Smile Makeover: The Ultimate in Cosmetic Dentistry

Authored By: Lesley Ranft

Reviewed By: Larry Addleson, DDS, FAACD

• Preview & Treatment

To complete your Smile Makeover, your dentist will develop a comprehensive treatment plan customized to meet your esthetic goals. This treatment plan may consist of many cosmetic and functionally restorative procedures, potentially including teeth whitening, bonding, veneers, dental crowns, orthodontics, oral maxillofacial surgery, and gummy smile reduction.

Oral Health Evaluation

Your oral health must be evaluated prior to treatment planning. If your evaluation reveals that you have oral conditions such as a misaligned bite (malocclusion) or gum disease, you will need to undergo restorative treatment prior to your Smile Makeover. Since this treatment often involves most or all of the teeth, it is called a full mouth reconstruction. Although full mouth reconstruction may take more time, patients are usually very pleased with the resulting transformation.

Smile Makeover: What's Involved?

A Smile Makeover involves consideration of your facial appearance, skin tone, hair color, teeth, gum tissue, and lips to develop a customized smile. The resulting improvements are as follows:

• Optimal Tooth Color: Silver or amalgam dental fillings can be replaced with natural, tooth-colored composite restorations and teeth whitening can improve the color of stained teeth. Tooth color and shading are important considerations during the evaluation of and preparation for various procedures, including porcelain veneers and dental implants.
• Aligned for Success: Crooked, overlapping, or gapping teeth can be straightened when necessary through orthodontics and improved with veneers.
• A Full Set: Missing teeth can be replaced by dental implants, bridges, or partial dentures.
• Contoured for Look: Uneven teeth can be bonded for improved appearance. Gummy smiles can be re-contoured to help improve the overall look of the smile.
• The Full Face Effect: An unshapely or aging face can be improved or rejuvenated with certain procedures in the Smile Makeover category, including orthodontics and/or oral maxillofacial surgery.

The Life of Your Smile Makeover

Cosmetic dentistry procedures may require maintenance over time. Teeth whitening must be repeated on occasion in order to maintain brightness. Porcelain veneers may chip or break off and need replacement. Permanent bondings may stain and require enhancement or replacement. Dental crowns typically require replacement after 10 – 15 years. Gummy smile improvements may also require enhancement over time.

Your ceramist, lab technician, and the materials chosen by your dentist also impact the longevity of your Smile Makeover. To achieve the best results, take special care in selecting your cosmetic dentist.

Smile Makeover Esthetics

Smile Makeovers are performed for many reasons and are customized according to your unique considerations. What do you like or not like about your smile or your teeth? A cosmetic dentist will work closely with you to develop a treatment plan designed to achieve exactly what you want out of your makeover. Two of the more common considerations in treatment planning incorporate teeth length and tooth form.

Teeth Length

• Aging produces wear and tear that often results in shorter teeth.
• A gummy smile can make teeth appear shorter.
• Long teeth lend a youthful appearance.

A Smile Makeover treatment for shorter teeth may include reshaping and lengthening the front central teeth through bonding or veneers. If you have a gummy smile, your cosmetic dentist may provide treatment to modify the gum line and lengthen the appearance of the teeth. Teeth lengthening may also impact overall facial appearance. For example, shapely, long, square teeth on a round-faced individual can provide a slimming effect for the face.

Tooth Form

• Dark, stained, chipped, worn out and missing teeth suggest an aged mouth.
• A well-shaped smile comprised of bright, white teeth lends to a youthful appearance.

A Smile Makeover treatment for discolored, misshapen, or missing teeth may include restorative procedures such as teeth whitening, implants, crowns, or veneers. The shade your dentist selects for teeth whitening and veneers is carefully evaluated with special consideration given to the tone and color of your face and hair. Esthetic bonding or veneers may improve chipped and worn-out teeth, while dental implants replace missing teeth. All of these procedures help you maintain a youthful appearance.

Tooth Characterization

Cosmetic dentists performing Smile Makeovers are adept at blending functionality and esthetics. For example, an artistic dentist can characterize the teeth to enhance a more feminine or a more masculine appearance in addition to providing a whitening treatment that suggests a more youthful you.

• Smile Makeover Preview & Treatment

[Updated May 2008]

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