Smile Makeover: Is It Right for You? Pros and Cons Explained

Food and lifestyle greatly impact the way your smile looks. Natural teeth develop minor issues that dull your smile. The acidic components in the food we eat erode off the enamel, making teeth prone to breaks. Biting on hard objects causes breaks and chips. Otherwise, accidents or contact sports stand as other contributing reasons for broken or missing teeth.

On the other hand, natural teeth discolor and catch up stains due to habits like smoking or poor oral hygiene. Further, overconsumption of dark-colored beverages is another prime reason for discoloration. Not only stains or breaks but a range of dental issues can ruin the appearance of your smile. Smile makeover can answer all your dental aesthetic concerns. Now, let’s understand this in detail.

Smile Makeover Meaning

A smile makeover, also called a Hollywood smile makeover, uses cosmetic dentistry procedures to improve the look of your smile. Some people call it a “celebrity smile makeover.” It works on a range of dental issues, all with the aim of improving the appearance of your smile. While we mention “a range of dental issues,” it's important to note that none are concerned with the functioning. The problems impacting smile aesthetics will be corrected with a dental smile makeover.  

What Dental Issues Does a Smile Makeover Address?

A smile makeover addresses any dental issues that affect the overall appearance of your smile. Be it teeth color, stains, shape, size, breaks, chips, gaps, malalignment, or tooth proportions, a smile makeover can address them. Smile makeover dentistry works on a variety of aspects, including tooth shade, alignment, proportion, size, and smile line. We detailed them below.

• Teeth shape: Symmetry of teeth imparts harmony to your smile. Breaks, chips, or oddly shaped teeth cause irregular edges that show up awkwardly when you smile. 
• Teeth color: While a bright smile can melt hearts, a dull smile with discolored or stained teeth indicates poor oral health. Teeth color significantly impacts smile appearance. 
• Teeth alignment and gaps: Properly aligned teeth impart symmetry and a proportionate look to your smile. Overcrowded or gapped teeth need realignment to attain completeness. 
• Teeth size and proportion: Broken teeth or excess gum result in a look with shorter teeth. While short, boxy teeth grab away that attractive look, longer teeth typically imply a youthful appearance.     

Here is the list of dental issues that potentially impact your smile appearance. 

• Broken teeth
• Chipped teeth
• Gapped teeth
• Stained or discolored teeth
• Overcrowded, crooked, or malaligned teeth

What Does a Smile Makeover Include? 

A smile makeover is a single or a combination of dental procedures that align with each other to improve the smile's appearance. A smile makeover is very similar to what cosmetic dentistry deals with. The minute difference lies in the procedures each one involves. While cosmetic dentistry is largely related to veneers, crowns, and orthodontics, a smile makeover typically involves teeth whitening, contouring, cosmetic bonding, and clear aligners. Now, let's look into the details of each procedure with the pros and cons.

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening improves the color and lightens the shade of teeth using peroxide-based whitening gels. The process makes teeth appear whiter and brighter by removing stains and enhancing the hue. Typically, teeth whitening will be carried out using at-home kits or at a dentist's office. The primary difference lies in the peroxide strength and the length of the procedure. 

• At-home teeth whitening: You may use whitening strips, custom-fit trays, whitening toothpastes, or mouth rinses. These vary in peroxide or bleaching agent strength and the method of use. You should apply the whitening strips directly on the teeth. However, you will place the peroxide-based trays on the teeth for a few days a day with a defined time interval. Typically, the results are mild to moderate. However, this approach is quite inexpensive.
• In-office whitening: Your dentist will use a stronger peroxide composition by covering your gums using a rubber dam. In addition, they use heat or light sources to activate the peroxide activity for effective results. While the procedure lasts 20-30 minutes, you can expect the best results with 6-8 times improved teeth color. 

