Cosmetic Dentist for Porcelain Veneers

When we talk about “smile design”, what are we talking about.  There are many aspects of a smile beside teeth.   There are so many variables as to what creates a beautiful smile.  What is beautiful to one person, may not be to another; which is a good thing, or we would all look alike.  For instance, in parts of Africa and South America, it is considered beautiful to file the front teeth into points.  So the “cosmetic dentist” of the tribe, or witch doctor, help to file the teeth using knives, files, and rocks to chip and shape the teeth.
Of course we don’t resort to those measures, but there is some reshaping done to achieve the looks that we desire.  Using “smile guides” we can choose over 30,000 different ways that a cosmetic dentist can create a new smile.  One of the most popular guides is one developed by Dr. William Dickerson, the founder of the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies.  I have had the privilage of studing there for the past seven years under his tutelage.  I have designed thousands of smiles using veneers and porcelain crowns to acheive the look we wanted.  Each smile style is a combination of the teeth shapes for the front six teeth.  For example, the four front teeth (incisors) could be either square at the corners, square at one corner and rounded at the other, or rounded at both corners. Similarly, the cuspids or eye teeth (third tooth back) could be pointed, rounded or flat. Combining these different shapes each produces a uniquely different smile style. Please note, this smile library below is only to choose the basic shape of the front six teeth, and in no way reflect the color, length, surface texture or translucency that the porcelain veneers or crowns will have. Those other things are addressed in other aspects of smile design and choosing the best combination for your “sensational new smile”.
For most females, the “Enhanced” smile style is one of our most popular designs. Note that the second teeth from the center are a little shorter than the front teeth. This is a youthful effect we call “the gull wing” that really looks nice on females. The “Hollywood” style above is a little more “toothy” and works well for males and especially those wanting to show off a little more teeth. The “Oval” style might look best on someone with a very round face. Notice how very round the edges of the four front teeth are? The “Aggressive” style has tooth edges that are flat almost straight across. We use it mostly for men and it simulates someone who might be a bit older and have a habit of grinding his teeth. The “Youthful” style simulates the shape of unworn teeth that might be seen in a 14 year old. Although many adults like this name because they think it might give them the illusion of being significantly younger, we almost always utilize this design in much younger individuals. The “Mature” style has squarish edges on the four front teeth and is another design that we frequently use for men. The “Softened” style is a very popular design that we use for those wanting their smile to help make them appear a little younger than their years. It is my preference to use smile designs that have the cuspids (also called canines, the third teeth back on each side) that are slightly round, not flat (too old looking) or pointed (too aggressive looking). It is important that both the patient and cosmetic dentist actively discuss the different smile styles at the beginning of the smile makeover process. Using our technique called “the trial smile” we’re able to make provisional veneers or crowns so that our patient can “test drive” their new smile prior to making any final decision regarding the smile design for their final porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns.