Have you ever gazed enviously at the perfect smiles you've seen on TV, in movies, in magazines . . . the perfect smiles of Hollywood actresses, models and movie stars? Have you wondered to yourself, "How did she get that smile? It's so white . . . so straight . . . so, well, perfect!" Chances are, these stunning beauties weren't born with amazing smiles. No. Chances are that talented cosmetic dentists designed their smiles just for them.

The good news? You can enjoy a dazzling Hollywood smile, too. With the help of a cosmetic dentist and porcelain veneers.

Porcelain veneers are thin shells of fired porcelain that are placed on the front surfaces of the teeth. Offering a natural look and feel, veneers allow the cosmetic dentist to dramatically change the length, width, color and shape of a tooth. They are the cosmetic dentist's greatest tool for enhancing a smile.

Versatile and strong, porcelain veneers are used for a variety of smile enhancements, from complete smile makeovers to repairing a chipped tooth. Restoring teeth to their natural beauty, veneers also resist staining, creating an enduring white, bright straight smile.

Simple Steps to a Stunning Smile

Have your smile transformed with porcelain veneers is an easy, comfortable and relatively quick procedure.

First, you and your cosmetic dentist will discuss your goals and expectations of your new smile. What do you want your smile to look like? What don't you like about your smile that you want changed? Together, you will determine the "style" of your new smile. Your dentist may even show you a Style Guide that illustrates many different smiles.

Once you have decided on your smile, the dentist will take a mold of your teeth. He will send that mold to a dental lab with precise instructions of the dimensions, proportions, and directions for creating your smile.

From those instructions, the dental lab creates a "wax up" - a wax mold of how your enhanced smile or repaired teeth will look. You and your dentist will review the wax up and either make changes or give the lab approval to proceed. From the wax up, the lab will create your new "teeth" of porcelain veneers.

Once the wax up is approved, your dentist will prepare your teeth for the smile makeover. To ensure your new porcelain teeth will fit perfectly, your existing teeth will be reshaped. Once that is complete, your dentist will fit your with temporaries (a temporary version of the "new smile".)

When the porcelain veneers are ready, your dentist will remove your temporaries, and bond the veneers to your teeth.

After a few days, the veneers may need to be adjusted to provide a more comfortable bite or fit. That's a perfectly normal result and should be expected.

That's all it takes. Most times, a smile can be completely transformed in only two to three visits.

Imagine. In just a short time, you can have a dazzling Hollywood smile . . . a smile that's been designed just for you. A smile that is straight, white and even. You'll be looking younger and feeling more confident. And it's all possible. With porcelain veneers.