Source: Science Direct ^[1]

Dental Veneers

Veneers are tooth-colored ultrathin shells that can cover breaks, chips, stains, and irregularities on the front surface of teeth. The dentist will remove some enamel, collect tooth impressions for veneer fabrication, and fix temporary veneers. Once the customized veneers are ready in a couple of days, you will receive the permanent veneers. 

Source: Research Gate ^[2]

Teeth Contouring

Tooth contouring is the reshaping of teeth to attain a symmetrical shape, size, and natural finish. It removes severe chips or pointy edges of broken teeth, imparting a smoother finish.  The dentist will perform an initial examination to understand the position of the tooth pulp. They will drill or grind the tooth surface without reaching the pulp and polish the edges for a smooth finish. It's a simple, painless procedure. 

Cosmetic Bonding 

The dentist will apply tooth-colored composite material to the damaged tooth. This will conceal flaws like breaks, chips, and gaps and also change the shape and size of teeth. Further, they will use a light source to activate the resin hardening process. The dentists take care that the tooth-colored resin matches the existing tooth shade for a harmonious look. 

Source: Research Gate ^[3]

Dental Crowns 

These are tooth-colored caps that can cover the entire tooth surface, covering breaks, chips, and severely decayed root canal-treated teeth. Your dentist will grind and reshape the damaged tooth to collect impressions for crown fabrication. You will receive temporary crowns until the permanent restorations are ready. Once the crowns are ready, your dentist will fix them using dental adhesive. You have a choice of all-porcelain, zirconia, and PFM dental crowns that vary with the type of materials and properties. 

Source: JADA ^[4]

Gum Reshaping

Gum contouring or reshaping is the process of removing excess gum tissue to correct a gummy smile. It can also correct exposed tooth gums in severe gum recession cases. This involves a minor surgical process under anesthesia. The dentist will use a dental laser or scalpel to reshape the gum tissue. 

Source: Research Gate ^[5]

Clear Aligners

While orthodontics corrects malalignment issues, clear aligners are a modernized approach to traditional braces. Typically, the dentist studies the oral cavity to understand tooth alignment issues. Fixing clear aligners involves a customized approach, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Your dentist will fix the aligner to correct the malocclusion and straighten your teeth.  The aligners apply gentle pressure to straighten the teeth over time.

Dental Implants 

Teeth implants offer a long-lasting and durable solution for missing or fallen teeth. While fallen teeth show up as awkward gaps in the teeth line, the dentist will fix a metal screw-like implant to serve as a natural tooth root. It will support a standard crown with the help of an abutment. With regard to aesthetic dentistry, you have the option of choosing between titanium and zirconia implants.  

Source: NCBI ^[6]

Learning smile makeover dentistry can be overwhelming! If you are wondering how a smile makeover will be carried out, the following section can help. 

How Does a Smile Makeover Dentist Carry Out the Procedure?

The type of dental procedure needed for a smile makeover is entirely case-dependent. Your smile makeover dentist will evaluate your oral health condition and understand your requirements. They consider the facial and gum structure and underlying dental issues. They will then recommend appropriate procedures, considering dental needs, aesthetic expectations, and budget factors. Smile makeovers are primarily cosmetic, and dentists will consider the aesthetic goals. However, they will incorporate restorative procedures like implants or crowns when needed by the patient. The best smile makeover center is well equipped with advanced dental technology and various software tools. For instance, one of our partner clinics, Marietta Dental Care, in Los Algodones and Tijuana, offers Digital Smile Design. They create smile models using digital photographs, scans, and computer tomography techniques. By combining the digital images from state-of-the-art software, you will be provided with an expected digital smile model of treatment outcome.  The dentist will propose the treatment procedures required to attain this expected digital smile design. Note that the approach of smile makeover is largely personalized. Our esteemed partner, Sani Dental Group, offers you a customized smile design. The highly skilled Smile makeover dentists here will create complete three-dimensional projections of dental procedures modifying your tooth structure. If you are looking for a Smile makeover Playa del Carmen, do consider our partner, Sani Dental Group, located in The Riviera Maya. We assure you that you’ll never regret your decision!

