Stunning smiles in West Chester, Pennsylvania: Dentist explains steps involved in complete smile makeovers
You may have heard the term “smile makeover” before, but many people aren’t exactly sure what that means or what is really involved in transforming a smile. At Briglia Dental Group, we have seen firsthand what a difference it can make when a person has a healthy and radiant smile that they are proud to show off to others. Using a combination of innate artistry, in-depth knowledge of principles regarding what is aesthetically appealing, and high-quality materials made in one of the top cosmetic labs in the country, Dr. Briglia offers complete smile makeovers to our West Chester, PA area patients so that they can feel confident about their smile. Read on to learn more about what is involved in this highly customized process.
Planning the smile that works the best with your unique features
When you think of the components of a smile, teeth are probably the first thing that comes to mind. But in reality, there are many different factors that should be considered when designing a smile that will perfectly complement your facial and oral features. These are called the 10 factors of smile design and include various facial and dental components such as the interpupillary line (the horizontal line between the pupils in your eyes), lips, ear, nose location, and gingival levels, to name just a few. Dr. Briglia considers these factors, as well as the “Rule of Golden Proportions” to determine the length and width of your anterior teeth so that they have an aesthetic appearance that is naturally attractive. The Rule of Golden Proportions is also known as the Golden Ratio and is derived from the well-known Fibonacci sequence that is found in many places in nature. In dentistry, we can use this ratio to determine the ideal length of specific teeth when you smile so they are proportional not only to each other but to the rest of your face. We also use tools such as a facebow that enables us to take very precise measurements of important aspects of your facial structure, along with photographs and other measurements that are critical for planning out your new smile. Dr. Briglia can even adjust the shape of your teeth as needed to provide more masculine or feminine contours based on your preferences.
Before and After Treatment Images of Actual Patients
In this case our patient was not happy with her old porcelain crowns. We restored and replaced her old porcelain crowns and the above two photos show the results after her work was placed. She was much happier with her new porcelain crowns and said she was more confident now when she smiles
The smile makeover process and your Trial Smile
After careful evaluation and in-depth consultation with you, Dr. Briglia will mock up your “Trial Smile” so you can try on your new smile for 4-5 weeks before making the changes more permanent. This is also a great way to ensure that your bite is still correctly aligned and that you are able to speak normally, and it gives us the opportunity to make small adjustments where needed, so you love the way your new smile looks andfeels. The steps for your Trial Smile and finalizing your smile makeover include:
- Create wax-ups of the smile design that you have selected along with a temporary shim of the wax-up.
- Create your temporary “trial smile” that matches the wax-up, which you then wear for 4-5 weeks as your gums heal; during this time, we will make adjustments as needed.
- Take an impression of your adjusted temporaries.
- Send your impressions, photos, and facebow records to the highly acclaimed Gold Dust Dental Lab in Arizona, where they create your new smile using beautiful, life-like porcelain that reflects light just like tooth enamel. The use of high-quality porcelain is vital to achieving natural-looking results, as opaque porcelain adhered to metal crowns can have a black line at the gums and look fake within your smile.
- Place your permanent new porcelain restorations in your mouth, and you are free to enjoy your beautiful new smile!
This is the upper and lower wax-up impression of the smile desired by one of our female patients. We will have her porcelain crowns designed based on this model, so she can have the smile of her dreams.
A close-up of the wax impression of the smile desired by one of our female patients is seen here. We will have her porcelain crowns designed based on this model, so she can have the smile of her dreams.
Seen here are the wax-up, a model of the wax-up, the polyvinyl siloxane preparation guide, and shim to make the temporaries to match the patient’s desired smile. She will wear this temporary ‘trial-smile’ for 4-6 weeks until her gums heal. Then we will take the final impressions to create the permanent porcelain crowns for her gorgeous smile makeover.
Patients can choose the smile of their dreams from the three ‘Smile Design’ books we have shown here. Once they have made their choice, the beautiful, life-like smiles will be designed by the skilled and experienced porcelain artists of Gold Dust Dental Lab, the top cosmetic lab whose services we trust.
Take the first step towards the smile of your dreams
When you are ready to embark upon a smile makeover, finding a dentist that you can trust to craft the perfect smile for your specific facial features, treatment preferences, and desired end results is essential. At Briglia Dental Group, we do just that. If you are located in West Chester, PA, or the surrounding areas, we welcome you to call our office today to take the first step towards the smile of your dreams! New patients can reach us at (610) 615 0160, and existing patients can call us at (610) 692 4440.
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