How Veneers Can Give You a Celebrity Smile

Perfect smiles are few and far between, yet everyone wants one. And who can blame us? Every day, images of celebrities bombard us, flashing perfect runway smiles.

Whether we’re swiping through websites on our phones, flipping through magazines, or watching movies or our favorite TV shows, we can’t escape those amazing smiles.

Maybe you’ve thought, “If only there was a way I could erase a couple of imperfections about my smile to make it more attractive. Oh, and while we’re at it, I don’t want to schedule a bunch of dentist appointments.” Sounds impossible, right?

You don’t have to be a celebrity to capture your own Hollywood smile, says Dr. Meriem Boukadoum at 54th Street Dental. Think veneers.

What are veneers?

Veneers may sound like a movie makeup artist’s hack, and for good reason. Veneers got their start from the “Dentist to the Stars,” Charles L. Pincus, DDS, in 1928 in Hollywood. Dr. Pincus addressed smile flaws for famed actors like James Dean, Joan Crawford, Shirley Temple, and Judy Garland.

Veneers are wafer-pieces of composite resin or porcelain that are custom fabricated and bonded to the front surface of your teeth to cover up annoying minor tooth imperfections. Veneers are handy for addressing issues with those eight teeth that show when you smile.

Veneers edit out smile flaws

Much like a masterful screenwriter enhancing a script, Dr. Boukadoum uses veneers to edit out a variety of tooth imperfections that are holding you back from your best smile. Veneers can cover up these issues, among others:

Damaged, chipped, or cracked teeth
Misshapen or unevenly sized teeth
Gaps between teeth
Slightly crooked teeth
Tooth discoloration

In the same way that Photoshop removes photo imperfections before you post your selfies, veneers essentially Photoshop your smile imperfections, as if they were never there in the first place.

The two-appointment smile makeover

Dr. Boukadoum installs veneers in a quick, two-appointment process. So if you’re planning to attend a special event soon, you don’t have to worry about scheduling numerous visits.

At your initial appointment, Dr. Boukadoum gives you a local anesthetic. Once it takes effect, she removes a thin layer of enamel – about one millimeter – from the teeth that are getting the veneers.

This step not only makes room for the veneer but also ensures that it doesn’t interfere with your bite or look unnatural against neighboring teeth.

Next, Dr. Boukadoum takes a series of impressions and does a color match of your surrounding teeth so your veneers perfectly match them. She sends this data to a dental lab, which fabricates your custom veneers.

When your veneers are ready, usually within 2-3 weeks, you return to our office. Dr. Boukadoum double-checks the fit, and if everything matches up correctly, she bonds the veneers to the front surface of the teeth.

Then off you go, sporting your best smile ever, and ready to write your own Hollywood happy-ever-after story.

Veneers looks great and last a long time

With veneers, your new smile lasts for years of curtain calls. Care for them like you do with your natural, permanent teeth. Brush at least twice a day and floss regularly. Remember to floss before you brush.

Make sure you visit Dr. Boukadoum every six months for your checkup and professional cleaning. Lastly, kick bad habits to the curb — no more using your teeth as scissors, chewing on ice, or biting your nails.

If teeth imperfections are keeping you from making the call-back list, contact 54th Street Dental for a consultation to learn if veneers can help capture your best celebrity smile. Request an appointment online or call our office in the Midtown West neighborhood of New York City at 212-333-3200.