Cosmetic Dentistry

How does Dr. Cottrill and Associates design a smile?

Dr. Cottrill often reminds patients that: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” It is not uncommon for one patient to want their smile one way, and another patient to want their smile a different way. Dr. Cottrill finds out the way you want your smile to look, and then designs your smile, your way.

The new word for cosmetic dentistry is: “Makeovers.” Both mean the same. Making your smile to the shape and size of a patient’s face is usually the best plan for cosmetic dentistry (makeover dentistry).

Dr. Cottrill uses pictures that patients provide for the creation of patterns to try in the patient’s mouths. There is no better place to evaluate how teeth should look than with a pattern inside a patient’s mouth. Then the pattern can be adjusted to fit to the middle of the patient’s face. The pattern can be adjusted to create the length and smile curve the patient wants. There are differences between male and female teeth, and patient’s desires are important in the designing of their smile. There is a direct proportion to the width of the face (cheek-to-cheek), and the appropriate size of teeth. When all of these design criteria are evaluated and included in a smile design, the smile creation has the potential for success.

Color is another important design consideration. Dr. Cottrill has been a pioneer in color modifications for crowns, and we have several different bright white colors for porcelains that we can use in complete makeovers. When natural teeth are present, Dr. Cottrill is a specialist in blending porcelains to create the color of your natural teeth.