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Comparing Treatment Options for a Cosmetic Smile Makeover

Comparing Treatment Options for a Cosmetic Smile Makeover

A beautiful smile can boost confidence and leave a lasting impression. With advances in cosmetic dentistry, achieving the perfect smile is now easier than ever. At Dr. Doris Clinic, we offer some of the latest technology in cosmetic smile make over, with various treatment options that are available depending on the condition of the patient. The treatment options including porcelain veneers, superfine porcelain bonding, and clear aligners. Each of these treatments has unique advantages and limitations, and in some cases, a combination of these approaches may offer the best results. This article explores these three treatment options and discusses their potential integration for optimal aesthetic outcomes.

Porcelain Veneers: Aesthetic Alignment and Shape Modification

Overview

Porcelain veneers are thin, Italian handmade, custom-designed shells of ceramic material such as eMax or Zirconia that are bonded to the front surface of teeth to improve their shape, size, colour, and alignment. They are widely used in smile makeovers to create an ideally proportional, symmetrical, and aesthetically pleasing smile. This is the treatment option of choice when the patient wishes to achieve a higher degree of change in their smile, often we are able to combine this treatment with laser surgery to also improve aesthetic shape of the gum to ensure perfect natural appearing emergence profile in the results for patients who have misaligned teeth which also often also suffer from uneven gum level.

Procedure Steps

1. Luxury Consultation & 3D Intraoral Scanning
  • A comprehensive consultation with the dentist to assess aesthetic goals, facial symmetry, and overall dental health using the latest technology in dental diagnosis including microscopic imaging and low radiation x-rays.
  • Use of 3D high-definition full-color intraoral scanning to create an accurate digital model of the patient’s teeth, replacing traditional impressions.
2. Custom Treatment Planning
  • A detailed analysis of tooth proportions, smile line, and facial harmony.
  • Discussion of material options and shade selection tailored to the patient’s desires.
  • High-resolution photography and Digital Smile Design (DSD) software to visualize the expected outcome and allow the patient to preview their new smile.
  • A physical model of the proposed treatment plan will be made in the laboratory to present to the patients for viewing at the review appointment to ensure that the patient fully understands the proposed treatment plan and their proposed smile design.
3. Preparation
  • A small amount of tooth tissue is removed from the teeth to make space for veneers. For teeth that are protruding, more tooth tissue may be removed to make space for the final tooth position of the finished design.
  • For patients who also need to improve the gum level to decrease gum exposure or to improve the symmetry of the gum level, this treatment is completed with a laser procedure prior to the tooth preparation appointment.
  • Another digital scan will be performed to ensure precision and sent to the laboratory for making the porcelain work.
4. Custom Veneer Fabrication
  • Using a digital 3D file of your mouth, the veneers are designed with CAD/CAM technology for high precision.
  • Fabrication in a state-of-the-art Italian dental laboratory using microscopically enhanced aesthetic techniques.
5. Temporary Veneers
  • While waiting for the permanent veneers, temporary ones may be placed for aesthetic continuity and this also serves as the sampling stage, so that we are able to view an example of the design in the patient to ensure if there are any design changes required by the patient, this can be communicated prior to the final porcelain work is completed.
6. Final Bonding & Adjustment
  • The final veneers are carefully positioned and bonded to the teeth using advanced adhesive technology to ensure longevity of the final restoration.
  • Any minor adjustments are made to ensure a natural bite and aesthetic perfection.

Aftercare Instructions

  • Avoid biting hard objects such as forks or beer bottles to prevent chipping.
  • Maintain good oral hygiene to prolong longevity and prevent gum disease.
  • Regular dental checkups for monitoring and maintenance.
  • For patients who develop a habit for grinding teeth, they must wear a nightguard to minimize damage of teeth from grinding habit.
  • These restorations are expected to last a very long time, often beyond 20 years. The practice provides a 5-year warranty on all porcelain work and replaces any broken pieces within 5 years of fitting, completely free of charge.

Superfine Porcelain Bonding: A Non-Invasive Aesthetic Enhancement


Procedure Steps

1. Luxury Consultation & 3D Intraoral Scanning
  • Aesthetic evaluation using high-resolution imaging and Digital Smile Design software.
  • A 3D high-definition full-color intraoral scan to ensure precision in planning and shade matching.
2. NO tooth Preparation
  • For this treatment we do not prepare your teeth at all, no tooth tissue is cut or lost.
3. Aesthetic design & shaping all custom made in the laboratory
  • A custom-made superfine porcelain shell or roughly 0.2mm in thickness is made in the laboratory using a 3D model of your mouth. We use Digital Smile Design software to create an improved design porcelain shell based on your existing teeth to create a better aesthetic result and improve the color of your teeth.
4. Bonding
  • The superfine porcelain shells are bonded using the latest technology in dental adhesive bonding.
5. Final Aesthetic Review
  • Ensuring patient satisfaction with minor refinements in shape if needed.

