Smile Makeover in Washington, DC
Transform your smile with custom porcelain restorations designed and crafted in-house. See real patient results from our Washington DC practice.
Ultimate Smile Makeover: Dramatically Improve Your Smile Appearance and Confidence
My 35-Year Old Crowns, Still Vibrant
Elite Customization. Aesthetic Perfection.
If tooth discoloration, a gummy smile, uneven or chipped teeth, or minor misalignment detract from your appearance and cause a hit to your self-esteem, cosmetic dentistry in Washington, DC, from our award-winning prosthodontist, may be the perfect solution. At Elite Prosthetic Dentistry, we go the extra mile to provide stunning results that last, thanks to four decades of experience, a highly trained team, and our in-house dental lab. With 40 years of experience, countless satisfied patients, and multiple awards, including the Washingtonian Top Dentist 2024 Hall of Fame, your smile is in great hands with our skilled cosmetic and restoration dentist!
What is a Smile Makeover?
The first thing people notice is your smile; that initial impression is often lasting. In contrast to full mouth reconstruction, the primary goal of a smile makeover is to transform a less-than-ideal smile into a beautiful and radiant one you’ll be proud to show off. Secondarily, a smile makeover in Washington, DC, can treat decay under existing restorations, correct minor bite irregularities, and restore strength and function to teeth impacted by other dental issues.
The Steps Involved in Your Smile Transformation
At Elite Prosthetic Dentistry, we follow a comprehensive approach to aesthetic dentistry in Washington, DC, focused entirely on your unique needs. Your journey to a transformed smile starts with an honest discussion about your concerns and goals. During your one-on-one consultation, our prosthodontist will carefully assess your oral health issues, using advanced technology when needed, then make recommendations and discuss the steps and costs involved.
Depending on your unique needs, personalized cosmetic dentistry may include porcelain veneers to conceal imperfections in your smile zone, custom-crafted dental crowns to restore damaged teeth and improve your smile appearance, and gum contouring to reduce excessive gum tissue (a gummy smile). Our cosmetic dentist blends artistry with science to create the ultimate smile makeover that improves the appearance of specific teeth and gum tissue while enhancing your overall facial beauty!
Smile Makeover Procedures
Dental Crowns & Bridges
Dental crowns are tooth caps that cover the entire visible portion of damaged or unsightly teeth. Bridges are created with dental crowns attached to a false tooth (pontic) to bridge the gap left by a missing tooth. All our dental crowns and bridges are artfully fabricated at our on-site dental lab to match adjacent teeth’ size, shape, shade, and clarity. At Elite Prosthetic Dentistry, we offer custom-crafted zirconia, eMax, and porcelain fused to metal crowns, depending on your specific needs.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are among our practice’s most versatile, transformative, and requested cosmetic dentistry procedures. Dental veneers are thin, customized ceramic shells fixed to the front surface of a tooth to conceal various aesthetic issues, including gaps, discoloration, small chips/cracks, misshapen teeth, and minor crookedness. At our on-site dental lab, we fabricate veneers uniquely tailored to match the color of your adjacent teeth with the translucence of tooth enamel, thereby providing attractive, natural-looking results that blend in seamlessly with your smile.
Teeth Whitening
Our controlled, in-office process focuses on lightening specific problem areas and darker teeth first. Then, all teeth are lightened, never over-whitened, creating a bright and natural-looking smile. If chairside teeth whitening is appropriate for you, we recommend cleaning before your whitening session. You’ll use a special toothpaste for 10-14 days before tooth whitening to reduce sensitivity, increase the effectiveness of the whitening agent, and enhance your results.
Inlays and Onlays
A dental inlay is a filling that fits into the pits and fissures (grooves) of a tooth’s chewing surface. A dental onlay, a partial crown, covers grooves and tooth cusps (raised points on your tooth crown). When tooth damage isn’t extensive enough to merit an entire dental crown, onlays may provide a good alternative. Traditional fillings can reduce the strength of a natural tooth by as much as 50%. Dental inlays/onlays are bonded directly onto teeth using special high-strength resins, increasing tooth strength to 75%.
Rejuvenating Gummy Smiles
If excessive gum tissue is causing a hit to your self-esteem or gum recession is exposing too much of your teeth, gum contouring surgery can address both issues. Also known as gum reshaping, this type of cosmetic dentistry in Washington, DC, can improve the appearance or even out an uneven gum line to restore a harmonious and balanced gum-to-tooth ratio. If teeth are misshapen, discolored, or misaligned, gum reshaping is performed in conjunction with crowns or veneers.
