What is a smile makeover?
Basically, it's simple. If you don't love your smile, then we can change it. Sometimes that could involve multiple areas of dentistry. We could move your teeth around, change the shape, or change the color. That could mean orthodontics, like braces or Invisalign, veneers, replacing teeth with implants or bridges, or maybe just whitening the teeth. It can be something that's quick and easy, or it could be something that completely changes your entire smile.
Are smile makeovers considered cosmetic or restorative?
Well, they're restorative, I would say, if they're restoring function. If someone's having problems with teeth that are in their smile and they're having a hard time chewing, eating, or biting into things, then it's a little more restorative in nature. But if function is good to go, then I would say we're doing a smile makeover mostly for cosmetic reasons.
What are the goals of a smile makeover?
Well, we want you to love your smile. Not like it, not just think it's better. We want you to love it. That means a lot of things to a lot of people. Sometimes people want the Hollywood-white smile, and sometimes people just want something that looks healthy and age-appropriate. Whatever the patient's goal is, that's our goal.
In the end, a lot of times with smile makeovers, we're dealing with self-esteem or confidence issues. We want to be able to help establish or rebuild that self-esteem and confidence for you.
Who is a good candidate for a smile makeover?
Honestly, anyone who finds themselves hiding their smile or not smiling with their lips apart because they're trying to hide their teeth could be a candidate. We want to be able to rebuild self-esteem and confidence for those patients.
Anyone who has a lot of attention on their teeth and it's causing them to act differently, not participate in social events, maybe not go for job interviews, or feel awkward during an interview because they're worried about laughing or smiling, we want them to have the confidence to be able to live life to the fullest.
What procedures are involved in a smile makeover?
Well, it depends on how you come to us. If we need to replace teeth, we might be thinking about implants or maybe bridges. If function and strength are a concern, then we might be thinking about bridges or crowns. If we're concerned about the color and shade of the teeth, we might be thinking about whitening, veneers, or crowns. And if we want to change the shape, we might be thinking about crowns or veneers.
We've got a lot of different options from a restorative standpoint and from an orthodontic standpoint. If the teeth are in great shape and they're just misaligned, then we might be thinking about braces or clear aligners like Invisalign.
Oftentimes, we're putting together the best combination that fits a person. It's not always just one discipline because what we're trying to do is meet your needs. Not only do you want to look good and feel good, but most of the time, people want it done as quickly as possible.
What are the benefits of a smile makeover?
Wow. Watch our patient testimonials. They'll tell you about the benefits. Everybody has their own story. People may have struggled with this for a long time and been considering a smile makeover for a while. Most of the time, you don't just wake up with a tooth problem or a self-conscious smile issue. These are things you've been self-conscious about for a long time.
Once we get you over that hurdle and give you something you love, patients come back in and tell us their cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It can change your world. You could do something as simple as go buy groceries or go to Lowe's, and you're grinning ear to ear when you walk up to the cashier. It's infectious. Patients get told that they look a lot happier or seem a lot happier afterward. Happy people get noticed, and people want to be around happy people.
Those are some of the results our patients tell us about. If that's also building their confidence and self-esteem, we may see patients going for job interviews, asking for promotions, and working their way up the corporate ladder, so to speak. We see lifestyle changes, too. We'll see these patients back for follow-up, and they come in dressing a little differently, maybe with a new wardrobe. Maybe their makeup is a little different, or they're starting to focus on other areas of themselves. They're just loving it and running with it. The one thing they often have in common is, "I wish I would have done it sooner."
Will I need anesthesia during a smile makeover?
Yes, normally. There are some procedures that wouldn't need any anesthetic, but if we're going to be doing certain types of cosmetic or restorative work, then we would want to numb your teeth so that you're comfortable. But do we need to put you completely to sleep? No, not necessarily. Depending on the procedure, local anesthetic may be all that's needed.
The challenge lies in all of the planning and preparation on our end because, remember, the results start with the planning. You really want to make sure you're with an office or a dentist who does cosmetic dentistry regularly because you've got to be able to see the end before you even start and make sure you can get the results you're going for.
How long does it take to heal from a smile makeover?
Most things are pretty quick. If you come into our office and we're doing a smile makeover, we're going to try to let you walk out that day with an improvement. It might not be your long-term result, but you'll already be seeing progress. Then, maybe a few weeks later, you get your long-term result.
If it involves implants, you may still be in some form of treatment for about six months while everything is healing. During that time, we make sure you have an appropriate temporary solution. In many cases, patients are really happy with the temporary we make for them because it looks better than what they came in with. It's like a step up, and then another step up when they get their permanent restoration.
Can I resume regular brushing and flossing after a smile makeover?
Yes. Depending on what type of procedure you had and what kind of restoration we gave you, there might be a little bit of a trick to flossing. But as far as brushing goes, you're still going to brush and you're still going to floss. You just might have a slightly different technique. If that applies to you, we'll absolutely go over it with you and let you practice.
If you’re ready to schedule an exam or would like to learn more about our services, we’d love to hear from you. Call us at (423) 592-7676 or email [email protected]. We look forward to caring for your smile.