Hollywood smile
Many patients are asking us for a Hollywood smile these days as they wish to improve a smile that may have chipped, misaligned or discoloured teeth. A Hollywood smile as understood by the general public is a perfect smile with white and well aligned porcelain veneered teeth. Increasingly though, patients are asking for whiter and whiter veneers and we are now producing a lot of veneers in the shades BL1 and BL2 on the vita shade guide.
What is the procedure for getting a Hollywood smile?
1. We first assess your teeth to see if your teeth and bite is suitable for porcelain veneers. People who have cross bites or suffer from severe tooth grinding are not the best candidates for porcelain veneers and would be better suited to have invisible braces to straighten their teeth and perhaps teeth whitening to improve the colour of their teeth.
If you do suffer from tooth decay or active gum disease, we will ask you to have these problems treated before starting cosmetic dentistry.
2. Assuming that your teeth are suitable for a Hollywood smile makeover, we would recommend having a trial smile so that you can choose the veneer design that best suits your facial features and for you to see how that design could look before having any treatment. There are different veneers designs such as Hollywood style, natural style, oval style, youthful style,… . You will need to pick the smile design that you prefer so that our lab technicians can provide you with a trial smile.
3. Once the veneer design is finalized, we will then carry out teeth whitening on your teeth to generally improve the shade of your teeth and ensure that your teeth are as white as they could be before we begin the smile makeover treatment.
4. We then prepare your teeth for porcelain veneers and ensure that we only remove minimal tooth tissue by using preparation guides provided by the lab during the trial smile procedure. Your teeth will be numbed to ensure completely painless tooth preparation. You will be provided with temporary veneers similar in design to your trial smile, so that you can see exactly how your chosen smile design looks in your mouth.
5. A few days after the preparation appointment we will ask you to go to the lab so that you can discuss your temporary veneers with the lab technician. At that point you will have had time to reflect on your smile design and you could still let the lab technician know if you wish to make any changes to your veneer design or colour.
6. The porcelain veneers are then constructed by the lab over the next 7 days and you will then come back to the clinic for a trial fitting of your porcelain veneers. Once you see your new Hollywood smile, if you are happy with it we will proceed to cement your new veneers to your teeth with permanent cement. If there are changes you wish to make, we will send the veneers back to the lab and ask you to go back to the lab and for any changes needed to be made there.
7. Once the veneers are fitted, we usually ask you to come back after 7-10 days for us to assess your bite and new smile and ensure that all veneers are adequately bonded and functioning properly.
How many teeth are involved in a Hollywood smile makeover?
This is up to you and depends on how many teeth you show when you smile and your budget. Most people go for having 6 or 8 upper front teeth veneers although a few people also opt for four upper front teeth. For perfect colour matching and tooth shape uniformity, some people opt to have 8 upper and 8 lower front teeth veneers.
Does a Hollywood smile need any maintenance?
Yes, you will need to floss daily and brush twice a day and see a hygienist at least every 6 months. You will also need to see a dentist at least once a year to ensure that your teeth are kept in good condition. Once porcelain veneers are fitted, you should modify your diet and avoid eating foods or engaging in habits that could break the veneers. Veneers are not as strong as tooth tissue, so you will need to look after them to prevent veneer fracture or debonding. You may be asked by your cosmetic dentist to wear a soft nightguard at night to protect your veneers from fracture.
Are there any risks with having a Hollywood smile?
Yes, veneers can debond, fracture or stain. If your teeth have been prepared, then your teeth could become sensitive and the risk of this is higher in cases where there has been heavier tooth tissue removal. We usually let you know at the trial smile or consultation stage, if we feel that heavier tooth tissue removal is likely to become necessary. If heavy tooth tissue removal is necessary, this is usually due to misaligned teeth and you would have the option to reduce the tooth preparation necessary before having veneers by straightening your teeth with braces.
Once teeth are prepared for dental veneers, they will always need veneers, so you should take into account the future costs of veneer replacement when you are thinking about having a Hollywood smile. If you opt to have a very white veneer shade such as BL1 or BL2, your opposing natural teeth are unlikely to match your veneers and this could create a colour mismatch between your upper and lower teeth.
Are there any alternatives to a Hollywood smile makeover?
If your teeth are misaligned, you could opt to have invisible braces such as Invisalign to straighten your teeth and improve your smile. If your teeth are chipped, spaced or worn, you could have composite bonding to improve the shape of your teeth. Composite bonding does not usually involve any tooth tissue removal.
If your teeth are discoloured, you could have teeth whitening either at home or in the clinic, to improve the shade of your teeth. If your teeth are misshaped, you could have tooth contouring to improve the shape of your teeth.
If your teeth are small or have gaps between them, you may be a suitable candidate for no tooth preparation Lumineers. Lumineers can be done without tooth preparation in some cases but they are not suitable for all smile makeover cases.
How long does a Hollywood smile makeover last?
Porcelain veneers have an average lifespan of 10 years, although if good care is not taken of them, this will be reduced and with good maintenance and care this lifespan may be increased.
