Your tooth makeover will not be as simple as an at-home teeth whitening kit. Your treatment plan will be completely personalized for your smile needs. Your teeth may be shiny and white but have a poor appearance due to shape, so maybe you will require veneers but not teeth whitening. Popular types of corrections include:

Composite bonding for changing the shape and color during your teeth makeover.
Tooth implants to replace damaged and missing teeth.
Teeth whitening to help lighten the shade of your teeth.
Veneers (Emax Veneers, Zirconium Porcelain Veneers)
Another very common procedure for correcting smile imperfects is veneers. Veneers can be used to fix a wide range of aesthetic problems.

Dental veneers have no other purpose than cosmetic treatment, and a smile makeover is mostly about the appearance of the smile. Veneers are a plastic or porcelain coating bonded to the surface of a cosmetically imperfect tooth. These veneers are not often used to do anything for the health of the teeth (except to repair damage from bruxism), but they are exceptional in changing the appearance.

Teeth that have been damaged by eating disorders, smoking, and breakage can be fixed by applying veneers. Your cosmetic dentist may be able to use them to fill in teeth gaps or fix chipped and broken teeth all while improving the coloring of your smile. However, if your dentist decides that veneers are right for you then be prepared to foot the bill—dental insurance often doesn’t cover veneers, and low-cost temporary veneers can cause more damage long-term. We will discuss this later on in the section about costs.

Maintaining excellent gum health is essential when you have veneers because the gums are pushed back during the procedure. Making sure they stay clean is important for preventing decay and infection.

Teeth whitening can often be a cheaper solution to dental discoloration.
Over time, teeth can become stained and dulled, and teeth whitening can improve the color of your teeth without the need to fully replace them with porcelain or composite veneers, composite bonding, or dental crowns. Silver or amalgam fillings can be completely replaced with composite fillings to remove the dark spots and smooth out the appearance of the teeth affected.

Bear in mind that your tooth color will convey different aesthetics. A darker tooth color will lend to an older, worn-out appearance while a whiter and brighter tooth color results in your new smile looking more youthful. Be careful to not go too white, as this can lead to your smile looking fake. A cosmetic dentist is trained to find the perfect balance for your face and teeth to yield optimal results.

There is no denying that a front tooth gap can be cute and playful, but maybe not so much when all the surrounding teeth are crooked and gappy as well. Your new smile will include the orthodontic process of realigning teeth using either traditional adult braces or invisible options, which you can read more about here.

Missing teeth can cause problems with alignment.
Missing teeth isn’t the ideal appearance that first comes to mind when you think about the results of a cosmetic makeover. Your dentist may recommend dental crowns or veneers if the health of your original tooth is intact.

Your cosmetic dentist will likely recommend dental implants, bridges, or partial false teeth if the tooth is missing or beyond saving. Crowns are the preferred step before implants if the tooth can still be saved. These more invasive treatment options for unhealthy or missing teeth (like implants) often require surgery.

An uneven or chipped tooth can be bonded by your cosmetic dentist to improve the appearance. Even a gummy smile can be re-contoured to achieve optimal results. A cosmetic smile makeover would be incomplete without the proper dental treatment for broken teeth.

As we age, our faces can lose their youthfulness. Aged or unsightly faces can be improved through oral maxillofacial surgery and orthodontics. The shape of your face can be impacted a lot by dental conditions. Malocclusion is an example of a dental problem that has cosmetic symptoms visible outside of the mouth.

When you meet with your cosmetic dentists to talk about your new smile, they will come up with a treatment plan to address each individual problem you face with your teeth and fix your smile up to look like that of a proper Hollywood movie star. Each person and every smile is unique. A plan for one person could take as little as one appointment, while another person may be looking at six months of orthodontic surgeries and procedures to get the results they want.

The first part of the treatment schedule is the initial consultation. During this appointment, your cosmetic dentist will perform a full assessment to determine the health of your teeth and to plan what sort of dentistry will be required to achieve the best smile. If any health concerns arise during this time they will need to be addressed before any cosmetic treatment can begin. During this time you will also get your dentist on the same page as you about your goals and expected results. Impressions of your teeth will be made and your dentist will then create a preview.

A preview is basically an expected “after” photo that is generated using a variety of technologies at the disposal of your dentist. Some of the technologies used in a dental preview are:

Dental imaging software
Dental composite bonding mockup
Dental study models
Before and after photos of other patients
Modern dental technology has come a long way in showing the expected outcome of various aesthetic dental procedures. It is very likely that your teeth will look similar to the mockup image after all is said and done.

Now for the part that really matters: how much will a new smile cost you? Pricing can vary quite a bit depending on what needs to be done to change your teeth. A simple whitening will cost much less than a complete set of implants so you’ll need to consult with your dentist about a plan before you can get an estimate of what it will cost for you.

Dentistry procedures
Dental implants can replace entire rows of teeth
Next, your dentist will schedule to come in for all the procedures you need to be done to achieve the optimal smile. There is no such thing as a standard treatment or cost for a plan. Each individual will need to speak with their dentist about what their teeth need and what sort of dentistry will be required to achieve their perfect smile.

The timing for each dental event will depend on what needs to be done. It is possible to have dental implants done in a day, like All-on-4, but not everyone is a viable candidate for this type of dental treatment. If you do not require implants or another invasive surgery then it is more likely you will walk out of your dentist’s office in a day with a perfect smile built by veneers.

Aftercare
After you complete all of your dentistry and have achieved the perfect smile, you will need to maintain the new teeth. Your cosmetic dentist is the ultimate authority for all things dental after your treatment and should be regarded as such. It is highly likely that your previous dental habits are what led to the need for a transformation to begin with so knowing how to change those habits is key.

Dental products
Many people brush their teeth with highly abrasive toothpaste and brushes. These can scratch the surface of veneers and other restorative dental work and decrease their lifespan. Flossing was important before your new smile and it’s essential now as well. Flossing will keep food debris and plaque off your teeth and help prevent damage. Flossing is especially important for people with veneers because of the need to maintain great gum health. Mouthwash is another important product to consider, as alcohol in most brands is shown to have a negative impact on composite fillings.

Food and drink
An important thing to remember after you finish your dental work is that the new teeth in your mouth are not made of the same material as your natural teeth. Composite veneers are susceptible to staining so it is important to avoid foods such as coffee, tea, wine, or anything with a strong color—porcelain veneers are stain-resistant. It is also important to limit your consumption of sugar, your snacking between meals, and your alcohol intake.