The short version
- A makeover is a plan, not a procedure.
- Most cases combine two treatments. Few use all of them.
- Treating the worst tooth, then the next, produces a set that does not match.
- The design is settled before any treatment begins.
- Health comes first, and orthodontics comes before cosmetics.
- Usually combines
- Two treatments
- Designed
- Before treatment
- Health work
- First
- Preview
- Imaging and temporaries
A smile makeover is not a procedure. It is a plan that combines whichever treatments a case needs, worked out as one result rather than a tooth at a time.
That distinction is the whole value. Treating the worst tooth, then the next, then the next, produces a set of teeth that were each improved and do not look like they belong together.
What can go into one
Veneers do most of the work in most makeovers. Thin shells bonded to the front of the teeth, correcting cracks, gaps, chips and misshapen teeth, and setting the color at the same time. See what dental veneers are.
Whitening, where teeth being kept need to match the ones being treated, or where color is the only issue on part of the smile. See in-office teeth whitening.
Crowns, where a tooth is structurally damaged rather than cosmetically flawed. A veneer covers a front surface; a crown carries the load. See dental crowns.
Gum contouring, where the gum line is uneven enough that evening the teeth alone will not fix how the smile reads. See gum contouring.
Replacing old restorations, which is frequently the least dramatic element and the one that makes the biggest difference.
Most cases use two of these. Few use all of them, and the word “makeover” describes the planning rather than the scale.
What gets decided before anything is done
The design comes first, and it is decided by looking at the face rather than at the teeth in isolation: how much of the front teeth shows, whether the midline is true, how the gum line runs, what shade suits. The six measurements are in how a smile is designed.
What you want comes first within that. The method for establishing it, before any technical planning begins, is in co-designing a smile with the patient.
Health, then position, then color
- Health. Decay and gum disease are treated first. Cosmetic work over an untreated problem conceals a problem that carries on underneath.
- Position. Orthodontics, where teeth genuinely need moving. Veneering first and moving later means doing the veneers twice.
- Color. Whiten natural teeth before porcelain is matched to them, because porcelain holds the shade it is made in.
- Surface. Veneers, crowns and contouring, planned together.
Getting that order wrong is the commonest way a makeover costs more than it should.
What it does not include
A makeover does not move teeth. Where teeth are genuinely crowded or the bite is affected, that is orthodontics, and it happens before cosmetic work rather than instead of it.
It also does not replace missing teeth. Dr. Back treats the teeth you have; a case needing implants is referred to a specialist.
Seeing it first
You see the plan twice before it is permanent. Cosmetic imaging at the consultation projects the likely result. Temporary veneers let you wear the proposed shape home and live with it in your own mirror.
Anything you want changed is changed before the ceramist starts. That stage is the reason most patients are happy with the final set.
Finding out what yours would involve
Every case is different, which is not a hedge: which teeth are treated, and with what, is exactly what the consultation establishes.
Sarasota Smile Design is on Clark Road in Sarasota, an easy drive from Nokomis, Osprey and Venice, open Monday to Thursday.
Call 941-927-5411, or see smile makeovers and our work.
