Smile design is a way of planning cosmetic dentistry as a whole, not tooth by tooth. It considers the shape, colour and position of every tooth that shows when you smile, together with your gums, your lips and your face, and then combines treatments such as whitening, veneers, bonding and alignment into one plan for a smile that looks natural, balanced and your own.
When it makes sense
- Several things bother you at once: colour, gaps, uneven edges, a tooth out of line
- You have had work done at different times and nothing quite matches
- Your teeth have worn down or chipped over the years
- You have an event ahead and want to know what is possible in the time
If one thing bothers you, one treatment may be all you need, and we will say so.
How the plan is made
- Listening. What you like and dislike about your smile, and what you would never want it to look like. Photographs of smiles you admire help.
- Records. An examination, photographs of your face and teeth, a 3D scan and X-rays where needed.
- Design. The proposed result is worked out on screen. In many cases it can be tried in your mouth as a temporary mock-up over your own teeth, so that you see it in the mirror before any tooth is touched.
- The plan. A written sequence of treatments, with timings and the cost of each stage. You decide which stages to go ahead with, and when.
The treatments it draws on
- Teeth whitening, which usually comes first because it sets the shade everything else is matched to
- Tooth straightening with Invisalign or braces, so that teeth are moved into place before they are reshaped
- Composite bonding and veneers to change shape, length and surface
- Crowns for teeth that need strength as well as a new look
- Gum contouring where the gum line is uneven
- Replacing missing teeth
The order matters. Moving and whitening teeth first often means that less of them has to be covered afterwards.
Health comes first
Cosmetic work is done on a healthy foundation. Decay and gum disease are treated before anything else, and your dentist will explain honestly what each treatment does to the tooth: whitening removes nothing, bonding very little, porcelain veneers and crowns more. Where two routes lead to a similar result, we will tell you which keeps more of your own teeth.
Common questions
How long does it take? From a few weeks for whitening and bonding to a year or more when teeth are being moved first. Your plan sets out the timeline.
Can I spread it out? Yes. A staged plan lets you spread the treatment and the cost.
Will it look natural? That is decided in the design: the shade, the shapes and how even the teeth are. You approve it before it is made.
How do I start? With a consultation. If you are new to us, that is combined with a new patient exam.
