A ‘Hollywood’ Smile Makeover is a cosmetic procedure that aims at achieving a beautiful, perfectly shaped, righty colored and sized teeth for an individual. The procedure is performed using thing Veneers which are placed on top the individual’s existing teeth.
Almost 100 years ago, in 1928 Dr. Charles Pincus invented veneers to change the appearance of an actor’s teeth temporarily. Which later on became the preferred procedure for celebrities to correct their smiles and always be ahead in the game. Hence the name Hollywood smile makeover.
Today, the Hollywood smile makeover is a very common procedure, especially in Dubai. You will hardly find a known personality or an individual with the means, who cares about his or her appearance and was not born with a perfect smile, who has not had a smile makeover.
Let’s talk about What are veneers?
Veneers are thin, yet very strong layers material which are placed over a tooth. Veneers not only improve the aesthetics of the smile; but also protect the tooth’s surface from damage.
There are two main type of materials used to make a veneer – porcelain and composite. Porcelain is stronger than composite, as it is made in labs. Composite is also strong, but not as strong as porcelain, though offers the advantage – that they can handcrafted directly in the mouth of the individual. Which gives more control to the dental doctor and individual on how the outcome is. The shape, color, size can be enhanced to achieve perfection immediately on-site. Whereas in porcelain veneer, the teeth impressions are taken and send to a lap to fabricate the veneers and it’s very difficult to make changes once the veneers are fabricated. Though we make temporary veneers first in case we are doing porcelain veneers, to ensure the new smile suite the individual and is happy with it. And we can make the changes needed, before the final veneers are fabricated in the lab. This does add more time to deliver the new smile and can take 3-4 weeks to finish the full makeover. Whereas in composite based makeover, I can do it in a single sitting.
What to expect when going for veneers or smile makeover?
First things first. The Dentist will evaluate the individual’s oral heath first to see are you a right candidate for the procedure. At my practice here at Cocoona Centre for Aesthetic Transformation Dubai, I see about 5-6 news patients every week looking for a smile makeover. Not everyone is an ideal candidate to start immediately. Some needs simple correction before we are able to proceed, some need lengthy orthodontist treatments like braces before we proceed with the smile makeover. Examination and correcting the necessary is the most important not only to achieve a perfect smile, but also to ensure the life of the veneers.
During this stage we take X-rays and impressions of the teeth as well, to analyze everything thoroughly.
Once both me and patient are satisfied with the outcome of the examination it will be time to choose the new smile. I then counsel the patient on the kind of smile that will look nice on him or her. First, we decide the shape and number of the teeth, I show them pictures, actual samples of veneers and advice on what can be achieved. During this stage is when we decide on the number of veneers needed. Some patients with minor imprecations only need one or two, some need only the top 5 ,but most of the patient need 10 top and 10 bottom teeth which are visible in smile.. The number entirely depends on how many teeth are visible when the individual smiles.
An import thing I insist on while advising my patients on the shape is: Perfection is not in having perfectly even teeth. It having a smile that make the other person admire it beyond his or her control. I like natural shapes and contours as oppose to the common box shaped teeth, that run through an individual’s mouth. Such smile may stand out from a mile, but will tell everyone that you have had a smile makeover. The beauty and art of a smile makeover is in delivering a smile that people lovely madly and cannot tell if was from birth or made in a clinic.
Now we move on to the next step, which is deciding the color. This is easy, most people want white, but the right shade of white that complement the complexion of the individual is also very important. So we ensure we have the right shade. I always want the veneers to look as natural as real teeth , so for that I always prefer the veneers with translucency and this can be done with porcelain veneers.
Now we finalize the material: porcelain or composite. I take the patient through the advantages and disadvantages of both kinds, the steps and time involved for treatments and the associated costs. I also recommend what will work best for the individual based on her/his oral health, kind of corrections needed and results wanted. More information can be found at here
How to differentiate, with a smile makeover.
The answer to this is simple, keep it as natural as possible. We don’t want our patients to look like billboard for a smile makeover, we want you and your teeth to look healthy, beautiful and perfect.
After care process for Veneers:
It’s very important to take care of one’s oral hygiene. I recommend all my patients:
- to maintain good oral hygiene by brushing at least twice a day and preferably after every meal.
- Floss at least once a day.
These two steps are critical to minimize the risk of gingival (Gum) diseases and teeth decay.
- Regular dental examination with Dentist. It is recommended to do checkups each six months for scaling or cleaning and polishing of your veneers. This as well will let your dentist to detect any sign of dental cavities or issues.
- I also advise on using a night guard, if the individual has teeth grinding habit. A night guard will protect your Veneers and give you a sounder sleep.
About me.
I am Dr. Homeira Ahmadi , graduated from Ajman University and have five years’ experience in UAE. At my dental practice here at Cocoona in Dubai I do the following treatments and procedures.
- Veneers
- Root canal therapy
- Crown and Bridges
- Scaling and polishing
- Teeth whitening
- Pediatric (children) dental treatments
- Extraction
- Preventive Dental treatments
You can read more about me at here