special _ smile design I various cues to the practitioner in the evaluation of his or her clinical success in terms of case planning, material and protocol selection, as well as his or her existing restorative skills. I believe that a thorough evaluation can support any practitioner in initiating practicebased research and keeping up-to-date with the recent trend of evidence-based dentistry (Figs. 4a–5b). _MICD treatment modalities Various types of treatment modalities are available in MICD. Their effective use depends on the level of smile defects, type of smile design, proposed treatment type and the treatment complexity grade. There is only one principle in selecting treatment modalities in MICD: always select the least invasive procedure as the choice of the treatment. The two categories of MICD treatment are NI and MI treatment (Table 1). However, conventional invasive treatment modalities may also be required, depending on the complexity of the case. For this reason, I have explained the MICD concept and its TP, which integrates the evidence-based MI philosophy into aesthetic dentistry, in the hope that it will help practitioners achieve optimum results in terms of health, function and aesthetics with minimum treatment intervention and optimum patient satisfaction. Fig. 5a _Acknowledgements In formulating the MICD TP, I discussed the concept with several national and international colleagues in order to ensure that it is simple, practical and comprehensive. I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr Akira Senda (Japan), Dr Didier Dietschi (Switzerland), Dr Hisashi Hisamitsu (Japan), Dr Oliver Hennedige (Singapore), Dr Dinos Kountouras (Greece), Dr Mabi L. Singh (USA), Dr Ryuichi Kondo (Japan), Dr So-Ran Kwon (Korea), Dr Prafulla Thumati (India), Dr Vijayaratnam Vijayakumaran (Sri Lanka), as well as Dr Suhit R. Adhikari, Dr Rabindra Man Shrestha, Dr Binod Acharya and Dr Dinesh Bhusal of Nepal, for their valuable comments, advice and feedback._ Fig. 5b _Conclusion MI dentistry was developed over a decade ago by restorative experts and founded on sound evidence-based principles.21–30 In dentistry, it has focused mainly on prevention, re-mineralisation and minimal dental intervention in caries management and not given sufficient attention to other oral health problems. I believe that the MI philosophy should be the mantra adopted comprehensively in every field of the dentistry. Fig. 5a_Smile after establishment treatment. Fig. 5b_Smile aesthetic enhancement with non-invasive veneers treatment. Editorial note: A complete list of references and the MICD forms are available from the publisher. _about the author cosmetic dentistry Dr Sushil Koirala is the founding president of the Vedic Institute of Smile Aesthetics and the chief instructor of Comprehensive Aesthetic Dentistry, a two-year training programme based upon Vedic philosophy of beauty and aesthetics. He maintains a private practice focusing primarily on MI cosmetic dentistry (MICD). Based on more than 17 years of clinical experience in aesthetic dentistry, Dr Koirala developed the Vedic Smile Concept, the Smile Design Wheel, the MICD TP, and various clinical techniques for direct aesthetic restorations. He is the founding president of the Nepalese Academy of Cosmetic and Aesthetic Dentistry and South Asian Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry. He has published numerous clinical articles in aesthetic dentistry and authored A clinical guide to Direct Cosmetic Restorations with Giomer, published by Dental Tribune International GmbH. In addition, Dr Koirala serves as Editor-in-Chief of cosmetic dentistry_beauty & science. He frequently conducts hands-on programmes and delivers lectures globally on smile aesthetics. He can be contacted at skoirala@wlink.com.np. cosmetic dentistry 4 _ 2009 I 33