Your wedding day can be daunting. From the walk up the aisle, to the speeches and the thousands of photos taken of you from all different angles. It's for this reason that brides and grooms often want a smile makeover before their big day, but do you know how long it takes to get a perfect smile, or how much it costs?! We asked Dr Krystyna Wilczynski, a Cosmetic Dentist at White & Co in London, for all her wedding smile dilemmas.
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For my wedding day I want… straight teeth
Dr Krystyna would recommend two options: fixed braces or Invisalign (clear braces).
"Both modalities allow the movement of teeth into the ideal alignment to produce a balanced, symmetrical and proportionate smile. The smile can be widened (expanded) to appear 'fuller' and the edges of the teeth can be levelled out.
"Fixed braces are metal wires and brackets which are cemented to the teeth and controlled by an orthodontist. Invisalign are clear step aligners worn every day and changed every 10-14 days, which slowly move the tooth into the desired clinical position."
Fixed braces or Invisalign? Which one will you say 'I do' too?
Estimated time needed
"Always leave at least one year. This involves planning and executing the treatment and also leaves a buffer for any final tweaks and adjustments. However, each case is different depending on the severity and more complex cases, including the likes of bite alterations and smile designs, can take longer than those who only need correction of one or two misaligned teeth."
Estimated price
Starting from £3000.
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For my wedding day I want… white teeth
"For this, you will have an appointment with your dentist for them to do 3D scans of your teeth and create custom-made trays for you to whiten your teeth at home. You will be given the whitening gels and trays (generally 2 weeks after the scans) and wear your trays overnight.
"The carbamide peroxide gel will slowly bleach the internal dentine of the teeth and change the colour. This is a process which can cause sensitivity (therefore use alongside a sensitive toothpaste) but causes no physical damage to the teeth."
Estimated time needed
"Always leave at least 6 weeks. This includes consultation, treatment planning of the most suitable whitening for the patient, hygienist to remove staining/plaque/alleviate any gum inflammation, and manufacturing and execution of the whitening process. This can take approx. 2-3 weeks to get to the desired colour, depending on the original base colour of teeth and desired results."
Estimated price
Approx. £250-700.
Dr Krystyna Wilczynski based at White & Co
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For my wedding day I want… teeth bonding
"Composite bonding is whereby a composite resin is artistically handcrafted by the dentist on top of a tooth to enhance the length, volume and shape. This is normally done freehand and the quality of the result depends on the skill and experience of the dentist. No damage or drilling is done to the underlying tooth surface, which makes it a conservative and preferred treatment modality for smile enhancements."
Estimated time needed
"Always leave at least 2 months. This allows for consultation/diagnosis and planning. It also allows time for a dental health exam and hygienist to remove staining and plaque and ensure healthy gums.
"It also allows time for whitening to get teeth to the ultimate whitening potential before the placement of bonding. Some patients would also like to have a ’trial smile’ (similar to trial make-up/hair) before executin the permanent treatment which needs to be done at least 5 weeks in advance.
"The bonding procedure takes 2-3 hours depending on the number of teeth and always needs a couple of weeks to settle in and allow the patient to get used to them, both aesthetically and functionally. This also allows for wiggle room for any tweaks that may be required."
Estimated price
Approx. £300/tooth.
Say 'Cheese!'
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For my wedding day I want… veneers
"Veneers are porcelain coatings produced in a dental lab which are permanently cemented onto a tooth to change the shape, length and size. This treatment is best used for older patients or where composite bonding is not appropriate, for example, due to a heavy bite or high risk of fracture. More preparation and removal of the tooth surface is required, so it is a more destructive treatment plan and therefore needs to be very case selective."
Estimated time needed
"At least 6 months. Veneers are a high-end aesthetic process, and pre-planning is paramount. As well as needing to ensure the mouth is healthy and gums stable (by a Hygienist) and all staining removed, several ’try in sessions’ may be required to ensure the correct shape, size and length of veneer are produced.
"Unlike bonding, veneers cannot be adjusted once they are cemented, so the patient needs to be 100% happy with the result before cementation. On the day of the cementation, the teeth are dehydrated to ensure cement fully bonds to teeth, which results in the gums shrinking back and teeth appearing ‘frostier’ and opaquer due to lack of moisture. This resolves naturally in 2-3 days but therefore would NEVER advise recementing veneers too close to the big day. Allow ample time for settling and adapting to the new set of teeth!"
Estimated price
£800 per veneer.
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