When You're Smiling - The Benefits and downfalls of a smile makeover

A smile makeover, also sometimes known as a Hollywood smile after the old Hollywood movie stars who had awful teeth very often, is not a single procedure but is a combination of various cosmetic dental procedures. Whether it was in the early days is not clear but certainly it appears that many early Hollywood movie stars had pretty bad dental habits and it was the directors who insisted on their teeth being brighter for the big screen.

At one time, these cosmetic dental procedures were purely for the elite who could afford it and there's no getting away from it, a smile makeover is still very expensive even though it is much more widely available.

That said however, prices are coming down and it is also possible to travel abroad for cosmetic dental procedures although there are cons to this as well as pros.

For many people, a simple and straightforward tooth whitening procedure is all that is needed. This procedure is completely non invasive and can usually be carried out in around an hour. It is also one of the cheapest parts of a smile makeover procedure. To do this, a dentist will put some whitening gel on your teeth prior to applying a light to activate the gel. This usually results in a very noticeable difference.

For others however, their teeth may be discoulored by years of smoking or drinking red wine or coffee. Also, as we get older, inevitably, our teeth are likely to suffer the odd chip or crack which will still be there once the teeth have been whitened.

The next option if this is the case or if perhaps, there is a gap in your teeth, is to have dental veneers fitted.

To put it simply, a dental veneer is to teeth what a false fingernail is to a nail. Essentially, an impression is made of your teeth and a veneer will be created. This is a very fine layer of porcelain which will fit your teeth. Prior to these being fitted, a similar thickness of layer will be removed from the front of the teeth which are to receive the veneers. This offers a real chance to get back the whiteness of your smile.

The catch? .. It depends from case to case but the cost can be in the region of $1000 per tooth. Exactly the kind of price that will certainly not make you smile!!!!!