If you want to know what you would look like with a smile makeover before the work is done, you’ll be interested in a digital smile makeover, also called computer imaging.
The office will take a simple digital photograph of your face. They download this into the computer, and then use a program like Photoshop to place the smile design of your choice with your face. They can send you a copy or print one out for you. Why not try this for your smile?
My experience is that almost everyone who came to my office interested in a smile makeover, once they saw the photograph of what the makeover would do for them, if they could afford it, would proceed with it.
I also used this photograph as a guide for me and for the ceramist in creating the new smile to give the patient the tooth shape and color that they wanted. Some dentists have expressed a worry that they could get into legal trouble if the final result didn’t measure up to the computer simulation. I never found that to be a problem as the final result would generally look better than the simulation. But for those dentists who worry, they can always print a disclaimer with the photograph.
Below are some samples of video image mock-ups I did for patients when I was in practice (each of these patients consented to have their photographs displayed):
While many dentists use the digital smile makeover to help the patient see the results before starting work, most expert cosmetic dentists will instead use a provisional smile makeover which they will make in resin to snap onto the patient’s existing teeth.
Others take this to a step beyond and will use computer analysis to actually help design the new smile, a concept called digital smile design.
Click here to view before-and-after photographs of porcelain veneer cases treated by MyNewSmile referral network dentists.
Click here to view another page of porcelain veneer pictures.
This content was written by Dr. David Hall. Click here to ask Dr. Hall a question.