Smile Makeover Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Smile Makeovers
What is a smile makeover?
A smile makeover involves one or more cosmetic dentistry procedures to give you a more attractive smile. Dr. Johnson offers many treatments that can easily be combined to give you a fabulous smile. Consider these options:
- Tooth whitening
- Prepless veneers such as Lumineers®
- Porcelain veneers
- Crowns
- Dental implants
- Laser gum contouring
- Replacing silver fillings with white fillings
- Orthodontics, such as instant orthodontics, or invisible or conventional braces
- Full mouth rehabilitation/reconstruction
What treatable characteristics make up a person’s smile?
There are many characteristics that make up the “best smile” for each person, and yours will be unique to you, your facial features and even your skin tone. Some of these characteristics include:
- Tooth coloring, shade consistency
- Fillings, visibility, discoloration
- Crowns, color, gum line exposure of metal
- Gums, shape, color, health
- Size, proportion of teeth
- Shape or length of teeth, including chips, broken teeth
- Teeth angle, spacing, alignment
- Smile line
- Missing teeth
- Lip, cheek fullness
What is a smile line?
If you drew a line along the lower edge of your upper teeth from one side of your mouth to the other this would be your smile line. Ideally, it should be a fairly smooth line that parallels your lower lip. A smile makeover could include reshaping your teeth to improve this aesthetic balance.
How do prepless veneers, Lumineers® and porcelain veneers differ?
Each type of veneer has advantages over the others. Dr. Johnson will discuss the criteria for choosing one over the other during your personal evaluation of all of your smile characteristics.
Prepless veneers require little or no tooth reshaping or preparation. Because the porcelain they are made from is stronger it allows these veneers to be much thinner than porcelain veneers. Since your teeth are left intact, these veneers are considered removable, and the process considered reversible. Lumineers® are one of many brands of prepless veneers.
Traditional porcelain veneers are thicker than prepless veneers. For Dr. Johnson to make these fit and feel natural, he must reshape your teeth, removing enough enamel that you will always need a veneer to cover and protect the remaining tooth. They are, however, more translucent, have more color options and often look more natural.
For more information, or for your personal smile-makeover consultation in the Salt Lake City or Park City area of Utah with one of the top cosmetic dentists in the country, please contact Dr. Kent Johnson at Advanced Dentistry.
