Smile Makeover

Last updated: November 6, 2026·Reviewed by Soo Jin Kim, DDS

If several things about your smile bother you, such as teeth that are stained, chipped, worn, crooked, gapped or missing, a smile makeover addresses them together in one coordinated plan. It is a planning approach, not a single procedure: the plan combines treatments such as teeth whitening, dental bonding, veneers, orthodontic treatment, crowns and bridges, and dental implants, in an order where each step supports the next. We plan each makeover from photographs, digital scans and X-rays, show you the proposed teeth on a wax model before any irreversible work begins, and let you try the new smile in temporary restorations before the final work is made. Dr. Kim also offers mock-ups, shade changes and trial smiles at ConfiDental in Carlstadt, so you can ask for changes along the way.

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Dr. Kim on smile makeovers

Read Transcript

I mean, smile makeover, depending on what their needs are, but if they’re coming in for cosmetics situations, then we do trying smiles. We do temporaries for it and then see if that’s what they want. So we customize the smile they want to achieve in the smile makeover.

So we give them a lot of options, like we could do from the whitening to mock-ups, changes in the shade, and then trials, and then we move to the transitions of their teeth from start to the end.

Overview

A smile makeover starts from what a person wants to change, such as color, chips, worn edges, gaps, crowding or missing teeth, and matches each concern to the treatment that addresses it. Whitening lightens natural teeth, bonding and veneers reshape and recolor the front surfaces, clear aligners or braces move teeth and close or open spaces, crowns cover weakened or heavily filled teeth, and bridges or implants replace missing ones. Some plans also reshape the gumline (crown lengthening) when teeth look short or the gums show unevenly in a smile. What the makeover adds is the plan that decides which of these to use, in what order, and how the results fit together.

Planning works backward from the result. Interdisciplinary esthetic planning first defines where the front teeth should sit, how long they should be and how much of them shows in a smile, then checks those goals against the bite, the remaining tooth structure, and the health of the gums and bone. Disease comes first: tooth decay and gum disease are treated, and the bite is assessed, before cosmetic work is planned in detail. Where teeth need to move, orthodontic treatment comes next, because moving teeth into better positions can reduce how much enamel later restorations need to remove. Whitening generally comes before restorations, since crowns, veneers and fillings do not respond to bleaching and their shade is matched to the whitened teeth, and bonding is timed after whitening because recently bleached enamel bonds less strongly for about two weeks.

Previewing the result is a central part of the plan. Standardized photographs and digital scans of the teeth and face record the starting point, and digital smile design software can simulate the proposed changes on those photographs. A diagnostic wax-up builds the planned tooth shapes on a model, and a mock-up copies them over the natural teeth in removable temporary resin, so shape, length and proportion can be seen, discussed and adjusted before any tooth is prepared. Later, trial temporaries (provisional restorations) made from the approved design can be worn so appearance and speech are checked in daily life, and they then guide the final restorations.

A smile makeover is generally considered when concerns involve several teeth or several kinds of problem at once, and when the teeth and gums are healthy enough for elective treatment. Heavy clenching or grinding, a deep overbite, and dark underlying tooth color all shape which treatments and materials suit a plan. Expectations matter as well: a plan is typically built around a design the person has seen and agreed to, and appearance concerns out of proportion to visible flaws are identified before elective esthetic work begins.

Empty ConfiDental treatment room with a tan dental chair, stool, instrument tray, overhead light and wall monitor

When It's Recommended

Stained or discolored teeth, including discoloration that whitening alone may not fully correct
Chipped, broken or worn front teeth
Gaps between the teeth, crowding, or teeth that are crooked or uneven in length
Teeth that look short, or a gumline that shows unevenly when smiling
One or more missing teeth within the smile
Older fillings, crowns or veneers that no longer match the surrounding teeth
Concerns that involve several teeth or several kinds of problem at once

What are the risks of Smile Makeover?

