Dr. Ian Buckle - Occlusion & Smile Design: Predictable Aesthetics That Last - 28th-29th of May - Oslo

Dr. Ian Buckle: Occlusion & Smile Design: Predictable Aesthetics That Last

1.5-Day Clinical & Digital Course

From Smile Design to Occlusal Stability — Creating Aesthetic Dentistry That Functions, Fits and Lasts

This course is about creating appropriate smiles that function within the patient, respect the biology and have a realistic chance of lasting. And often a beautiful aesthetic outcome follows naturally.

It takes the principles that underpin Ian Buckle's Essentials education and updates them for a new generation of dentistry — combining clinical judgement, occlusion, aesthetics and digital technology into one very predictable workflow:

Predictable aesthetic dentistry begins with understanding the patient, diagnosing the underlying problems and determining how the teeth, occlusion, function and facial aesthetics should work together.

The course is designed to give general and private practitioners a simple, repeatable and clinically practical workflow for assessing patients, designing aesthetic treatment and delivering restorations that are both beautiful and biologically and functionally appropriate.

Diagnose before you design.

Design before you prepare.

Test before you commit.

And make aesthetics work within function.

The central question:

How do we create aesthetic dentistry that still looks good, feels good and functions predictably years later?

Ian will demonstrate how examination, diagnosis, occlusal principles, facial aesthetics, smile design, tooth position, restorative design and digital technology can be brought together into one coherent approach.

THE 1.5-DAY PROGRAMME

DAY 1 – From Diagnosis to Treatment Planning

Examination → Diagnosis → Occlusion → Smile Design → Treatment Plan

Morning

• The predictable aesthetic patient

• What have we learned from the Essentials courses?

• Comprehensive examination

• Diagnosis and risk assessment

• Understanding tooth surface loss

• Recognising parafunction

• Occlusal examination

• Facial analysis

• Smile analysis

• Establishing the patient's objectives

Afternoon

• Occlusion and aesthetic dentistry

• VDO and the worn dentition

• Conformative versus reorganised treatment

• Anterior guidance and functional aesthetics

• Smile design principles

• Digital records

• Digital photography

• Intraoral scanning

• Digital smile design

• Virtual wax-up and mock-up

• Building the treatment plan around the final result

Case-based learning

Real cases will be used to demonstrate how apparently straightforward aesthetic problems can become complex — and how a structured diagnostic process makes treatment more predictable.

DAY 2 — DIGITAL WORKFLOW & CLINICAL IMPLEMENTATION

Design → Test → Prepare → Communicate → Deliver

The second day will focus on turning the treatment plan into a predictable clinical workflow.

Topics include:

• Digital treatment planning

• Designing the ideal result

• AI-assisted restorative design

• Digital wax-ups

• 3D printed models

• Printed mock-ups

• Provisionals as a diagnostic tool

• Guided tooth preparation

• Laboratory communication

• Transferring the digital design to the patient

• Occlusal verification

• Final restorative design

• Delivery and finishing

• Maintaining the result

The course will conclude with a complete digital-to-clinical case, demonstrating how the different components fit together.

WHO IS THE COURSE FOR?

This course is designed for dentists who have already developed a foundation in restorative dentistry and want to become more confident in aesthetic treatment planning and predictable restorative execution.

It is particularly relevant to dentists who have previously attended Ian Buckle's Essentials courses and/or Dawson-based education and want to understand how those principles have evolved in the modern digital environment.

It is equally suitable for dentists who want a practical introduction to integrating:

Occlusion + Aesthetics + Digital Dentistry + Restorative Planning

into their everyday practice.

THE TAKE-HOME WORKFLOW

Delegates will leave with a simple framework that can be applied to everyday aesthetic cases:

01 — EXAMINE

Understand the patient, their objectives and their risk factors.

02 — DIAGNOSE

Identify the biological, functional and aesthetic problems.