Aftercare Instructions

  • Avoid biting hard objects to prevent chipping as while these porcelain shells are made with a very hard material with much higher performance ability compared to standard composite bonding, however they made very thin, and it is possible to chip them at the edge.
  • Maintain good oral hygiene to prolong longevity and prevent gum disease. Care must be taken to ensure teeth are cleaned properly at the edge near the gum, as these porcelain shells are bonded on top of your tooth surface (not sunken in smoothly as in standard porcelain veneer tooth preparation) staining may occur if they are not cleaned well.
  • Regular dental checkups for monitoring and maintenance.
  • For patients who develop a habit for grinding teeth, they must wear a nightguard to minimize damage of teeth from grinding habit.
  • These restorations are expected to last a very long time, often beyond 20 years. The practice provides a 5-year warranty on all porcelain work and replaces any broken pieces within 5 years of fitting, completely free of charge.

Clear Aligners: Orthodontic Correction for Better Tooth Position

Procedure Steps

1. Luxury Consultation & 3D Intraoral Scanning
  • High-definition 3D intraoral scan to assess bite alignment and tooth positioning.
  • Digital Smile Design used to project the orthodontic transformation and calculate the required steps to achieve ideal results.
2. Customized Treatment Plan
  • A series of custom aligners made of Zendura polyurethane trilayer is designed using CAD/CAM technology.
3. Aligner Fabrication & Fitting
  • The patient receives the first set of clear aligners and detailed instructions on wear.
  • To improve the performance of the aligners and speed up the process, some patients may be required to wear composite attachments and elastics.
  • We also provide aligner accelerator and booster box where patients can boost their treatments at home to maximize their treatment progress and reduce treatment discomfort.
4. Progressive Adjustments
  • Each aligner is worn with weekly boosts to maximize progress.
  • Software is available for patients to follow up with their own progress of their treatment.
5. Final Retention Phase
  • Once the teeth are aligned, retainers are provided to maintain results.

Aftercare Instructions

  • Wear retainers as instructed to prevent teeth from shifting back.
  • Maintain good oral hygiene.
  • Avoid eating or drinking anything other than water while wearing aligners.
  • Follow the acceleration and boosting instructions to ensure maximum benefit of each aligner.

Summary Table: Comparison of Treatment Options

Porcelain Veneers
£1250 each tooth		 Superfine Porcelain Bonding
£495 per tooth		 Clear Aligners
£250 per Aligner and price for total treatment will depend on how many aligners, attachments and other accessories required to complete treatment

  • Pro

  • Immediate transformation
  • Durable, stain-resistant
  • Highly aesthetic handmade porcelain work
  • Able to correct more severe problems including crowding, protrusion, gum problems
  • Smile design will be made in model format for patients to view and approve prior to fitting
  • Patient is able to wear temporary teeth to try the design and allows the dentist time and opportunity to review and change the design if required
  • Results can be natural for even the most difficult cases

  • Pro

  • Quick, non-invasive with no need to modify teeth, tooth are left without damage
  • Affordable as the price is similar to composite bonding, while patients are still able to benefit from the high strength, much superior restoration lifespan and the beauty of porcelain restorations
  • Able to correct minor discrepancy in teeth shape and improve colour
  • The procedure is completed within 1 session, there is no need to wear temporary teeth

  • Pro

  • Non-invasive
  • Effective for misalignment
  • Transparent and generally very discreet and not very visible during treatment phase
  • Removable and easy to clean

  • Con

  • Irreversible treatment
  • Requires tooth tissue removal
  • The most expensive option
  • Require multiple treatment sessions

  • Con

  • Less durable
  • More prone to staining as these are sitting on top of the tooth and the edge finish is not as smooth as porcelain veneers sitting on tooth prepared for them to sink in
  • More prone to chipping as these are made very thin
  • The patient will be required to take a whole set of 16 porcelain shells to cover all anterior teeth, as these are placed above existing teeth, if only a portion of front teeth are covered, those teeth can look like they are ‘large’ or ‘protruding’

  • Con

  • Requires patient compliance where if patients are not wearing the aligners as required by treatment plan, the treatment may not work at all
  • Longer treatment duration, the changes will be visible slowly over several months sometimes a couple of years depending on required treatment plan
  • Patient is required to wear a retainer every night for life, this is to prevent relapse
  • This treatment is not able to change shape or colour of teeth
10-20 years with proper care 10-20 years before needing replacement Lifetime with proper retainer use

Choosing the right treatment for a cosmetic smile makeover depends on the patient’s specific concerns, budget, and long-term goals. Dr. Doris Clinic is a specialized cosmetic practice with many years of experiences in cosmetic smile make over, this ensures that patients receive the highest level of precision, customization, and aesthetic excellence. Consulting with one of our highly experienced cosmetic dentists will help determine the most suitable treatment plan for achieving a beautiful, confident smile that you can enjoy for many years to come!

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46 Albemarle Street
Mayfair
London
W1S 4JN

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