When to Avoid

Untreated tooth decay or active gum disease, until treated
Body dysmorphic disorder, or expectations that the planned result cannot realistically meet

Possible risks

The risks of each component treatment, such as tooth sensitivity after whitening, irreversible enamel removal for veneers and crowns, and surgical risks of implants or gum surgery
Loss of healthy tooth structure that cannot be restored, particularly when crowding or spacing is corrected with restorations without orthodontic movement first
Changes to the bite (occlusion) or to speech when the length or position of the front teeth changes
Differences between the previewed design and the finished teeth, since previews are made in temporary resin, not the final restorative material
Dissatisfaction with the appearance of the result
Shade mismatch between restorations and natural teeth over time, since crowns, veneers and fillings do not respond to whitening
Gum inflammation around restorations whose edges sit at or below the gumline
Chipping, wear, staining or loosening of restorations, and the eventual need to repair or replace them

Who needs extra care

Heavy clenching or grinding of the teeth (bruxism), or a deep overbite, which can chip or loosen thin bonded restorations and may lead the plan toward orthodontic correction or restorations other than thin veneers
Crowding or teeth that are out of position, where orthodontic treatment first can reduce how much tooth structure later restorations remove
Recent teeth whitening, which temporarily weakens the bond of adhesives to enamel and dentin; in laboratory studies the effect lasted about two weeks, so bonded restorations are timed to follow it
Dark or uneven underlying tooth color, which thin veneers and bonding mask less fully, so whitening first or a thicker restoration may be planned
A condition that rules out one component treatment, such as incomplete jaw growth for dental implants, which leads to that component being deferred or substituted within the plan

What to Expect During Treatment

A consultation covers what you want to change about your smile, along with your dental and medical history
An examination checks your teeth, gums and bite
Photographs of your face and teeth, digital scans of your mouth and X-rays record the starting point
Any tooth decay or gum disease is treated before cosmetic work is planned in detail
A proposed design is built as a wax model of your teeth, showing the planned shapes, and the treatments and their order are discussed with you
A mock-up may be placed over your teeth in temporary resin so you can see and evaluate the proposed shape and ask for changes; it is removed afterward
If the plan includes orthodontic treatment, clear aligners or braces move the teeth into position first
If whitening is planned, it is completed before restorations so their shade can be matched to your whitened teeth
Gum contouring, implant placement or other surgical steps in the plan are completed and allowed to heal
Teeth are prepared where the restorations require it, and you wear temporary restorations made from the approved design while you check appearance, comfort and speech and decide whether it is the smile you want
The final veneers, crowns, bridges or bonding are placed, your bite is checked and adjusted, and a follow-up visit reviews the result

How does Smile Makeover work?

A smile makeover plans from the intended result backward. The desired position, length and shape of the front teeth are defined first, and each treatment is chosen and sequenced to reach that result while protecting the bite, the remaining tooth structure, and the gums and bone.

Each concern is matched to the treatment that addresses it: whitening lightens natural enamel, bonding and veneers change the shape and color of the front surfaces, orthodontic treatment moves teeth and redistributes space, crowns cover weakened or heavily filled teeth, and bridges or implants replace missing ones.
Order matters because the treatments interact. Moving teeth first can reduce the tooth preparation later restorations need, whitening first sets the shade that restorations are matched to, and bonding follows whitening once the temporary weakening of the enamel bond has passed.
Previews turn the plan into something that can be seen and tested. A digital design or a wax-up on a model shows the proposed tooth shapes, a mock-up places them over the natural teeth in removable temporary resin, and trial temporaries let appearance and speech be checked before the final restorations are made from the approved design.
A mock-up can also guide preparation. When teeth are shaped through the mock-up, reduction is guided by the planned restoration, which helps keep it conservative.

Recovery & Aftercare

Recovery follows the treatments in the plan, so whitening, bonding and veneers generally allow normal activities the same day, while gum surgery and implant placement need days of healing and implants take months to integrate with the bone
Some people notice tooth sensitivity after whitening
It can take a few days to get used to the feel of new restorations, and a bite that feels uneven can be adjusted
Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between your teeth daily and keeping regular dental visits help protect the restorations and the gums around them
Limiting coffee, tea, red wine and tobacco helps slow staining of natural teeth and resin restorations
If a restoration chips or comes loose, or the gums around it stay sore or bleed, contact the dental office that placed it

