3D digital smile design with a mobile phone and intraoral optical scanner

Extraoral facial scanning using a mobile phone has emerged as a viable, cost-effective option for certain applications not requiring high precision, such as patient education and 3-dimensional (3D) digital smile design. This technological development is particularly promising for general practitioners (GPs) who may not be able to invest in expensive, complex digital impressioning devices. This article describes and illustrates a relatively simple and accessible workflow that avails digital 3D facial scanning benefits to GPs.