Your smile can either be a source of confidence and pride, or a longheld insecurity. At Tam Dental Group, our talented team of dentists understand that there are many life circumstances that can prevent patients from giving their teeth the care and attention they deserve. Whether you have suffered from years of damage or you would simply like to feel more confident in your smile, a Smile Makeover can be a comprehensive solution to enhance the function, health, and beauty of your teeth — all in one custom treatment plan!
Dr Clarence Tam, our lead cosmetic dentist, would be happy to listen to your concerns and formulate the most optimal blueprint to achieve your goals. A Smile Makeover is carefully personalized for each person, so no two treatment plans are ever the same.
- What is a Smile Makeover?
- Smile Makeover Benefits
- Smile Makeover Candidates
- Smile Makeover Options
- Smile Makeover Recovery
- Smile Makeover Results
- Smile Makeover Cost
What is a Smile Makeover?
A Smile Makeover is a series of treatments designed to enhance the health and function of your teeth and smile. The overall goal of a Smile Makeover is to uplift your confidence and quality of life through some combination of porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, dental crowns, and other conservative treatments. With advanced Digital Smile Design (DSD) technology, our dentists can use sophisticated dental software to create a mock-up of what your new smile could look like, giving you a virtual “preview” of the potential results. We also utilize the Primescan® intraoral scanner to create highly accurate impressions of your teeth and gums for the fabrication of restorations or orthodontic aligners. Your comfort is our top priority, and our dental team also offers sedation dentistry to help individuals who have a fear of the dentist undergo their treatments without anxiety.
What are the Benefits of a Smile Makeover?
A Smile Makeover can be a simple, convenient, and effective way to gain a brighter, healthier, and more functional smile. Each patient achieves different benefits from this all-encompassing treatment plan, but in general, a Smile Makeover can:
- Improve the shape, color, symmetry, and health of your teeth
- Replace and restore missing or severely damaged teeth
- Enhance the gum-to-teeth ratio, reducing a “gummy smile”
- Create more harmony and symmetry in the dentition
Depending on which procedures are incorporated into your treatment plan, your Smile Makeover may be completed in one visit or over several appointments. In general, more extensive or complex dental concerns — such as missing teeth or widespread decay — will be corrected over the course of multiple stages.
Is a Smile Makeover Right for Me?
As a dental plan consisting of multiple treatments, a Smile Makeover is most successful for patients who have several issues with their teeth and/or smile. These concerns may include cosmetic flaws — like gaps and discolored teeth — or consist of more functional problems, such as missing teeth and a poor bite. In general, patients who benefit from a Smile Makeover:
- Have a clean, healthy mouth with no signs of disease
- Are wanting to make a lifelong investment into their smile
- Are interested in more than one dental treatment
- Do not show indications of pain or gum inflammation
If your primary goal is to regain function by addressing missing teeth, pain, or sensitivity, full mouth reconstruction may be a more effective approach to alleviate your concerns. Full mouth reconstruction is similar to a Smile Makeover, only the treatments chosen are designed to improve oral health and function rather than aesthetic imperfections. Our skilled dentists will advise you on the best treatments to achieve your goals during a consultation.
What are My Smile Makeover Options?
Porcelain Veneers
In many cases, an immaculate tooth structure and a uniform smile can be achieved with porcelain veneers — a minimally invasive solution designed to mask common dental flaws, such as chips, gaps, minor misalignments, and discoloration. These restorations involve a thin porcelain shell bonded to the fronts of teeth to hide cosmetic imperfections.
Composite Veneers
Composite veneers offer many of the same benefits as porcelain veneers, only a tooth-colored composite material is used to create the restoration instead of porcelain. This option still provides stunning results while requiring less drilling, offering a more biologically conservative treatment when compared to other veneers. Plus, composite veneers are easily repairable should they become damaged, and are relatively more affordable than dental porcelain.
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening can be an extremely simple treatment to transform your entire smile. We offer both in-office and at-home custom whitening kits that can brighten your smile by several shades! Depending on which option you choose, you can enjoy a whiter, more radiant smile in as little as one hour or two weeks, respectively.
