prosthetic Treatment: Part 1 (Esthetic Rehabilitation) (2004)
By Mauro Fradeani
11. Esthetic Rehabilitation in Fixed Prosthodontics Volume 2
By Mauro Fradeani & Giancarlo Barducci
12. Esthetics Of Anterior Fixed Prosthodontics (1994)
By Gerard Chiche & Alain Pinault
13. Smile design: A Guide For Clinician, Ceramist, And Patient (2004)
By Gerard Chiche & Hitoshi Aoshima
14. Facial And Dental Planning For Orthodontists And Oral Surgeons (2005)
By William Arnett & Richard Mclaughlin
15. Clinical Periodontology And Implant Dentistry (2008)
By J. Lindhe, N. Lang, T. Karring
16. Interdisciplinary Treatment Planning: Principles, Design, Implementation: Part 1 (2008) and Interdisciplinary Treatment Planning: Comprehensive Case Studies (2012)
By Michael Cohen Et Al.
17. Management Of Temporomandibular Disorders And Occlusion (2014)
By Jeffrey Okeson
18. The Art Of Customizing The Smile Design (2014)
By Braulio Paolucci et al. Visagismo19. Smile Design Integrating Esthetics And Functions: Essentials In Esthetic Dentistry (2015)
By Jonathan Levine
20. Global Diagnosis: A New Vision of Dental Diagnosis and Treatment Planning (2016)
By J. William Robbins & Jeffrey S. Rouse
21. Managing Tooth Wear (2023)
By Andrea Shepperson
22. Smile Analysis (2022)
By Elaine Halley
23. The Digital revolution 2.0: Clinico-Technical Applications in Daily Practice (2023)
By Alessandro Agnini and Andrea Mastrorosa Agnini
Which books have inspired you?
I believe that continuous learning is so important and that reading books like these is a fantastic way to continue improving our work and our approach in dentistry.
Have you read any of the books I’ve recommended here? I'd love to hear your thoughts on them and any other books that you would recommend I add to this list.
If you are interested in implementing proven Digital Smile Design strategies in your dental office, the in-person DSD Provider course or an online course on DSD Online could be the right option for you. Find out more by choosing a path below:
