We’ve all seen “Extreme Makeover” and other reality makeover shows.  The amazing message behind these programs is that everyday, average people can improve their lives and the way they look and feel about themselves.  Years ago, people thought that only Hollywood celebrities could get these treatments done, but today you can see that isn’t the case.

One easy step to give you a dramatic improvement in the way you look and feel about yourself is to rejuvenate your smile.  As evidenced on television, smile makeovers alone can make someone look years younger.  Ninety percent of adults consider an attractive smile an important social asset.  Have you ever thought about what your smile says about you?  What do you want your smile to say?  Here are some questions to get you thinking:

• Do you avoid smiling or smile with your lips closed?
• Do you cover your mouth when you smile or laugh?
• Do you feel your stained teeth make you look older?
• Do you see stained, chipped or crooked teeth when you smile?
• Do you want the healthy, beautiful smile you deserve?

If you said yes to any of these questions, you need to talk to a cosmetic dentist about a smile makeover.

You can change your life just by improving you smile.  Here are some of the great things a smile makeover can do for you:  boost your self confidence because you know you look great, encourage you to smile more because you know that your smile is gorgeous, make you feel great about yourself because you’re not embarrassed or afraid to smile anymore and make you look younger, healthier and more attractive with a straighter, whiter smile.

A smile makeover creates a whiter, brighter, straighter smile – and it also enhances other facial features, like making lips fuller and decreasing the appearance of wrinkles.

With smile makeovers, cosmetic dentists can straighten crooked teeth, reshape “gummy” smiles, whiten stained and discolored teeth, repair and rejuvenate worn-down teeth and replace missing teeth.

Smile makeovers are created with porcelain veneers.  Veneers are thin porcelain shells layered over the front surfaces of teeth to modify or enhance the color, size and shape of your natural teeth.  A cosmetic dentist can determine the ideal length and width of your teeth by using the “golden proportions” technique.  Golden proportions are a ratio between an object’s length and width that makes it pleasing to the eye.  Golden proportions can be seen throughout nature and in artwork.  Cosmetic dentists can apply this ratio to the length and width of teeth when creating smile makeovers.  This helps ensure your new smile is the most esthetically pleasing for your face, making it look natural and healthy.  A cosmetic dentist will help you pick the color of your new smile.  There are many shades of white.  Some people want Hollywood white, while others prefer a more natural white.  A cosmetic dentist will also help determine the desired shape of your teeth for your new smile.

Smile makeovers are comfortable procedures completed in two or three visits with no overnight hospital stays or days away from work.  Your first visit is the consultation.  You will talk to your cosmetic dentist about all the things you would like to improve about your smile.  He or she will make recommendations on how to achieve the healthy, beautiful smile you deserve and answer any questions you may have.  A few days later the cosmetic dentist will prepare your teeth by taking molds to create your new smile.  On the final visit, the dentist will bond the veneers to your teeth and you will walk out of the office with a beautiful smile.  To maintain your beautiful new smile, your dentist will recommend professional cleanings at least twice a year.

If you want a smile that makes you feel and look younger, healthier and more attractive, talk to a cosmetic dentist about getting the smile you’ve always wanted.

Dr. Tejas Patel is a practicing general and cosmetic dentist in the lakeway area.  Contact him at 263-8337 or by email at dr tejas@lakewaysmiles.com.