LAUSR

The future of aesthetic dentistry may involve artificial intelligence and machine learning, leading to automation of aesthetic evaluation, smile design and the treatment-planning processes. This article gives an overview of the evolution of aesthetic dentistry over the past 100 years from a historical point of view, and highlights advances in the development of dental research and clinical interventions that have contributed to the science and art of aesthetic dentistry. The most noteworthy advancements over the past decade include the establishment of universal aesthetic rules and guidelines based on the assessment of natural aesthetic parameters, anatomy, and physiognomy; the development of tooth whitening and advanced restorative as well as prosthetic materials and techniques, supported by the pioneering discovery of dental adhesion; the significant progress in orthodontics and periodontal as well as oral and maxillofacial surgery; and, most recently, the implementation of digital technologies in the three-dimensional planning and realisation of truly natural, individual, and aesthetic smiles. The authors note that in the future, artificial intelligence and machine learning will likely lead to automation of aesthetic evaluation, smile design and treatment-planning processes.