Supporting Procedures for Your Makeover
Depending on your unique needs, your smile makeover may include supporting procedures for optimal results. Missing teeth can be replaced with dental implants that blend seamlessly with your makeover. Gummy smile correction can rebalance your gum line before restorations are placed. For patients who need structural rebuilding, a smile makeover may overlap with full mouth reconstruction to address both function and esthetics. All lab work is completed in our in-house laboratory using CAD/CAM technology.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry focuses on enhancing the appearance of your smile through specialized procedures like veneers, crowns, and teeth whitening. At Elite Prosthetic Dentistry, these treatments are customized to improve issues such as tooth discoloration, chips, gaps, and unevenness, resulting in a natural and confidence-boosting smile.
The Ultimate Smile Makeover is a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your unique dental needs. It combines various cosmetic procedures, including porcelain veneers, crowns, and gum contouring, to address multiple aesthetic concerns and create a flawless, radiant smile.
Absolutely. At Elite Prosthetic Dentistry, advanced materials and techniques are used to ensure that restorations blend seamlessly with your natural teeth, providing a balanced, beautiful appearance that enhances your smile without looking artificial.
The timeline varies depending on the procedures involved. For instance, teeth whitening can be completed in a single visit, while veneers or custom crowns may require multiple appointments over several weeks. During your consultation, you’ll receive a detailed plan and timeline specific to your needs.
Cosmetic procedures like veneers and crowns are designed to be long-lasting, often maintaining their integrity for 10-15 years or more with proper care. While not technically permanent, they offer durable, lasting improvements with regular oral hygiene and maintenance.
Yes, many cosmetic treatments, such as crowns and bridges, also have restorative benefits. They can improve bite alignment, replace missing teeth, and protect weakened teeth while enhancing aesthetics.
Procedures at Elite Prosthetic Dentistry are designed with patient comfort in mind. Advanced techniques and sedation options minimize discomfort during and after treatments, ensuring a stress-free experience.
Yes, only biocompatible and durable materials, such as porcelain and high-quality dental ceramics, are used in treatments at Elite Prosthetic Dentistry. These materials are safe, long-lasting, and aesthetically superior.
Gum contouring, offered as part of the Ultimate Smile Makeover, reshapes the gum line to create a balanced and proportionate smile. This procedure enhances the appearance of teeth and reduces the visibility of excess gum tissue.
Most purely cosmetic procedures are not covered by insurance. However, treatments with restorative benefits, like crowns or bridges, may qualify for partial coverage. The team at Elite Prosthetic Dentistry can help navigate your insurance benefits.
Related Resources
Serving Patients From
Maryland
Bethesda | Cabin John | Chevy Chase | Kensington | North Bethesda | Potomac | Silver Spring
Washington, DC
Cleveland Park | Foxhall | Georgetown | Kalorama
Virginia
Your Best Smile Is Within Reach
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Gerald Marlin to discuss your treatment options and take the first step toward a healthier, more confident smile.
Related Patient Success Stories
Explore similar patient success stories demonstrating our expertise in advanced prosthetic dentistry.
Temporary Crowns Restore Patient's Smile in Just One Day with an Immediate Smile Makeover
A patient from Potomac, Maryland, came to Elite Prosthetic Dentistry with the chief complaint of pain from a failing dental implant and its significant impact on her appearance.
Multi-Faceted Treatment for Patient Unhappy With Her Artificial-Looking Crowns, Teeth and Gums
Many patients come to Elite Prosthetic Dentistry unhappy with the appearance of their smile. However, this particular patient presented with multiple interconnected problems that together created a smile she found deeply unsatisfying.
Treating Kevin’s Collapsed Bite with a Complete Smile Makeover with New Dentures
Dentures are sometimes not created to the ideal aesthetic and functional scheme. When improperly fabricated, dentures can make an individual appear almost a generation older than their actual age. They can have a poor fit that feels loose and unstable when eating or speaking, and they can actually accelerate bone loss over time.
Salvaging Ms. N’s Severely Broken-Down Upper and Lower Teeth from Gum and Bone Disease
Many people in the U.S. suffer from extensive periodontal disease characterized by significant bone loss and shrinkage of the gum tissue. This condition can begin at a very young age and worsen quickly due to hereditary factors and lack of early diagnosis by their dentist.
A Smile Transformation in Just Four Months: A Patient’s Dental Crown Restoration for a TV Series
A patient with dental crowns that were in poor shape was going to appear on a streaming video series on a major TV network that was scheduled to begin filming soon. Our patient, John, an author about to embark on a book tour, was anxious as his teeth were not up to his standards to appear on television.
Replacing a Discolored Front Tooth with a Precision Placed Implant
Some of the most challenging restorations occur when fabricating an anterior crown to fit on an implant. Not only does one have the difficulty of matching the single front tooth to the other ones in the high visibility zone, but the dentist must also ensure the position of the underlying implant is precise through accurate preplanning and placement.
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Smile Makeover in Washington, DC Near You
Dr. Gerald Marlin provides smile makeover in washington, dc services to patients throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Select your community to learn more.
Ready to Transform Your Smile?
With 40+ years of experience and 3,900+ dental implants placed, Dr. Gerald Marlin delivers results that last. Schedule your consultation today.