A smile makeover is the process of improving the appearance of your smile through one or more cosmetic procedures: porcelain veneers, composite bonding, tooth implants, bridges, and teeth whitening.
So, what’s the difference between a smile makeover and a full mouth reconstruction? You choose to have a smile makeover for aesthetic reasons. You need to have full mouth reconstruction. A smile makeover addresses the cosmetic issues with your smile, but the underlying teeth and gums need to be in good health.
Things that we consider for a smile makeover
At Pound Ridge we take many things into consideration when planning a smile makeover — your facial appearance, skin tone, hair color, teeth (of course!), gum tissue, and lips. We then customize your makeover to what you need. Here are the areas we address.
- Tooth color — Your teeth may be badly stained or very dull. You may want to mask silver or amalgam fillings. Your tooth whiteness should balance the tones of your face.
- Alignment and spacing — Your teeth may be crooked, overlapping, or have gaps.
- Balance — Uneven, chipped, or cracked teeth can be bonded to provide balance. A gummy smile can be re-contoured.
- Fuller Cheeks, Lips, and Smile — An aging face can be rejuvenated with orthodontics or maxillofacial surgery.
- Tooth length — Long teeth connote youth, and aging wears down the teeth. A gummy smile makes your teeth appear shorter, as well.
- Smile line — Your smile line is an imaginary line that follows the edges of your upper teeth from side to side. This line should mirror the curve of your lower lip when you smile.
- Tooth proportions — Your teeth should be proportional with each other. Most pleasing smiles present the two central front teeth as dominant and have a width-to length ratio of 4 to 5.
These are the areas we consider when planning your smile makeover at Pound Ridge. If you’re unhappy with your smile, let’s do something about it! Call us at (914) 764-3540 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Smith or Dr. Feng for a smile makeover.
