Can I Make my Smile Bigger and Wider? (photo)

Question

I have six veneers. I want four more to build out my buccal corridor; however, I still do not think these will achieve the smile that I want. What steps can I take for my smile to go from pictures 1 & 2 to 3 & 4? Her smile appears to be very broad/wide and my mouth is very small even with the veneers. Thanks in advance for the help! I really appreciate it!

Victoria Veytsman, DDS · Answer

Absolutely! You can definitely widen your smile by adding 2 veneers on both sides. This is the reason we never do just 6 veneers in our practice--it narrows the smile. Good luck!

Michael D. Kosdon, DDS · Answer

When our patients ask how many veneers do I need, I asked them to count the number of teeth they show when they smile. This is especially true when whitening the color and wanting to buildout side teeth that tilt inward. Nothing looks worse than a smile that drops off at the corners!  
Most successful smile makeovers are accomplished by placing 10 upper porcelain veneers. In your case, I would just add 4 additional teeth to build out the sides and complete your smile!

Peter Boulden, DMD, FAGD · Answer

You just need to widen your buccal corridor.  This is a common complaint when people only do 6 teeth.  As a matter of fact, I try to talk people out of doing 6 teeth for this very reason.   Solution:  Do 2 more veneers on either side or potentially you could widen your smile (arch) with Invisalign too.

Nick M. Mobilia, DDS · Answer

You are absolutely correct in your assessment. A bigger and broader smile can be achieved by building out the buccal corridor in order to give you that Julia Roberts smile. Six veneers are simply not enough for your esthetic requirements. Good luck to you and keep us posted.

Jay Neuhaus, DDS · Answer

Your problem is that the 6 Veneers you currently have "stand out" in comparison to the rest of your smile because they are larger and much brighter than your natural teeth. By adding 4 mo Veneers which will bring out your buccal corridor, as well as brighten your teeth, you will accomplish your goals. I very seldom do only 6 Veneers, for this very reason.

Kevin Coughlin, DMD · Answer

Options are ortho, crowns and or veneers all can work. Remember sometimes leaving well enough alone is the best course of care good luck

	 

	 

	Kevin Coughlin DMD, MBA, MAGD      CEO Baystate Dental PC

Paul Newitt, BSc, DMD, AFAAID - Account Suspended · Answer

As you have pointed out. when you have only 6 anterior teeth Veneered you do tend to get the affect that we refer to in Dentistry as Collapsed Buccal Corridors. This can be due to the inclination of your existing premolars and molars, a colour discrepancy between the teeth treated up front and those in the buccal corridor or over-bulking of Veneers or crowns on the anterior 6 teeth. 

	From the pictures it appears like you have a wonderful smile but as you have noted the corridors are a bit dark in the photos. As far as comparing to the other pictures you have to understand that others may have a wider mouth in general so will have a wider smile. You can only work with the anatomy you have in terms of width of your mouth. But, as you have noted, including all the teeth in your smile (into the buccal corridors) can help the appearance of a wider smile.

	When it comes to smile design there are many many factors that play into the overall appearance of your smile. Buccal corridors are of course an important part of the final look of your smile but attention also has to be paid to all the other variables that come into play. Inclinations, emergence profiles, gingival architecture, embrasure forms, line angles etc , just to name a few. A dentist, with proper training and experience working with a high quality dental lab will be able to optimize these parameters for you and provide you with what you are looking for, or something very very close. 

	As far as widening you smile outside of the Veneer work you are getting done, there is the possibility of opening up your smile with some Botox. This would require you working with a Botox practitioner who understands smile design and getting some treatment in your Depressor Anguli Oris muscles. If this is a route you decide to explore it is very important you work with someone who knows both smile design and botox or have your dentists and botox provider in close contact. done separately, the two procedures can work against each other as opposed to enhancing each other.

Charles Nottingham, DDS, FAGD (retired) · Answer

It's very difficult to stop at the canine (by doing only 6 teeth) and getting that wide smile result you are looking for. Typically, I do at least 10 to widen the smile; if not more. It will also give you more uniformity in the aesthetics of the teeth. This will build out your buccal corridor, but this will not make your mouth itself significantly wider. If you have a small mouth, you cannot change that. You can only give the appearance of a wider smile with the veneers. You have to understand that the patients in pictures 3 & 4, have very broad smiles and larger teeth. You can only work within the constraints of what you have to work with dentally. You will still get a beautiful result. Good luck!!

Can I Make my Smile Bigger and Wider? (photo)

Answers (8)

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