Clear, Removable Aligners
If you are in need of orthodontics to straighten your smile and/or jaw alignment, Invisalign® and SureSmile® Orthodontics can provide a more comfortable and convenient system than metal braces. Made of clear braces, these treatment options offer an inconspicuous way to straighten your teeth while still allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods.
Black Triangle Closure
When you look in the mirror, do you see black, triangular gaps between the base of your teeth? These “black triangles” can form due to gum recession, bone loss, brushing your teeth too hard, or other factors, often making the teeth appear aged. Dr Tam and our team can help you close these gingival embrasures to achieve a more uniform, harmonious smile.
Tooth-Colored Fillings, Crowns, and Other Restorations
If you have a weak, painful, or cracked tooth, dental crowns or overlays can be an optimal treatment to repair moderate to advanced structural compromise. Bonded to the top of a tooth like a durable “cap,” porcelain crowns and overlays provide the protection necessary to reduce the risk of an extraction. Our team can also replace old metal fillings with more aesthetic and holistic tooth-colored fillings, which blend in with your teeth to allow a natural look. Non-bio GMA composite restorations are also available on request.
Dental Implants and Bridges
Missing teeth can not only cause insecurity when smiling, but absent spaces can also have a number of debilitating effects on your oral health that range from jawbone loss to changes in your facial shape. Dental implants and bridges are both highly effective restorations to replace lost teeth and restore your smile, as well as your biting function. Implants can even create a more secure fit for your dentures if you require rehabilitation of an entire dental arch.
Laser Gum Recontouring
If you have a dominating or disproportionate gumline, laser dentistry can help recontour the gums without the need for scalpels, incisions, or invasive procedures. This can allow individuals who have a “gummy smile” to achieve more harmony in their dentition with greater “tooth show.”
Is There Recovery After a Smile Makeover?
It all depends on the treatments included in your Smile Makeover. There are many cosmetic services that do not require any downtime after your appointment, including teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, laser gum recontouring, and tooth-colored fillings. While recovery time is often unnecessary with these treatments, some degree of sensitivity or tenderness after your visit is common. Most patients can manage discomfort with over-the-counter pain medications.
With more invasive treatments like dental crowns and implants, a recovery period may be required to allow the teeth and gums to heal following your procedure. This may warrant certain aftercare instructions, such as activity restrictions and a temporary liquid or soft-food diet. Dr Tam and our team will provide you with detailed information on what to expect after your Smile Makeover so you can prepare yourself for a potential recovery period. Keep in mind that depending on the details of your treatment plan, your Smile Makeover may be completed over multiple appointments.
How Long Do Smile Makeover Results Last?
The results of a Smile Makeover are designed to last a lifetime. While nothing can stop the natural aging process from affecting your teeth, you can help keep your smile in excellent condition with preventative measures, such as:
- Keeping up with your semi-annual dental appointments and cleanings
- Practicing excellent oral hygiene at home, including brushing, flossing, and rinsing your teeth
- Using a night guard if you’re prone to teeth clenching or grinding
- Continuing to wear your retainer if you’ve undergone orthodontic treatment
- Wearing a mouthguard when playing contact sports and doing other activities that may cause a sudden blow to the face
If you believe your teeth are starting to look dull or aged, our team can help you revive your smile with touch-up treatments that provide long-lasting results.
How Much Does a Smile Makeover Cost?
Since a Smile Makeover is such a personalized treatment, the cost will similarly be unique to each person’s needs and goals. In general, the typical costs of individual treatments can be found on our standard dental pricing menu. Factors that can affect the price of a Smile Makeover include:
- The treatments included in your Smile Makeover
- The extent of dental work required to achieve your goals
- The cost of any pre-prosthetic orthodontic aligners or restorations created during treatment
- Whether sedation dentistry was utilized during the process
We strongly believe that no patient should forgo necessary dental work due to the costs of treatment, which is why we accept dental financing plans to help make your cost estimate more affordable. Please call our office if you have any questions about our flexible payment and financing options.
If you’re embarrassed by your smile or if you haven’t been to the dentist in years, there’s still hope. Our compassionate dental team is looking forward to listening to your goals and creating the most gentle treatment plan to make your dream smile a reality. Don’t hesitate to contact Tam Dental Group to schedule a consultation or to speak with a friendly member of our Auckland offices.