Cosmetic · Since 1987
Smile Makeover in Wilmington, NC
A smile makeover is a planned combination of treatments, designed together, that changes how your whole smile looks rather than fixing one tooth at a time.
About smile makeover
Most people who want a different smile have more than one thing bothering them: a dark tooth, a crowded lower front, an old crown that no longer matches, edges worn flat. Fixing those one by one produces a mouth of mismatched repairs. Planning them together produces a smile.
The plan might be Invisalign then whitening then two veneers, or it might be six veneers and nothing else. We scan, photograph and mock the result up first, and you wear a trial version before anything permanent is done.
How it works
- Smile design consultationPhotographs, a digital scan and a conversation about what you want changed and what you want left alone.
- Digital mock-upWe design the proposed result and show it to you before committing to a sequence.
- Trial smileFor veneer and crown work, you wear the new shape in temporary material and live with it.
- Treatment in sequenceStraightening first, then whitening, then porcelain matched to the whitened shade.
- Final reviewPhotographs against the originals, bite check, and a guard if you grind.
Recovery and aftercare
Porcelain does not stain, but the natural teeth around it can, so the whitening you did before treatment will need occasional top-ups. If you clench or grind, wear the night guard. It is what protects the investment.
Cost and coverage
A smile makeover is priced as the sum of its parts, and the parts vary more than any other treatment we plan. You get a written, itemized estimate for the whole sequence, and it can be phased so the orthodontic or whitening stage is paid for before the porcelain stage begins. Cosmetic work is rarely covered by insurance, though any part that restores a damaged tooth may be.
You may be a candidate if
- Several cosmetic complaints rather than one
- Old crowns or fillings that no longer match the teeth around them
- Teeth worn short, chipped or uneven along the edges
- Crowding or spacing alongside discoloration
- A specific event or deadline you want the result finished for
Smile Makeover by town
We see patients from across New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender and Onslow counties.
In their own words
Hear from Dr. Carter Lee
Dr. Lee on fixing only what needs fixing, and what it is like to hand a patient the mirror after a smile transformation.
Questions we get asked
How long does a smile makeover take?
Anywhere from a few weeks for whitening and veneers to around a year if orthodontics comes first. We give you the timeline at the consultation.
Will it look fake?
Not if it is designed properly. The brief we hear most is better without looking done, and the trial smile is how we make sure of that before anything is permanent.
Do I have to do everything at once?
No. The plan is written in stages and many patients complete it over two benefit years or more.
Is a smile makeover the same as veneers?
Veneers are often part of one, but a makeover can include straightening, whitening, crowns and gum work. It is a plan, not a single product.
Can you match the new work to my other teeth?
Yes. We whiten first where that is part of the plan, then match the porcelain to the result.
Smile Makeover
See the result before it is permanent.
Every cosmetic case is mocked up and worn in temporary form before anything final is made. You approve the shape and the shade.
- Cosmetic dentistry is the practice's stated specialty
- Digital design and trial smile before preparation
- Shade-matched lab work with in-person verification
- 50,000+ patients treated since 1987
Afraid of the overdone look? So are we. The brief on nearly every case here is to look like yourself, rested.
Request an appointment
We reply the next business day.
Please do not include Protected Health Information. For anything urgent, call (910) 762-0958.
