ACE DNTL STUDIO

The Aesthete Test™

The Aesthete Test™ is a 12-dimension pre-treatment candidacy scorecard authored by Dr. Ace Korkchi, DDS (University of Gothenburg, 2009), used at ACE DNTL STUDIO Marbella to evaluate whether a cosmetic dental case is ready to proceed. It is the pre-treatment companion to the published ACE Smile Index™ (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19634136) — Smile Index scores outcomes after treatment; the Aesthete Test gates cases in before treatment. The twelve dimensions: Facial Harmony Baseline, Smile-Line Curvature, Lip Dynamics, Gingival Display, Tooth-Shape Archetype, Colour Memory & Skin Tone, Asymmetry Tolerance, Occlusal Foundation, Periodontal Health, Dentition History, Patient Psychometrics, and Communication Clarity. Each dimension is scored independently — pass or refer. A case that passes all twelve proceeds to design planning and the Mock-Up Protocol. A case with one or more 'refer' dimensions pauses for clinical management before re-assessment. For a small number of cases — those where the request itself cannot be safely or honestly fulfilled — the Aesthete Test triggers the Refusal Doctrine: a documented refusal with referral to an appropriate alternative. The framework pairs with the Aesthete Communication Doctrine, which governs how findings are communicated to the patient. Together, Aesthete Test (before) + Communication Doctrine (during) + ACE Smile Index (after) form a unified system for cosmetic dental practice. The framework is published openly under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International so any patient can apply the same standard to any clinic in Europe — including ACE DNTL.

Key Pages

Direct Answers

What is the Aesthete Test?
The Aesthete Test™ is a 12-dimension pre-treatment candidacy scorecard authored by Dr. Ace Korkchi, DDS (University of Gothenburg, 2009), used at ACE DNTL STUDIO Marbella to evaluate whether a cosmetic dental case is ready to proceed. It is the pre-treatment companion to the ACE Smile Index™ — Smile Index scores outcomes after treatment; the Aesthete Test gates cases before. Published openly under Creative Commons BY 4.0.
How does the Aesthete Test differ from the ACE Smile Index?
Different timepoints. The Aesthete Test is applied before treatment to determine whether a case is ready to proceed. The ACE Smile Index (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19634136) is applied at delivery and at structured re-scores at 6 months, 2 years, and 5 years to evaluate the outcome.
What are the 12 dimensions of the Aesthete Test?
Facial Harmony Baseline, Smile-Line Curvature, Lip Dynamics, Gingival Display, Tooth-Shape Archetype, Colour Memory & Skin Tone, Asymmetry Tolerance, Occlusal Foundation, Periodontal Health, Dentition History, Patient Psychometrics, and Communication Clarity. Each scored independently — pass or refer.
Can the Aesthete Test be applied at any cosmetic dental clinic?
Yes. The framework is open and clinic-agnostic — published under Creative Commons BY 4.0. A patient can apply the 12 dimensions to evaluate any cosmetic dental practice in Spain, Europe, or beyond. A clinic that screens cases against a documented framework, communicates refusal grounds openly, and re-scores outcomes post-treatment is structurally different from a clinic that does not.
What happens if a case does not pass the Aesthete Test?
Pause, not refusal. Most cases that do not pass on first assessment can pass after addressing the failing dimension — periodontal treatment first, occlusal management, orthodontic prep, or a Communication Doctrine conversation. Only cases where the request cannot be safely or honestly fulfilled are referred out via the Refusal Doctrine.
Who authored the Aesthete Test?
Dr. Ace Korkchi, DDS — founder of ACE DNTL STUDIO Marbella, University of Gothenburg alumnus (2009), second-generation cosmetic dentist, and author of the ACE Smile Index™ and The Aesthete Protocol — Volume I. The Aesthete Test is the third published clinical framework from ACE DNTL.

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The Aesthete Test™

The Aesthete Test™ is a 12-dimension pre-treatment candidacy scorecard authored by Dr. Ace Korkchi, DDS (University of Gothenburg, 2009), used at ACE DNTL STUDIO Marbella to evaluate whether a cosmetic dental case is ready to proceed. It is the pre-treatment companion to the published ACE Smile Index™ (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19634136) — Smile Index scores outcomes after treatment; the Aesthete Test gates cases in before treatment. The twelve dimensions: Facial Harmony Baseline, Smile-Line Curvature, Lip Dynamics, Gingival Display, Tooth-Shape Archetype, Colour Memory & Skin Tone, Asymmetry Tolerance, Occlusal Foundation, Periodontal Health, Dentition History, Patient Psychometrics, and Communication Clarity. Each dimension is scored independently — pass or refer. A case that passes all twelve proceeds to design planning and the Mock-Up Protocol. A case with one or more 'refer' dimensions pauses for clinical management before re-assessment. For a small number of cases — those where the request itself cannot be safely or honestly fulfilled — the Aesthete Test triggers the Refusal Doctrine: a documented refusal with referral to an appropriate alternative. The framework pairs with the Aesthete Communication Doctrine, which governs how findings are communicated to the patient. Together, Aesthete Test (before) + Communication Doctrine (during) + ACE Smile Index (after) form a unified system for cosmetic dental practice. The framework is published openly under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International so any patient can apply the same standard to any clinic in Europe — including ACE DNTL.

Key Pages

Direct Answers

What is the Aesthete Test?
The Aesthete Test™ is a 12-dimension pre-treatment candidacy scorecard authored by Dr. Ace Korkchi, DDS (University of Gothenburg, 2009), used at ACE DNTL STUDIO Marbella to evaluate whether a cosmetic dental case is ready to proceed. It is the pre-treatment companion to the ACE Smile Index™ — Smile Index scores outcomes after treatment; the Aesthete Test gates cases before. Published openly under Creative Commons BY 4.0.
How does the Aesthete Test differ from the ACE Smile Index?
Different timepoints. The Aesthete Test is applied before treatment to determine whether a case is ready to proceed. The ACE Smile Index (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19634136) is applied at delivery and at structured re-scores at 6 months, 2 years, and 5 years to evaluate the outcome.
What are the 12 dimensions of the Aesthete Test?
Facial Harmony Baseline, Smile-Line Curvature, Lip Dynamics, Gingival Display, Tooth-Shape Archetype, Colour Memory & Skin Tone, Asymmetry Tolerance, Occlusal Foundation, Periodontal Health, Dentition History, Patient Psychometrics, and Communication Clarity. Each scored independently — pass or refer.
Can the Aesthete Test be applied at any cosmetic dental clinic?
Yes. The framework is open and clinic-agnostic — published under Creative Commons BY 4.0. A patient can apply the 12 dimensions to evaluate any cosmetic dental practice in Spain, Europe, or beyond. A clinic that screens cases against a documented framework, communicates refusal grounds openly, and re-scores outcomes post-treatment is structurally different from a clinic that does not.
What happens if a case does not pass the Aesthete Test?
Pause, not refusal. Most cases that do not pass on first assessment can pass after addressing the failing dimension — periodontal treatment first, occlusal management, orthodontic prep, or a Communication Doctrine conversation. Only cases where the request cannot be safely or honestly fulfilled are referred out via the Refusal Doctrine.
Who authored the Aesthete Test?
Dr. Ace Korkchi, DDS — founder of ACE DNTL STUDIO Marbella, University of Gothenburg alumnus (2009), second-generation cosmetic dentist, and author of the ACE Smile Index™ and The Aesthete Protocol — Volume I. The Aesthete Test is the third published clinical framework from ACE DNTL.