Smile Art

Smile Art is a specialist orthodontic clinic located on the fourth floor of Senovážné náměstí 1736 in central České Budějovice, operating since 2011 and recognised as the largest orthodontic clinic in the South Bohemian region. The clinic is founded and led by MUDr. Ladislav Bernát Ph.D., who graduated in dentistry from the Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in 2005, completed postgraduate orthodontic training from 2006, passed the orthodontist certification examination in 2009, and received a doctorate in orthodontics in 2015. He holds an assistant professor position at the Orthodontic Department of University Hospital Plzeň and the Faculty of Medicine at Charles University Plzeň, lectures at domestic and international orthodontic conferences, and is recognised as a Key Opinion Leader and speaker in the Invisalign field. The fourteen-member team includes reception staff, dental technicians, and five trained orthodontic assistants.

iTero Lumina Intraoral Scanner

Smile Art uses the iTero Lumina intraoral scanner for all diagnostic records and treatment planning. The iTero Lumina captures fast, precise three-dimensional digital images of the teeth and soft tissue using laser technology without radiation exposure, replacing traditional plaster or silicone impression materials entirely. Digital records are immediately available for treatment planning visualisation, Invisalign submission, and fabrication workflows, without waiting for impressions to set or be transported to a laboratory. The 3D digital scan also allows patients to see their current dentition in three dimensions and to preview projected treatment outcomes before any treatment begins, supporting informed consent and patient understanding of the planned orthodontic movement.

CBCT Three-Dimensional Radiography

The clinic uses the Dentsply Sirona Axeos 3D CBCT radiography system for cases requiring comprehensive three-dimensional diagnostic imaging. The CBCT unit provides multi-angle three-dimensional views of the teeth, jaw bone, and surrounding structures, enabling assessment of root anatomy, bone density, impacted teeth, and skeletal relationships at a diagnostic level far beyond conventional two-dimensional panoramic and cephalometric radiographs. For complex treatment cases, for surgical orthodontic planning, and for patients with impacted or ectopic teeth requiring detailed localisation before treatment, CBCT provides the diagnostic information that determines whether orthodontic treatment alone is sufficient or whether combined orthodontic-surgical management is required.

In-House 3D Printing

Smile Art operates an in-house Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro 3D printer for fabrication of orthodontic aligners and treatment models. In-house printing capability means that certain aligner types and treatment models can be produced directly at the clinic without being sent to an external manufacturing facility, reducing the waiting time between records and treatment start, and enabling faster replacement aligner cycles during treatment when damage or loss requires a replacement tray to be produced promptly. This technical infrastructure reflects the clinic's investment in digital orthodontic workflow capability beyond what most orthodontic practices in the region can deliver.

Invisalign and Spark Clear Aligner Therapy

Invisible aligner treatment at Smile Art uses Invisalign, the world's leading clear aligner system, and the Spark aligner system as an alternative with specific material and transparency characteristics. MUDr. Bernát's status as an Invisalign Key Opinion Leader places him among the highest-volume and highest-complexity providers in the Czech Republic, reflecting the clinical experience and case volume that Invisalign awards at this level. Clear aligners use a series of custom-fabricated transparent trays worn 20 to 22 hours per day to progressively move teeth to planned positions, with each tray replaced at defined intervals. The aligners are removed for eating and tooth cleaning, avoiding the dietary restrictions and hygiene challenges of fixed appliance treatment. For adult patients seeking discreet orthodontic correction, clear aligners provide a functionally effective and aesthetically invisible treatment option.

Damon Self-Ligating Fixed Braces

For patients suited to fixed appliance treatment, Smile Art uses the Damon self-ligating bracket system in both ceramic (tooth-coloured) and metal variants. Self-ligating brackets use a mechanical lock rather than elastomeric ties to hold the archwire, reducing friction during tooth movement and requiring fewer wire changes through treatment. The Damon system's clinical philosophy is associated with non-extraction treatment approaches that expand arch form and produce broader aesthetic smiles compared to extraction-based treatment plans, which aligns with Smile Art's stated philosophy of avoiding unnecessary extractions. The ceramic Damon bracket provides significantly reduced visibility compared to metal brackets, offering a more discreet fixed appliance option for patients who prefer bonded braces over clear aligners.

Early Orthodontic Intervention and Children's Treatment

Removable orthodontic appliances for early intervention are available from age six, addressing interceptive treatment of skeletal and dental discrepancies that are more effectively managed during active jaw growth than after growth is complete. Early treatment does not always prevent later fixed appliance treatment, but it can reduce its complexity and duration, and in some cases achieves improvements to jaw relationship and arch development that are not possible with orthodontic tooth movement alone after growth is complete. The clinic sees children, adolescents, and adults, including complex malocclusion cases that fall outside the scope of a general practice referring orthodontic cases.

Face-Driven Orthodontics and Retention

Smile Art's clinical philosophy is described as face-driven orthodontics, an approach that evaluates treatment planning in the context of facial proportions, lip support, and the harmony between teeth, jaws, and the surrounding facial structures, rather than optimising dental alignment in isolation. This approach produces treatment plans that consider the aesthetic and functional effect of tooth and jaw positioning on the overall face rather than treating the dentition as an independent variable. Following active treatment, comprehensive retention protocols using both fixed wire retainers bonded behind the teeth and removable aligner-type retainers maintain the achieved tooth positions against the natural tendency for relapse, supporting long-term stability of the orthodontic result. Free initial consultations are available for patients under twenty-two years presenting with a referral from their treating dentist.