Are you wondering about getting that perfect smile you have dreamed of? Reach out to us. At Envoy Heath, we believe everyone deserves to smile freely without any hesitation in hiding. Reach out to us for an initial consultation with top dental professionals. And the best part? It’s completely FREE! We partner with premier dental clinics abroad to ensure a safe and comfortable dental experience. Suppose the cost aspect is bothering you, the upcoming section is of help.

Understanding Smile Makeover Cost 

Since the procedure for a smile makeover differs with the candidate, the treatment cost also varies depending on the case. Generally speaking, a smile makeover treatment that does not include dental implants typically costs less than that involving surgical implants. Typically, the cost of smile makeover  depends on the 

• Type and number of dental treatments 
• Number of sessions required
• Credentials and accreditations of dentist and dental clinic 
• Facility, diagnosis, pre-procedure, and anesthesia charges
• Post-treatment medications

Suppose you consider a smile makeover in Atlanta. Opting for a cost-effective smile makeover with dental bonding can cost you $400 per tooth. In case you need a dental implant, the full smile makeover cost can shoot up since a single implant can cost you $4,500. Let’s consider other locations and procedures. For instance, a smile makeover Texas with porcelain veneers costs $1,300 per unit. The cost of full smile makeover can go as high as $13,000 for ten veneers. On the other hand, a smile makeover with crowns can cost you between $5,000 and $30,000, depending on the material type. Below we tabulated the popular smile makeover treatment costs.

Smile makeover costs in the US

# Prices may vary with the case. 

The treatment costs for smile makeover procedures vary significantly. It's worth noting that dental insurance does not cover smile makeover prices. The reason is that most dental insurance providers offer coverage for medically necessary procedures. Smile makeover dentistry aims to enhance a smile and will be performed to satisfy aesthetic needs. Are you wondering if paying these sky-high costs in the US is a practical option or not? Don’t worry, as we’ve covered it for you.

Know the Affordable Smile Makeover Options 

While dental costs are expensive in your home country, you don’t have to hold back from smiling freely without hesitation. Dental tourism in countries like Turkey, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Thailand offers reasonable prices for quality smile makeover services. We tabulated the smile makeover prices with our partner clinics in Mexico.

Smile makeover costs in Mexico

# Prices may vary with the case. 

Have you heard of local contests shouting “win smile makeover”? It's natural for one to feel excited about getting a new look for FREE! Remember, it's your teeth and, ultimately, your oral health. Picking a random makeover for hair or facial aesthetic can make a slight difference. However, when its oral health, you need to make an informed decision.  

What To Look For When Looking for Smile Makeover Treatment? 

While smile makeover dentistry is largely artistry, one cannot neglect the qualifications and credentials of the dentist and clinic. Although the end goal of a dental smile makeover is aesthetics, you will need a professional to perform the procedures correctly. Only qualified and experienced dental professionals can assure you of the best treatment outcomes. So check out the following points while choosing a smile makeover dentist.

• Qualifications, area of expertise, and years of experience as a dental professional
• Reputation and accreditation of the dental clinic
• Professional memberships of dentists
• Regulatory body affiliations of the clinic
• Smile makeover before and after photographs to monitor treatment outcomes
• Ex-patient testimonials to gauze the quality of care

Thinking about the best smile makeover near me? Worry not. We at Envoy Health believe that everyone deserves to smile freely with confidence. Neither cost nor an uninformed decision should land you with a fake professional. Sign up with our platform and get treated by some of the finest cosmetic dental professionals. Avail of free smile makeover consultation with top dental professionals. Begin your journey for a flawless smile with Envoy Health by your side. Experience the best prices with the warmth of dentistry abroad.   

References

1. Tooth whitening procedures: A narrative review
2. Esthetics with Veneers: A Review
3. Bonding In Dentistry -Latest Advancement
4. Wearing a Crown
5. Gummy Smile Correction with Diode Laser: Two Case Reports
6. Dental Implants