03 — DESIGN

Determine the desired aesthetic and functional outcome.

04 — DIGITALISE

Capture and integrate the information digitally.

05 — TEST

Use mock-ups, provisionals and digital technology to validate the plan.

06 — PREPARE

Prepare teeth according to the approved restorative design.

07 — DELIVER

Transfer the planned aesthetics and occlusion accurately to the definitive restorations.

08 — MAINTAIN

Protect the result and manage the factors that could compromise longevity.

In-depth: What You Will Learn

For those who want the full detail: below is an extensive, in-depth description of the course content. You do not need to read it to sign up.

1. Start with the Patient — Not the Teeth

A predictable aesthetic result begins with a comprehensive assessment. We will revisit the Essentials approach to:

• Patient interview and identification of the real treatment objectives

• Extraoral and intraoral examination, and facial analysis

• Dental and periodontal assessment

• Tooth surface loss and the worn dentition

• Parafunction and functional risk, airway and other relevant risk factors

• Assessing the existing occlusion

• Recognising when apparently simple aesthetic cases are actually complex

The emphasis is on developing a diagnosis before developing a design.

2. Occlusion as the Foundation of Aesthetic Dentistry

Rather than treating aesthetics and occlusion as separate disciplines, the course explores how they influence one another. You will revisit practical principles including:

• Centric relation and maximum intercuspation

• Anterior guidance and posterior disclusion

• Envelope of function and occlusal stability

• Vertical dimension — and managing increased vertical dimension predictably

• Tooth position and function

• Conformative versus reorganised approaches: when to preserve the existing occlusion, and when and how to change it

The objective is not to make every patient an "occlusal case". It is to help you recognise when occlusion matters — and what to do about it.

3. Smile Design in the Digital Era

Digital dentistry has transformed the way we can analyse, communicate and test aesthetic treatment. The course will demonstrate a modern workflow incorporating:

• Digital records: digital photography and intraoral scanning

• Facial and dental analysis, and digital smile design

• Virtual wax-ups and digital mock-ups

• AI-assisted crown and tooth design, and 3D printing

• Digital communication with the laboratory

• Predictable provisionalisation and transfer of the approved design into definitive restorations

The key principle is simple: Design it. Test it. Approve it. Then make it.

4. From Digital Design to the Mouth

One of the biggest advantages of digital dentistry is the ability to test treatment before committing to irreversible dentistry. We will explore how to use digital workflows to:

• Visualise proposed changes and assess tooth proportions and smile dynamics

• Evaluate changes in tooth length and position, and test changes in vertical dimension

• Create predictable mock-ups

• Communicate clearly with patients and accurately with technicians

• Transfer digital information to the clinical environment

• Reduce surprises during preparation and fit

This creates a diagnostic-driven restorative workflow, rather than simply using digital technology to make the same dentistry faster.

5. Predictable Aesthetic Restorative Planning

The course will develop a systematic approach to deciding:

• What needs to be treated — and what does not?

• How much tooth preparation is actually necessary, and which teeth should be included?

• Where should the new incisal edges be?

• How should anterior guidance be established and posterior contacts managed?

• When is additive dentistry possible, when is orthodontics appropriate, and when should treatment be interdisciplinary?

• How can restorations be designed to work within the patient's functional environment?

The aim is to move from "What restoration should I place?" to "What is the correct biological, functional and aesthetic treatment for this patient?"

6. Making Aesthetics Last

A beautiful result is only successful if it remains healthy and functional. We will therefore consider the factors that influence longevity:

• Occlusal loading, parafunction and tooth position

• Material selection, preparation design and adhesive principles

• Functional contacts and anterior guidance

• Patient-specific risk

• Maintenance, protection of restorations, and appropriate review and monitoring

• Communication with the laboratory

Particular attention will be given to recognising patients who are high risk for restorative failure before treatment begins.

The course is held in English by Dr. Ian Buckle.