When the name of the game is personalization, a key part of the beauty and aesthetics industry is way ahead of the curve. Because, let’s face it, the best of the best in cosmetic dentistry have been building bespoke smiles by hand long before AI models and 3-D printing were involved.
The reason?
There’s no better smile for you than your own.
Featured Experts
- Victoria Veytsman, DDS is a board-certified cosmetic dentist in New York
- Salvator La Mastra, DMD is a board-certified cosmetic dentist in Dallas
- Sonya Wintzell, DMD is a board-certified cosmetic dentist in Huntsville, AL
- Bill Dorfman, DDS is a board-certified cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles
It’s All About You
Smile upgrades are all the rage in Hollywood, and it’s no surprise that some of us feel inspired by a celeb smile or two. “I think it’s fine to get inspiration from a celebrity,” says New York cosmetic dentist Victoria Veytsman, DDS. “But, I’m never going to put someone else’s smile on your face. George Clooney’s smile looks so good on him because it was designed for him.”
While you may take pointers from the parts of those smiles you like, a true smile upgrade won’t look natural if it’s not built for you. “Part of the process is trying things out,” explains Dallas cosmetic dentist Salvator La Mastra, DMD. “Mock-ups and temporaries allow you to try different looks. You may want wider teeth that tend to look more masculine, or a more oval shape versus square. This process helps us discover the right smile for you.”
A restored smile also has a job to do. Teeth can’t work their best if they’re not restored with your mouth in mind. “There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all smile transformation, not only from a cosmetic perspective, but also a functional one,” says Huntsville, AL cosmetic dentist Sonya Wintzell, DMD. “With teeth, form follows function. If we place restorations that do not fit the form of the skeletal system, the restorations will fail and may cause damage to healthy tissue.”
Before competing in the Miss Texas pageant, this 21-year-old patient sought Dr. Veytsman for 12 upper minimal-prep veneers and teeth whitening on her lower teeth.
The Right Look for Your Face
“So many little nuances go into creating and designing a smile, from the shape and length of the teeth to the width of the smile and the tooth color,” Dr. Veytsman explains. “Teeth are multi-chromatic—they’re not just one color. Everything has to be considered if a smile is going to look both improved and natural.”
It’s also important for your cosmetic dentist to consider the relationship between your teeth and the rest of your face. “Depending on how you design a smile, it can drastically alter the appearance of the face,” explains Los Angeles cosmetic dentist Bill Dorfman, DDS. “For instance, building the teeth too thick pushes the lips out. Building them too thin makes the face lose lip support. Broadening an arch can dramatically change the whole appearance of your face.”
Designing a Smile
These days, technology plays a more active role in smile design. “Technology has given us the ability to often use computer-generated aids to help establish the optimal aesthetic and functional result for a patient,” Dr. Dorfman says. “In addition to just imaging, we can fabricate models and other devices to help a patient visualize what’s going to happen before it actually does.”
That said, it’s important to note that your final smile and your 3-D mock-up may differ subtly. “I always caution patients that ultimately, the real smile design might slightly differ from the computer image,” says Dr. Wintzell. “I want to set reliable expectations.”
Cranberry Township, PA cosmetic dentist Brian Klaich, DMD addressed this patient’s smile concerns using eight e.Max porcelain veneers and gum recontouring.
Positively Personalized
“We’re always chasing perfection, but that really should not be the goal with smile restoration,” Dr. Veytsman says. “We’re looking for balance—for harmony with your face. That means considering what makes a smile masculine, feminine or powerful, as well as what a patient’s personality has to do with their smile.”
It’s so important to remember that the best-looking smile we can give you is one that is built to complement you perfectly.
Dr. Veytsman
When a smile isn’t customized to the patient, the result can look uncanny. There’s also the functional side of things. “We’re working together with the patient to refine the design before the lab creates the final product,” Dr. La Mastra says. “If we were to just take any unmodified tooth from a lab and put it in someone’s mouth, there could even be consequences in their bite. Not to mention, the lost investment of redoing a set of incorrect veneers.”
Ultimately, the bespoke nature of a smile restoration is the key to a successful transformation. Your smile should look like you, but improved. “These days it feels like everyone is coming in with a photo of who they want to look like,” Dr. Veytsman says. “But, it’s so important to remember that the best-looking smile we can give you is one that is built to complement you perfectly. It’s tailor-made to you.”
