It used to be that mouth and lip wrinkles required plastic surgery. That’s no longer the case thanks to the Smile Lift procedure, which is designed to erase years from your look at the same time it improves your smile. What is a Smile Lift and what are its benefits? Read on to find out more.
What is a Smile Lift?
Developed by a Plano, TX dentist, the Smile Lift procedure involves placing individual porcelain veneers onto each tooth. This has the effect of “lifting” the mouth and jaw area to reduce sagging and eliminate the fine lines and wrinkles that often form around the lips as a person ages.
A Smile Lift is different from having regular porcelain veneers placed, a procedure that normally performed only on the front teeth. With a Smile Lift, all of the upper and lower teeth are affected. Porcelain veneers are also designed to address minor imperfections in the teeth, whereas the goal of a Smile Lift is to modify the bite and counteract the loss of vertical height in the mouth area that often occurs as a person ages. In most cases, the smile can effectively be raised an additional two to three millimeters.
How is a Smile Lift Performed?
A Smile Lift is performed over a series of sessions, ensuring that each patient achieves the most desirable results possible. During the first session, x-rays and photographs are taken and then used to develop the perfect smile. Temporary veneers are then created, allowing you to basically “test drive” your smile and determine how well you like your new look.
The design can be tweaked and re-tweaked multiple times until you are completely satisfied. Once you are comfortable, the permanent veneers are created in a dental laboratory. Using a special technique, they are attached to your teeth one at a time. The entire process from start to finish usually takes about a month or so.
Benefits of a Smile Lift
After undergoing a Smile Lift procedure, you could notice benefits such as:
- A reduction in mouth and lip wrinkles
- Fuller, plumper lips
- Whiter teeth
- An improved smile with fewer noticeable imperfections
- A younger appearance without the need for surgery
Who Should Consider a Smile Lift?
You may want to consider this procedure if you:
- Are plagued with mouth or lip wrinkles, but do not wish to have cosmetic surgery
- Have thinning lips, and regularly rely on dermal fillers to help plump them
- Have a smile that is less than perfect, and have been told that dental veneers would be a good option
- Want a more permanent solution than what you could achieve through plastic surgery
- Are too busy for the downtime associated with a face lift
- Desire a natural appearance and do not wish to appear overdone
Thus far, the Smile Lift procedure has proven so effective that many celebrities are now relying on it to help them look their best. If you would like to look younger and improve your smile, yet do not wish to undergo cosmetic surgery, a Smile Lift could be a very viable solution.