The Modern Smile Makeover: How Digital Dentistry Creates Faster, More Predictable Results
From digital scans to same-day results—how technology transforms the cosmetic dentistry experience
The smile makeover process has changed dramatically in recent years. What once required weeks of appointments, messy impressions, and uncertain outcomes can now be completed in days—sometimes in a single visit—with precision and predictability that traditional methods couldn't match.
The Traditional Smile Makeover: What Used to Be Required
To understand the revolution in cosmetic dentistry, let's look at how smile makeovers worked in the past:
The Old Process:
- Initial consultation and messy impression trays
- Temporary restorations worn for 2-3 weeks
- Second appointment to try in and adjust
- Send back to lab for modifications
- Another temporary period
- Final placement (sometimes requiring additional adjustments)
Total timeline: 3-6 weeks with multiple appointments and temporary restorations that often broke or came loose.
The Digital Dentistry Revolution
Modern digital workflows transform every step of the smile makeover process, creating better outcomes in less time with greater patient comfort.
1. Digital Scanning: No More Gag-Inducing Impressions
Our iTero scanner captures incredibly precise 3D images of your teeth in minutes—no messy putty, no gagging, no waiting for materials to set.
The advantage: Digital scans are more accurate than traditional impressions and can be instantly reviewed, retaken if needed, and shared with you on screen to explain the treatment plan.
2. AI-Enhanced Design Software
Using your digital scan, advanced software designs your new smile—analyzing facial proportions, bite relationships, and aesthetic principles to create a custom design.
The AI suggests optimal tooth shape, size, and position based on millions of successful cases, which I then refine to match your specific goals and facial features.
The advantage: You see a digital preview of your new smile before any tooth preparation—we collaborate on the design until it's exactly what you want.
3. In-House Milling: Same-Day Results
Once you approve the design, our Glidewell.io milling unit fabricates your crowns or veneers right here in the office—usually in 60-90 minutes per restoration.
No outside lab, no shipping, no waiting weeks. For single crowns or small cases, you walk in with a damaged tooth and leave with a permanent, beautiful restoration the same day.
The advantage: No temporary restorations that break or come loose. No multiple appointments. The restoration is designed, milled, and placed in one visit.
The Complete Digital Workflow for Smile Makeovers
Here's How It Works:
Step 1: Consultation & Digital Records (30-45 minutes)
- Digital photos of your current smile from multiple angles
- iTero digital scan of your teeth and bite
- Discuss your aesthetic goals and concerns
Step 2: Digital Smile Design (You're Involved)
- I create a digital mockup of your new smile
- You review it on screen—make changes to shape, size, color
- We refine until you're completely satisfied
- The approved design guides the actual treatment
Step 3: Preparation & Fabrication
- Minimal tooth preparation (veneers) or more extensive (crowns)
- New digital scan of prepared teeth
- Glidewell.io milling unit fabricates restorations in our office
- For single units: same-day placement. For larger cases: usually 2-3 days
Step 4: Final Placement & Refinement
- Try-in to verify fit, color, and appearance
- Minor adjustments as needed
- Permanent bonding
- Final polish and bite refinement
Advantages of Digital Smile Makeovers
Speed
What used to take 4-6 weeks now takes days or even hours. No temporary restorations, fewer appointments, faster results.
Precision
Digital impressions are more accurate than traditional methods—margins fit better, contacts are more precise, longevity is improved.
Predictability
You approve the design digitally before any work begins—no surprises, no disappointments when the finals come in.
Comfort
No impression trays, no gagging, no uncomfortable temporary restorations that break or come loose.
Real-World Example: The Single-Visit Crown
Traditional process: Week 1: Prep tooth, temporary crown. Week 2-3: Wait for lab. Week 3: Remove temporary, place permanent (often requiring adjustments and another appointment).
Digital process: Single appointment: Digital scan, design crown while you wait, mill in-office, place permanent crown. Walk in with a broken tooth, leave with a permanent restoration—total time: 2-3 hours.
The Private Practice Advantage
Not every dental office has invested in this level of technology. In-house milling, advanced scanning, and digital design software represent a significant investment—but it's one I've made because it transforms patient outcomes.
"Corporate dentistry and many smaller offices still rely on outside labs for all restorations. That means multiple appointments, temporary restorations, and less control over the final result. Our digital workflow keeps everything in-house, under my direct supervision, with results you can see the same day."
Is Digital Dentistry Right for Your Smile Makeover?
Digital workflows are ideal for:
- Single crowns or veneers (same-day completion)
- Smile makeovers involving 4-10 teeth (compressed timeline)
- Patients who want to see their results before committing
- Anyone who wants fewer appointments and no temporaries
- Busy professionals who value efficiency
About Dr. Joshua Prentice
DDS, Kois Center Graduate with Honors
Dr. Prentice has completed advanced training at the prestigious Kois Center, one of dentistry's most respected institutions for comprehensive treatment planning and evidence-based care. He lectures nationally on complex restorative dentistry, digital workflows, and airway-centered treatment.
With over 15 years of experience in comprehensive dentistry, Dr. Prentice combines cutting-edge technology with evidence-based protocols to deliver predictable, lasting results for complex dental cases.