Alternative Treatments

Treating one concern at a time, such as whitening alone for discoloration or bonding for a single chipped tooth
Orthodontic treatment alone, with clear aligners or braces, when alignment and spacing are the main concerns
Composite bonding or composite veneers, which need little or no enamel removal, in place of porcelain veneers or crowns
A removable partial denture for missing teeth
Routine care and monitoring with no cosmetic treatment

What the Research Says

Multidisciplinary planning that includes orthodontic treatment is now routinely used for smile makeovers, replacing older approaches that removed healthy tooth structure to reach a faster result[5]
Interdisciplinary esthetic planning begins with well-defined esthetic goals, then weighs their effect on the bite, the tooth structure, and the health of the gums and bone[6]
A diagnostic mock-up copies a wax-up of the planned teeth into the mouth in temporary resin, so the proposed result can be seen and evaluated before teeth are prepared, and it is reversible[8]
A 2025 systematic review found digital smile design associated with higher patient satisfaction, treatment acceptance and perceived predictability than conventional planning in esthetic restorative dentistry[9]
Whitening does not change the color of crowns, veneers or fillings[2]

Who provides this at ConfiDental Family and Cosmetic Dentistry

Soo Jin Kim

DDS

NYU-trained family and cosmetic dentist with a hospital residency at Mount Sinai

Full profile

Patient reviews

“There’s no other office I would trust with my teeth after my experience here.”

– Stephen B
“Love going to this place its like family is taking care of you.”

– Chato D
“Always on time with our appointments, clean, and knowledgeable.”

– Saeeda b
“I did not have to wait at all to be seen and everyone in the office was extremely friendly and explained everything very well.”

– Yoanny B

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a smile makeover?

A smile makeover is a coordinated plan that improves several things about a smile together, such as stained, chipped, worn, crooked or missing teeth. It combines treatments like whitening, bonding, veneers, orthodontics, crowns, bridges and implants, puts them in an order where each step supports the next, and often previews the result before any irreversible work begins.

Does a smile makeover hurt?

Photographs, scans and mock-ups are typically painless, and whitening can make some people's teeth sensitive. Steps that reshape teeth or involve the gums or jaw, such as preparing teeth for veneers or crowns, gum contouring or implant placement, are typically done with local anesthetic. Some soreness for a few days after those steps is common.

Is a smile makeover safe?

A smile makeover is built from established dental treatments, and its risks are those of the treatments it includes plus the planning risks listed in the risks section. Treating decay and gum disease first, previewing the design before irreversible steps, and testing the shape with temporaries are how a plan manages those risks.

How long does a smile makeover take?

It depends on the treatments involved. A plan limited to whitening and bonding may be finished within a few weeks. Plans that include orthodontic tooth movement or dental implants commonly take many months, because teeth move gradually and implants need time to bond with the jawbone before the final teeth are attached.

Can a smile makeover be previewed before treatment starts?

Yes. We plan from photographs, digital scans and X-rays and build the new tooth shapes as a wax model, which can be copied over your teeth in temporary resin as a mock-up. With the shape and length in your own mouth, you can ask for changes before any tooth is prepared. Later, before the final restorations are made, you wear temporaries of the new smile. As Dr. Kim says, "We do temporaries for it and then see if that’s what they want."

What happens during a smile makeover?

Treatment starts with a consultation, an examination of your teeth, gums and bite, and photographs and scans. Any decay or gum disease is treated first. A proposed design is then previewed and refined, and the planned treatments follow in order, commonly orthodontics, then whitening, then gum or implant work, then veneers, crowns or bonding. Trial temporaries may be worn before the final restorations are placed.

Who should not get a smile makeover?

Cosmetic treatment is generally put off while tooth decay or gum disease is untreated, and those are treated first. A smile makeover may also not be appropriate for someone with body dysmorphic disorder, an intense focus on perceived flaws in appearance, or for someone whose expectations the planned result cannot realistically meet, because identifying those concerns helps prevent overtreatment and dissatisfaction with the result.

What is the difference between a smile makeover and a full-mouth reconstruction?

A smile makeover is planned around how your smile looks, often the teeth that show when you smile. When many teeth need rebuilding or replacing to restore chewing and the bite, we plan the work as a full-mouth reconstruction, and one plan can cover both.

Sources & References

This article draws from 18 peer-reviewed sources.

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