1. Introduction
Before you ever step foot into a dental or cosmetic dentist’s surgery, there are key questions you should ask and research that you must carry out in order to ensure an ideal smile makeover appointment. What is most important to you? Which facets of your smile, even if very small, do you least appreciate or where could improvements be made that offer the greatest satisfaction? What do you find most appealing when looking at other people’s smiles?
A beautiful, confident smile can work wonders for any individual, regardless of their age. If you are exploring the world of cosmetic dentistry but feeling somewhat overwhelmed, just know you won’t be the first person to feel this way. In chatting with leading cosmetic dentists who are members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and officials at the AACD, we identified a number of questions and insights that experts say you should consider before making a decision and moving forward with smile makeover dental procedures. During the process, remember that a small amount of research can go a long way in helping you obtain an optimal result.
1.1. Purpose of Smile Makeovers
So, what’s the whole point of a smile makeover anyway? In the specialist world of dentistry, a make-over can fix any combination of smaller and larger oral health challenges. In other words, an easy improvement or an involved transformation can be made to the smile at large! A perfect final result lets people look and feel healthier and their level of oral health has improved. In fact, it can certainly take a special kind of dental work to achieve a perfect mix like that. These goals can be achieved in various quicker or lengthier steps, just coming together in the end to change what the patient sees. What’s also great is that special considerations like proportion, balance, shade, and even the layout around the face of the teeth are taken into account in the final look. The quality that these kinds of smile makeovers achieve is really impressive. That’s why getting answers to these questions can be so enlightening. Okay, then, let’s start considering some increased underlying questions about “smile makeovers near you.
What if you’re brand new to the topic and are just starting to think about some sort of cosmetic dentistry? Then, picking up the telephone right away and calling the dentist nearby could feel daunting. That’s when a simple Google search helps, just looking for ‘smile makeovers near you. That’s how I help when I’m trying to gather information on my own. I start with an easy enough keyword search then look for information that can add perspective enough to get the conversation practical and ongoing from there.
If you’re curious about cosmetic dentistry and smile makeovers, you probably have many questions. This article will help you prepare for an upcoming patient consultation. It’s a perfect read if you’re considering calling around for the best smile makeovers near you, by searching Google for ‘smile makeovers near you. Grouped together in just one place, the top patient questions about smile makeovers are easily found in this one-stop online resource.
2. Choosing the Right Provider
The other thing to consider when choosing the right provider is your goal. Personal smile goals differ, and when selecting a provider, you need to be sure that the provider is capable and customizable in your goal preference. It would help to have someone who can feed on your thoughts about the type of smile you want and give suggestions about how to attain that while conforming to the different looking composites or veneers that you have allocated in your budget. Several consultations can help dentists identify areas that they need to work on to make suggestions for improvement. If that doesn’t happen, you may find a picture of a public domain that shows what you want to show the dentists.
One of the most critical things when getting a smile makeover is choosing the right provider. Although the dentist can significantly improve the appearance of your smile, different dentists focus on different things, such as learning procedures for putting in veneers, dentures, or attending training in dental schools with a reputation for cosmetic dentistry. The advantage of getting a smile makeover from the right provider is that you will experience long-term growth and improved oral health. Aspects to consider when choosing the right provider are whether the provider pays to present this area of dentistry with the right brush and contouring licenses, or offers before and after examples and references.
2.1. Qualifications and Experience
An experienced, professional cosmetic dentist can provide many services including porcelain veneered overlays, teeth whitening, crown lengthening surgery, tooth-colored fillings, orthodontics, and more in creating that winning look. Be sure he/she can perform all the services you might need.
Are you specialized in aesthetic, restorative, implant, and/or orthodontic training?
Accumulated, successful experience is priceless. Find a cosmetic dentist who has been involved in scores of smile makeovers and who can show you the results.
How many smile makeover patients have been guided to their new smile?
Look for an advanced degree in cosmetic dentistry. Some of these advanced qualifications include accreditation from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) and the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies.
What are your training qualifications?
You should make sure you feel comfortable with both the professional skills and artistic style of any smile expert you choose.
3. Understanding the Process
Depending on what you ask for. It’s often said that good restorative work is invisible, so it would not show that you have worked on your teeth. If it’s a more comprehensive smile makeover, it’s possible to place restorations. This also provides a healthful benefit because rather than just removing a defect or a spot, you will gain a stronger bite and more secure tooth structure.
