How We Plan Your Smile

At The Face Dental Group, treatment begins with design rather than procedures. Before anything irreversible happens, we want you to see and understand where your treatment is going.

Our planning model integrates facial analysis, 3D imaging, prosthodontic design, and AI-assisted visualization, so you can understand the intended result before irreversible treatment begins. The sequence is outcome, then design, then execution. That is the opposite of a bone-driven or procedure-first workflow, and it shapes every decision that follows.

Request a Predictive Smile Planning Consultation

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• Predictive digital dentistry
• Outcome first, design second, execution third
• AI-assisted tools under specialist oversight
• Former Chair of Prosthodontics at Tufts University

Planning at The Face Dental Group is led by Prof. Dr. Wael Att, a board-certified prosthodontist, former chair of prosthodontics at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, author of 170+ publications and co-developer of the STAR Concept with David Norré. You can read more about why patients choose Dr. Att.

What Makes Our Approach Different

Conventional treatment often moves from diagnosis to surgery to restoration. Each step is decided in turn, and the final teeth are then designed around whatever the earlier steps left behind. In complex esthetic and implant cases, that sequence can create avoidable compromise.

We reverse the order. Tooth position, smile arc, facial fit, phonetics, and functional goals are defined first. Implant positioning, preparation design, augmentation strategy, and provisionalization are then derived from that target, so each clinical step has a clear reason to exist.

What We Define First

• Tooth position. Where each tooth should sit, so the restorations look and work as a natural set.
• Smile arc. How the edges of the upper teeth follow the curve of your lower lip when you smile.
• Facial fit. How the teeth relate to your face, lips, and proportions, so the smile belongs to you.
• Phonetics. How tooth position supports clear, comfortable speech.
• Functional goals. How your teeth should meet and move when you bite and chew.

Once these goals are set, the clinical questions become more focused. Where should an implant be placed to support a tooth in that position? How much preparation does a tooth need, if any? Is augmentation needed to support the planned result? What should the provisional restoration look like while treatment is under way?

Outcome, Design, Execution

• Outcome. We start by defining the result: how your teeth should sit within your face and smile, how they should support speech, and how they should function when you bite and chew.
• Design. That result is designed digitally as a prosthetic plan and reviewed with you before surgery or tooth preparation begins.
• Execution. Surgical and restorative steps are then carried out to serve the approved design, rather than the design being adapted to whatever the procedures produce.

This is what prosthodontists mean by prosthetically driven treatment. The restoration you will live with shapes the plan, instead of the plan shaping the restoration.

Our Digital Planning Process

A predictive plan is built from a set of records that together describe your face, teeth, bone, and bite. Each record answers a different question, and the value comes from bringing them together.

1. Facial analysis. We evaluate your smile line, lip dynamics, tooth display, and facial proportions, so the teeth are designed for your face rather than in isolation.
2. Intraoral scanning. A digital scan captures your teeth, gingiva, and occlusal relationships without conventional impression distortion.
3. CBCT imaging. Three-dimensional imaging evaluates bone volume, anatomy, implant pathways, and restorative constraints.
4. Functional evaluation. When indicated, we add an analysis of bite dynamics and jaw movement.
5. Integrated digital modeling. Face, bone, teeth, and function are merged into a single planning environment, so every decision can be checked against every other.
6. Prosthetic design before surgery. The final restoration is designed before any surgery, so each treatment step serves the approved outcome.

Where AI Fits In

AI-assisted tools support parts of this process: segmenting and aligning data sets, visualizing the proposed result, and refining the design. They work under specialist oversight at every stage.

AI does not diagnose you, and it does not plan your treatment. Diagnosis, clinical judgment, and every treatment decision remain with your prosthodontist. If you would like to see how visualization is used for esthetic cases, read about AI smile design at our practice.

What Predictive Planning Means for You

Predictive planning is not about technology for its own sake. It changes what you know, and when you know it.

• Clarity before treatment. You can understand the intended result before irreversible steps are taken, instead of discovering it at the end.
• More meaningful communication. A visual plan gives you and your clinical team something concrete to discuss, question, and refine together.
• Better informed consent. When you can see the target and understand the steps that lead to it, your decision to proceed is an informed one.
• A more controlled pathway for complex care. Because each step is derived from the approved design, the sequence of treatment is planned rather than improvised.

A plan is a target, not a promise of an exact result. We review it with you, explain the reasoning behind it, and discuss any changes that clinical findings may require along the way.

Who This Approach Is Especially Valuable For

Outcome-first planning is especially valuable when treatment is extensive, esthetically demanding, or hard to reverse:

• Full-arch implants. Replacing a full arch of teeth involves many linked decisions. Learn more about full-arch implant options.
• Smile makeovers. Designing the smile first lets you review the intended esthetics before teeth are prepared.
• Complex restorative cases. When several teeth, the bite, and esthetics all need to be addressed, a single plan keeps them coordinated.
• Implant salvage. When existing implant work is failing, the path forward starts with a clear picture of the intended result.
• Second opinions. If you have been given a treatment plan and want an independent view, you can request a second opinion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I preview the outcome?

Yes, in the planning sense. AI-assisted visualization and the prosthetic design let you see the intended result before irreversible treatment begins. The preview is a planning and communication tool. It shows the target your treatment is designed to reach, and it gives you the chance to ask questions and discuss changes before anything is committed.

Is AI planning my treatment?

No. AI-assisted tools support segmentation, alignment, visualization, and design refinement. They do not diagnose and they do not make treatment decisions. Your diagnosis and treatment plan are the work of your prosthodontist, who uses these tools under direct oversight.

Does this apply only to complex cases?

The principle of defining the outcome before choosing the procedures applies to any treatment that changes how your teeth look or function. It is especially valuable for full-arch implants, smile makeovers, complex restorative cases, implant salvage, and second opinions. Some records, such as functional evaluation, are added when indicated, and your consultation will establish what your case needs.

Why does advanced planning matter?

In complex esthetic and implant care, many steps cannot easily be undone. When treatment moves from diagnosis to surgery to restoration without a defined target, that sequence can create avoidable compromise. Planning the outcome first means implant positions, preparations, and provisional restorations are chosen to serve the result you have already reviewed.

Begin With a Plan

Whether you are considering a smile makeover, full-arch implants, or a second look at an existing plan, the first step is the same: understanding the intended result before treatment begins. Learn more about our predictive planning approach, or book a visit at our office at 392 Commonwealth Ave, Boston.

Request a Predictive Smile Planning Consultation

Referring doctor? Submit a case for collaborative evaluation. Please call our office at (617) 236-5969 to arrange a secure transfer of records rather than sending them by email.