It used to be that cosmetic dentistry meant fixing broken or crooked teeth, as well as getting a good ol’ whitening. Now there are subtler ways to improve your grin and even whole facial structure, as determined by—what else?—your selfie smile. Beverly Hills—based cosmetic dentist Kourosh Maddahi has clients take a selfie in his office (backdrop and flattering light provided, natch) and then analyzes what they want to change. Here (illustrated with some of the best grins in the business) are the top three procedures Dr. Maddahi recommends for improving smiles, even without showing teeth.
Want to Look Better in Photos? Show Your Dentist Your ‘Selfie Smile’
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Published May 30, 2018
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Are Your Teeth On Display?
One of the marks of a beautiful smile is having plenty of pearly whites showing when you part your lips. (The current fashion is for nice big teeth, just this side of horsey.) But what if your teeth don’t peek out? You can make the top teeth longer (especially the front pair) with bonding or veneers. Porcelain veneers are very thin covers for your natural teeth that can change their shape, size or color. When done correctly, they look exactly like tooth enamel. Since you’re fitted at the dentist’s office and molds are then sent to a lab to create the veneers, having this done takes multiple visits. Bonding, by contrast, can be done in one office visit. In that technique, tooth-colored composite resin is shaped and polished to fix a broken or discolored tooth or to build up a tooth, lengthen it or close spaces between teeth.
Is Your Smile Wide?
Smile big. Do you see dark spaces between your lips and teeth on the sides of your mouth? That’s because the arch of your teeth is too narrow for…well, basically, for the hole in your head. A mouth that’s got teeth from side to shining side without gaps, looks more vibrant. Dr. Maddahi can make your smile wider and get rid of the black holes between the side teeth and the cheeks by using veneers or a product called Lumineers, special veneers that are as thin as a contact lens and don’t require injections or drilling to be fitted.
Is Your Upper Lip Measuring Up?
Cosmetic dentistry can improve your appearance even when you’re not smiling. For example, lopsided lips can be evened out by changing the underlying teeth. A skinny upper lip can be plumped up by building out the upper front teeth, making the smile fuller using Lumineers or veneers. And since you’re changing the architecture of the face, not just injecting filler into soft tissue, the plumping effects are permanent.
