What I Look for When Evaluating a Smile Makeover Case

When someone comes in asking about a smile makeover, I don’t start by asking which cosmetic procedure they want.

I start by looking at the whole case.

Of course I want to understand what they’d like to change. Maybe it’s the color of their teeth, spacing, alignment, worn edges, old restorations, or just a feeling that their smile doesn’t look as balanced as it used to.

But then I’m also looking at the things patients may not necessarily notice themselves: their bite, tooth position, gum levels, existing dental work, available healthy tooth structure, and how everything functions together.

Because a smile can look beautiful and still be poorly planned.

For me, cosmetic dentistry has to make sense both esthetically and functionally. That’s why I use digital scanning, imaging, and careful treatment planning to understand the case before we start changing teeth. I would much rather spend more time thinking through the plan upfront than solve avoidable problems later.

The Best Smile Makeover Isn’t Always the Most Dentistry

One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that a smile makeover automatically means veneers.

Sometimes veneers are absolutely the right treatment. But sometimes moving the teeth first with clear aligners creates a much better foundation. Another patient may get where they want to go with whitening and bonding. For someone else, it may be a combination of treatments.

I’m always asking myself: What is the most conservative way to get this patient to the result they want?

That question matters because treatment sequence can completely change how much dentistry someone ultimately needs.

If a tooth is in the wrong position, for example, putting a veneer over it immediately may require removing more healthy tooth structure. Moving that tooth into a better position first can sometimes allow us to be much more conservative afterward.

So even if a patient walks in thinking they already know what treatment they need, part of my job is to step back and look at all of the options.

It’s not about doing more dentistry. It’s about doing the right dentistry, in the right order.

I Want the Result to Make Sense Years From Now

The best cosmetic dentistry, in my opinion, isn’t just the dentistry that looks great the day we finish.

I want you to love your smile, obviously. But I also want your bite to be stable. I want to preserve healthy tooth structure whenever possible. And I want the work we do to function well long-term.

That becomes especially important in more complex cases involving existing crowns, implants, missing teeth, significant wear, or previous cosmetic treatment.

Those are also the cases where a second opinion can be really valuable. Sometimes patients come to me with a treatment plan already in hand and simply want another set of eyes on it. I think that’s completely reasonable. You should understand what is being recommended, why it’s being recommended, and what the alternatives are before committing to treatment.

Ultimately, a smile makeover consultation should give you clarity.

We should both understand where we’re starting, where you want to go, and the most predictable and conservative way to get there.

That’s how I approach smile design at brush365: esthetics, function, and longevity all have to work together.