This is something your cosmetic dentist should cover with you specifically, but generally, most professionals recommend whitening your teeth first. The new restoration is matched to the color of your teeth after bleaching. Then, if you want them whiter, you can return for more whitening.
To some extent, yes. The color of new dental work is matched to any remaining natural teeth. If you’re getting a full set of porcelain veneers, they can be made in any shade or color you like.
A quality cosmetic dentist will find out what you want and what you don’t like about your smile. You take part in the “smile design process.”
3.1. Assessment and Planning
Another area to consider might be 3D printed prototype temporaries, allowing you to really “try your smile on” before committing to your final veneers. If the practice offers realistic temporary restorations, this will be communicated to you before starting treatment. Then ask to see some photos and examples of previous work.
A full smile makeover with porcelain veneers involves a lot more than just putting the veneers onto your teeth. The dentist should review your photographs, treatment proposal (set-up) within the mouth, and digital 3D model before it’s even done. These are critical steps to determine that the smile makeover is going to look good before you start. It should also involve performing prototype design models in your mouth so that you can see what it will look like already in your mouth. Not only is this a key step from a clinical perspective to ensure the final result, but it can also help you to feel comfortable that the result is what you were hoping for before starting treatment.
The assessment process is one of the most critical steps in cosmetic dentistry. You should feel confident that your dentist is choosing the right treatment for your needs and that any underlying or potential problems will be addressed before commencing treatment. Based on your individual preferences, they may also offer different treatment solutions.
4. Types of Smile Makeovers
The most common type of smile makeover is a porcelain veneer or a composite veneer service that can correct cosmetic problems such as discoloration, crooked teeth, irregular teeth, that can also cause pain in the jaw or neck, gapped teeth, chipped or broken teeth, or teeth that are short, or worn down. There are other cosmetic services that can fix these issues and give you the smile you’ve always wanted. With dental technology, we now have options with veneers. We can use traditional veneers, Lumineers, eMax veneers, or composite veneers. Another option would be for crowns or bridges.
There isn’t one type of smile makeover because not all issues are universal. Some individuals have great spacing, but may have discolored teeth. Other individuals have some crooked teeth that need to be corrected or have other cosmetic concerns. Smile makeovers are not just about having straight/white teeth. A beautiful smile is also determined by the health of the gum tissues and the lip lines.
4.1. Cosmetic vs. Restorative Procedures
A smile makeover is not just about improving your smile. It also involves general tooth health. Prior to having any cosmetic dentistry treatment performed, one must have a healthy mouth and all the old metal fillings removed.
Restorative work is performed with the goal of rebuilding teeth that have worn down or chipped, are discolored, cracked, or broken, need bigger fillings, and also resolve pain that one may be feeling. Restoring the teeth back to their original shape and size is critical to avoid tipping of teeth or misaligning of the bite. When one starts to get all restorative work performed, one will be in the right place to get the veneers and crowns to accomplish the cosmetic work. Veneers and crowns are only as strong as the underlying tooth structure helps them to be.
Cosmetic work is driven by the patient’s desire to achieve a specific idea of aesthetic perfection, possibly with no health issues requiring treatment.
Restorative and cosmetic procedures have a lot in common. Both seek to improve the appearance and overall health of the teeth and gums, and they are often performed together.
5. Cost and Financing Options
Moreover, our best dentists will work with you to help you stay within budget and discuss any financing options available. For example, we can provide you with options regarding payment plans and dental cost savings. In many cases, we can work with patients to spread out the cost over a few months or even up to a year to help you successfully transform your smile without the financial stress. Even though it comes with a price, our patients leave the office feeling that the experience was well worth it. Again, if you want to realize your full potential, it is important to select the best cosmetic dentist and pay for quality. The consequences of not doing so can be a very expensive mistake.
The final cost of your smile makeover will depend on the type of treatment or treatments you are getting, the number of teeth being corrected, the materials used, and other factors. For example, a smile makeover that only includes teeth whitening will cost less than a smile makeover that includes a dental crown, porcelain veneers, and dental implants. As part of the initial consultation, we will provide you with different smile makeover options along with a breakdown of the costs and timelines for each respective treatment.
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References:
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