Trans Zen Dental

Part two of my Hollywood smiles blog will complete my review of the good, the bad, and the ugly. In recap, part 1 discussed celebrity smiles that are less than perfect. I showed smiles we see everyday on the cover of US Weekly, and discussed possible options to cosmetically enhance these smiles.


I really like this blog because it shows that not only are celebrities actually just real people with everyday imperfections, but it also shows that they have placed a value in the appearance of their smile. Many have jumped on the cosmetic dentistry bandwagon and have loved the ride!


I must say, we have some very intelligent patients at our practice. Those who begin discussing their cosmetic concerns with Dr Bhatt have researched veneers and implants, know their benefits, but also know what a bad veneer looks like. We are moving into a new era where metallic white, symmetrical, blocky teeth are now just viewed as obviously restored teeth and are losing their appreciation. Patients want natural looking veneers, comfortable implants, and white teeth that don’t glow in the dark (who else has seen that Friends episode?). They want a full smile, and one that fits their facial features and skin tone. Some would say this is too demanding, but with the new materials in our dental labs and the comprehensive aesthetic education our cosmetic dentists have achieved, these wants are not only possible, but also affordable.


So, we’ve seen the ugly. Bring on the good and the bad:

American Idol finalist Elliot Yamin had far from perfect teeth when he began singing with the Idol crew. What was once a dull, crooked and broken smile has now been fully restored with the help of some quality cosmetic dentistry. Elliot’s dentist considered his larger than life personality along with his exaggerated facial features (especially his accentuated nose and large eyes) when constructing his dental veneers. This dentist did a beautiful job of making his smile look large and wide without making the veneers appear “too white”.

























Whether she’s Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus, we know one thing: Billy Ray has gotten her smile reconstructed at the young age of 15. Let’s start with the positives: her teeth are rounded, giving her a more feminine smile. Her two front teeth are accentuated and the other teeth are smaller, giving her a more youthful appearance. The color match is great, also. The negatives: these are only starter veneers. Her problem was a gummy smile, and so she had undergone gum surgery to remove excess gum tissues. The veneers are quite small, and for what they were given, the dentist did the best they could. Miley (or Hannah… whichever you prefer) still hasn’t matured into her facial features and is still expected to grow around her smile. Because she is so young, she will have to pay another visit to the dentist to get a more mature smile. Hopefully she will be old enough to drive herself to her next veneers appointment.
























Country singer Keith Urban has more than a beautiful wife and flourishing career, he has a mouthful of quality dental veneers. Keith had many gapped and rotated teeth, and those photos are circa 1996. His new smile is great because it looks natural. The square front teeth look more masculine, and as with Elliot Yamin, his teeth were constructed larger to compensate for his larger nose. They fit the frame of his face very well, and the dentist even left a bit of a gap in between the two front teeth. This gap, commonly called a diastema, is viewed by many as a unique feature and one they wish to keep in their newly constructed smile.

























Knocked Up’s Katherine Heigl wanted straight teeth before her real-life wedding and turned to the invisalign system. She was able to continue her acting career (which has flourished recently) and straighten her teeth without the metal mouth associated with braces. As beautiful as her smile is, I can’t help but to defend the invisalign system by saying that Miss Heigl never completed her treatment, and that is why you still see some teeth still out of line.
















Who Wants to be a Millionaire’s Regis Philbin has improved his smile with 10 dental veneers. His obvious choice to improve his smile has enhanced his small facial features and widened his smile. He should have asked the audience or phoned a friend when it came to the color choice, however. While this color looks great on Halle Berry, these blue-ish veneers are too white for his skin tone. And THAT’s my final answer.













Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker has also followed suit and gotten herself a mouthful of dental veneers. Carrie Bradshaw’s smoking addiction is a great reason for Parker to don dental veneers. Veneers give permanent whitening and are excellent choices for smokers, or coffee, tea, or red wine drinkers. These stain-resistant veneers have one consideration that I am now beginning to see in the office: they were more than likely placed in the early 90’s. With t emergence of teeth whitening in society, teeth have a new kind of white now, and many people are having their current veneers or crowns replaced with new veneers that don a more appropriate, but natural white.
























Rent Malcom X and you would almost argue with me on this one, but Denzel Washington also has a mouthful of veneers. He was actually asked to remove them for his part in the movie, and you can definitely see a noticeable difference. African American men can actually wear a very white veneer and pull it off, but I think Denzel went a bit too white on this one. A good rule of thumb: you don’t want your veneer whiter than the whites of your eyes.






















Hilary Duff’s smile has been under constant critique by bloggers all over the web. In my opinion, her veneers are beautiful. They fit the frame of her face nicely and her lips fall naturally on them. They are a bit square at the edge which gives her a dominant look, but they are rounded to give her a more feminine smile. The color is white but is still natural. I love showing this photo to patients when they are working with the doctor on designing their smile. I feel Hilary has a very mature smile with beautiful feminine curves.




The truth is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and no one smile looks good on everyone. Porcelain veneers, dental implants and ceramic crowns are custom made to fit you. Your smile should reflect who you are and should make you feel good about yourself. A good cosmetic dentist will talk to you about your options, but will also get to know you. They will also want to know what you like in a smile and what they can do to enhance and design something you are proud of. We want you to feel confident in yourself and know that you can have a smile worth noticing.


Dr Mena Bhatt is an LVI-Global trained aesthetic dentist specializing in dental veneers, implants, and invisalign invisible braces. Her consultations are always free, and we welcome you to set up an appointment today to discuss what she can do to improve your smile.


Call Mary at 480.563.4936

Labels: celebrity smiles, dental implants, dental veneers, Hollywood smiles