THE FIRST STEP IS THE MOST IMPORTANT

The first step of the smile makeover is the most important: Understanding what a person would like their smile to look like.  We ask questions like, “If you have a magic wand, what would you create for your smile?” This is key because a lot of people come in with outdated information that they have accumulated about what is and is not possible.  This limited belief system often keeps them in a state in which they are unhappy with their smile and feel like they will just have to live with it.

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STEP TWO

After we talk about what they would like, I walk them through the important parts of their smile and how they compare with what people perceive as a beautiful smile.  I also point out that a beautiful smile is made up of white, pink and red (teeth, gums and lips).  There are standards that we associate with beauty, even though every smile is unique and different, just like every face is.  The next step is to define the area that we will be improving, and create a prototype for their new smile.  This is done with our master ceramist and his lab, and that prototype is applied to the patient’s existing teeth (with any necessary modifications) so that they can preview their new smile.  This preview can be tweaked as needed, until a patient approves of these previews.  I use the previews to communicate to the ceramist how we want the final teeth to look; this prevents surprises at the end.  The previews themselves are very natural looking---we’ve even had people get married in their previews!

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STEP THREE IS CRITICAL

One of the most important parts of smile design is deciding to do the correct number of teeth, so there is not a perceptible difference between natural and man-made. This is critical and a step that is often miscalculated.

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Will It Look Fake?

‍There are certain guidelines we follow that are in keeping with a person’s natural beauty—the shape of their face, lips, mouth and gum line. When we stay consistent with those guidelines, and incorporate certain natural attributes into the design (including color, style, translucency, natural characteristics, etc.), we trick even the most discerning eye into thinking a person’s smile is natural. Again, deciding on the correct number of teeth to treat is one of the most important decisions in the entire process. Often, we start by looking at a very large smile and count the number of teeth that show.  We also watch a person when they talk to evaluate how much their lower teeth show, since they show during talking much more than smiling. We also need to consider what color each person would like their new smile to be—when they would like a really bright smile, we need to take into account any teeth that will remain natural and talk about how that will impact the final result.

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What About All Those Online Teeth-Straightening Services?

As a dentist, I know how many factors I must consider when straightening or modifying someone’s teeth. I spent 4 years in dental school and 32 years in clinical practice learning all of the aspects of tooth and bite alignment, not to mention the influence of gum and bone disease and infection, that affects about 70% of people. It is hard to imagine that any online service will consider all of those important factors, let alone recommend treatment of them in order to create a healthier person.  After all, dentistry is first and foremost health-care. I always say, it can’t be beautiful if it’s not healthy.

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DID YOU KNOW? 

‍Smiles Relieve Stress: Your body immediately releases endorphins when you smile, even when you force it. This sudden change in mood will help you feel better and release stress.

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If you have any questions for Dr. Koch, please visit kochaesthetics.com or call (205) 933.0323.

Dr. Paul Koch has been a practicing dentist since 1989. For the past ten years, he has maintained a private Birmingham dentist office dedicated to aesthetic and implant dentistry in Birmingham, Alabama. The practice is locally known as “The Dental Spa.”