New Hanover County · Since 1987
Smile Makeover in Carolina Beach, 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.
- Three doctors, one location
- Sedation available
- Most major plans accepted
- Written estimates before treatment
A closer look at 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.
Full detail on smile makeover ›
Carolina Beach patients and this treatment
Nearly half the housing on Pleasure Island is seasonal, so the year-round community here is smaller and often skips routine care for years at a time.
Cosmetic treatment is best started in autumn, so the work is finished and settled before the season picks up again.
A significant share of the island's year-round workforce is in hospitality without employer dental coverage, and we handle those cases with payment plans rather than assumptions.
Pleasure Island's year-round community is roughly a third the size of its summer population, and dental care here is often deferred through the busy months.
Snow's Cut Bridge is the single point of access, so we schedule Carolina Beach appointments with the season in mind.
We see patients from across Carolina Beach and the surrounding area, including the Boardwalk, Carolina Beach State Park, Snow's Cut and the 28428 ZIP code.
New Hanover County is the built-out core of the region, growing around one percent a year, with roughly 21 percent of residents over 65 and the highest concentration of employer dental coverage in southeastern North Carolina.
Start large treatment in the autumn. The planning and provisional phases run through the quiet months and the finished result is in place before the season picks up.
We keep same-day slots open for Pleasure Island because a chipped tooth on a Saturday should not wait until the season ends.
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
How the treatment runs
- 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.
Afterwards
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.
If you are away for part of the year, tell us your dates at the start and we will build the schedule around them.
What it costs
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.
If your income is seasonal, say so at the consultation. We can time treatment phases to the part of the year that suits your cash flow.
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
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.
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.
How far is your office from Carolina Beach?
About 15 miles, or roughly 28 minutes via US-421 North over Snow's Cut Bridge. We are at 1301 Physicians Dr in Wilmington, with parking at the door.
Do you see patients from Carolina Beach?
Regularly. Carolina Beach is part of our core service area in New Hanover County, and we keep same-day slots open for Pleasure Island because a chipped tooth on a Saturday should not wait until the season ends.
What are your hours?
Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm. Outside those hours, leave a message or use the appointment request form and we will come back to you with the first available time.
Smile Makeover · Carolina Beach, NC
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.
