Smiles

How does Nashville Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry design a smile?

Dr. Cottrill often remind patients that: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." It is not uncommon for one patient to want their smile one way, and another patient to want their smile a different way. Dr. Cottrill find out the way you want your smile to look, and then design your smile, your way.

The new word for cosmetic dentistry is: "Makeovers." Both mean the same. Making your smile to the shape and size of a patient's face is usually the best plan for cosmetic dentistry (makeover dentistry).

Dr. Cottrill uses pictures that patients provide for the creation of patterns to try in the patient's mouths. There is no better place to evaluate how teeth should look than with a pattern inside a patient's mouth. Then the pattern can be adjusted to fit to the middle of the patient's face. The pattern can be adjusted to create the length and smile curve the patient wants. There are differences between male and female teeth, and patients' desires are important in the designing of their smile. There is a direct proportion to the width of the face (cheek-to-cheek), and the appropriate size of teeth. When all of these design criteria are evaluated and included in a smile design, the smile creation has the potential for success.

Color is another important design consideration. Dr. Cottrill has been a pioneer in color modifications for crowns, and we have several different bright white colors for porcelains that we can use in complete makeovers. When natural teeth are present, Dr. Cottrill & Dr. LuBovich are specialists in blending porcelains to create the color of your natural teeth.

Male Smiles

Charles was referred by an oral surgeon because Charles was not getting anywhere in his treatment at three other dental offices. Charles had six upper jaw implants, and he wanted a dental restoration that looked "exactly like his old denture". He had worn the upper denture for about 15 years and he wanted whatever done to look the same as his old denture. As it turned out, his old denture was made to appear like his natural teeth, which were crooked.

Charles is a fastidious gentleman, and a graphic artist. He know what he wanted and helped design the pattern seen in the picture of the pattern. These patterns are very important, and we help patients understand that their bridges or crowns will look very much like the pattern (contour, length, width, shape). Wax is, of course a solid color, and colors are selected from color shade guides. The pattern is then used to create the porcelain bridge or crowns. Patients are requested to sign a happines form saying they are ready to complete the bridge or crowns in the shapes of the pattern they helped create.

This bridge is created with crooked teeth, similar to the crooked appearance of his old denture. The picture to the right is a mirror picture of the bridge in place. Take a few seconds to look at the crooked tooth appearance. How nice it must be to have the palate exposed, once again, like it is with natural teeth, after wearing a denture for 15 years.

Contact us for pictures of the facial appearance of the bridges (through his moustache). This appearance is very masculine, notice the teeth are angled, and not rounded. This creates a manly dental appearance. Charles participated in the design of this pattern, and wanted a very dignified color with imitation crack-lines in the appearance of the bridge. We enjoyed the privilege of providing Charles a "Charles designed" smile.

feMale Smiles

You likely did not know that female smiles are different from male smiles. Females' upper jaws grow down and forward more than in men; this sexual growth difference makes the usual attractive feminine smile, one that is more toothy. Also, the front two teeth on women are usually very dominate and ladies usually have teeth that are more rounded and softer in their appearance. The two front teeth should be identical twins in length and width. The two side teeth can be wide on one side and narrow on the other. If you ever look closely to a person's face you'll notice there's usually a wide side and a narrow side. So matching teeth to that variation is also very important.

Mary, a patient who came to see Dr. LuBovich. she said, "Dr. L., I am unhappy with the appearance of my upper front crowns. This is the second set of crowns the laboratory has made for my dentist, and I don't like either set of crowns. She then said: "Can you help me design a smile I will be happy with?" We said--"Yes."

Contact us for pictures of Mary's upper front teeth; why did she not like them? Mary said, "They do not fit my face; I had more of a smile before my teeth were crowned, I do not have a smile anymore." What was she saying? She was telling Dr. LuBovich she needed to help in the design of her crowns or she would never be happy. As it turned out, the previous crowns were too short, the central incisors were not identical twins, the crowns were not rounded enough for Mary, and the bottom edge of spaces between the teeth were not cut up high enough.

The main event in the makeover of Mary's new smile was designing her smile in wax. Mary helped create her own wax pattern. Look at how the central incisor (middle teeth) are nearly identical twins. They are rounded and complement her face and pupils. The pattern has a positive cure which curves downward. Sometimes an upward curve is appropriate. Sometimes a straight line is desirable; however, on most women, a positive smile is usually the best.

Mary's crowns were made following the pattern that she helped design. Mary also wanted whiter than average teeth. She said, "I am an actress, dancer and model, I want white teeth."

We have since bleached and crowned many other of Mary's lower teeth. Mary also said, "I will practice in the mirror, my smile and you will never see my lower darker teeth in photographs". She was right, I have seen Mary out in Nashville and she has a gorgeous smile! Of course she is happy, she helped design the crowns and her smile was made Mary's way.

Hollywood Smiles

Dr. Cottrill has created a color whiter than the brightest of any known shade guide. The color is very unique, and very popular with our many of our patients in the entertainment industry. This special color illuminates especially well on stage, during photo shoots, film and video. It can only be used when all of the patient's jaw teeth are crowned or veneered.

If you want to sparkle when you smile, our versions of "Hollywood or Las Vegas White" is a good choice.

Contact us for pictures to show how a balanced Hollywood smile can sparkle and draw attention. Cosmetic or makeover dentistry should blending and complement beauty, making a beautiful person even more attractive.

Dignified Smiles

Matching a single crown in the middle of the upper or lower jaw to natural teeth is one of Dr. Cottrill's well developed talents. Colors of porcelains are layered according to the needs to match to that area of the crown.

Contact us to see "Crown and Teeth" pictures; the patient decided they would like to bleach their natural teeth whiter. Dr. LuBovich (the old owner of the practice) selected a color that he thought her natural teeth would bleach out to, and it did.

Personalized Smiles

Dr. Cottrill learned a long time ago that everyone is somebody. Also, they've learned the concept of beauty may be different for just about every patient they treat.

Margaret Hupperfield, an 18th century artist, coined the phrase: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." It was true in those times and it is still true. Contact us for photos that may be unattractive to those patients that like straight, even teeth. That is OK, if that is your idea of beauty. This lady came to see Dr. LuBovich (the old owner of the practice) because the previous dentist made a bridge that looked like piano keys. Dr. LuBovich and Associates made her bridge and her smile to her design. She happened to like crooked teeth.

Closing A Diastema

Dr. Cottrill closes spaces between teeth with crowns (porcelain caps).

1. Tired of looking “goofy” with that space between your teeth?” Close that space with a group of zirconium porcelain crowns; Dr. C can make them look real! Dr. C is the artist that can close the space and create a perfectly natural appearance. It is far better to allow an artist-dentist to close those spaces for you and prevent: making crowns that are too wide, too fat, do not fit your face (Not to mention crowns that cause gum irritation and/or gum disease). Make it your best treatment the first time; when would you have time to do it right or pay to do it a second time? Do it once, the right way.

Nashville Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry: Adam Cottrill, DMD

✆ Phone (appointments): 615-297-5577

✆ Phone (general inquiries): 615-297-5577

Address: 2828 Bransford Avenue, Nashville, TN 37204