Choosing a dentist for a smile makeover
A smile makeover can transform how you feel. Done badly, it can cost you your natural teeth. The dentist makes the difference.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026For a smile makeover, choose a dentist who examines your whole mouth before planning, explains which teeth need treatment and which do not, shows you a mock-up first, recommends a shade that suits your age and face, uses veneers rather than crowns where possible, and gives a written guarantee. Be cautious of plans for 20 crowns on healthy teeth agreed from photos alone.
“Smile makeover” is a marketing phrase, but it describes something real: changing the shape, colour and alignment of the teeth you show when you smile, usually all at once. For UK patients, it often means sixteen to twenty veneers or crowns in a week. The dentist you choose decides how much of your own teeth you keep.
Start with a full examination
A smile makeover should start with your gums, your bite and any decay, not with a shade guide. Gum disease, worn teeth or a bite problem change what is safe. A dentist who plans 20 crowns from three photos on WhatsApp is skipping this step.
Restraint is a good sign
The best cosmetic dentists often suggest less than you expected. Healthy teeth that are slightly crooked might be straightened with aligners, or improved with whitening or bonding. Veneers need much less tooth removed than crowns. A plan that treats only the teeth that need it is a sign of a careful dentist. See who should do your veneers.
See it before it happens
Ask for a mock-up: a temporary model of your new teeth placed over your own, so you can see and feel the shape before anything is prepared. A digital design is helpful; a mock-up in your own mouth is better. Our smile design page explains more.
A natural shade
Very white teeth can look striking in photos and unnatural in daylight, especially for older patients. Ask the dentist what shade they recommend for your age and skin tone, and why. You can always choose whiter; you cannot easily go back.
Questions to ask
- Which teeth need treatment, and which can be left alone?
- Veneers or crowns for each tooth, and why?
- How much tooth will be removed?
- Will I see a mock-up first?
- What material, and which laboratory?
- What does the guarantee cover, and do I have to come back to use it?
How many teeth do you really need?
Smile makeover packages are often sold as “16 teeth” or “20 teeth”. That number should come from your smile, not from a price list. Stand in front of a mirror and smile broadly: count the teeth you can see in each jaw. For many people that is eight to ten upper teeth and fewer lower ones. Teeth that do not show when you smile rarely need cosmetic treatment, and treating them adds cost and risk.
There are good reasons to treat more teeth, for example to rebuild a worn bite. But the dentist should give you that reason, tooth by tooth.
Veneers, crowns and bonding compared
| Option | Tooth removed | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Composite bonding | Little or none | Small chips, gaps, shape changes; repairable |
| Porcelain veneers | Usually a thin layer from the front | Colour and shape of front teeth |
| Crowns | Much more, all round the tooth | Broken, heavily filled or root-filled teeth |
A plan that uses crowns on healthy front teeth should come with a clear explanation of why veneers or bonding would not do.
Timing and your trip
Most smile makeovers in Türkiye take about a week: examination and preparation in the first days, a few days for the laboratory, then fitting and adjustments. Leave a spare day. If gum treatment, root canals or orthodontics are needed first, the plan may need two trips. That is not a bad sign; rushing it would be.
After you get home
Veneers and crowns need the same care as natural teeth: brushing, cleaning between teeth and regular check-ups. If you grind your teeth, ask for a night guard; grinding is a common reason veneers chip. Make sure you leave with the material and laboratory details in writing, for your UK dentist.
A step-by-step smile makeover, done carefully
- Before you travel: photos of your smile from the front and side, a recent X-ray and a note of what you dislike about your teeth.
- Day one: examination of teeth, gums and bite; X-rays; photos and measurements; discussion of shade and shape.
- Design: a digital plan, and ideally a mock-up placed over your teeth so you can see and feel it.
- Preparation: only after you agree; temporary teeth fitted the same day.
- Laboratory: a few days while the final veneers or crowns are made.
- Try-in and fit: checking shade, shape and bite before bonding.
- Review: a check a day or two later, before you fly.
If a clinic proposes to skip the examination or the design stage, ask why.
Grinding, bite and long-term wear
Many people who want a smile makeover have worn teeth, often from grinding. Veneers placed on a worn bite without addressing it can chip. The NHS notes that a dentist may recommend a mouth guard or splint to protect teeth from grinding. Ask whether your bite is part of the plan and whether a night guard is included.
Whitening the teeth you keep
If only your upper front teeth are being treated, your lower teeth and back teeth stay natural. Whitening them first, under a dental professional, means the new work can be matched to a brighter shade. The NHS explains that whitening does not change the colour of crowns, veneers or fillings, so the order matters.
Dentists who publish aesthetic work
Our cosmetic dentists and smile design pages list dentists whose register branch or published work includes aesthetic dentistry, such as Dt. Gürkan Bal and Dt. Betül Kaya Kölemen in Fethiye and Dt. Erisa Olkun in Kuşadası. For prosthetic-led smile makeovers, see the prosthodontists.
The price question
Smile makeover prices in Türkiye vary widely. The cheapest plans often use crowns on every tooth, because crowns are faster for the clinic. A more conservative plan may cost more per tooth but treat fewer teeth and keep more of your own. Compare plans tooth by tooth, not by total.
A short checklist before you sign
- I know exactly which teeth will be treated and how.
- I have seen a mock-up and agreed the shape and shade.
- I know the material and who makes the teeth.
- I have the guarantee in writing.
- I know the name of the dentist who will do the work.
- I have a UK dentist to look after the work at home.
Your next steps
- Take clear photos of your smile from the front and both sides, in daylight.
- Count the teeth that show when you smile broadly, top and bottom.
- Ask your UK dentist about your gums and any grinding before you travel.
- Send the photos and an X-ray to two or three dentists who publish aesthetic, restorative or prosthetic work, and ask each for a tooth-by-tooth plan.
- Compare the plans: which teeth, veneers or crowns, materials, guarantee.
- Choose the plan that treats only what needs treating, and insist on a mock-up before preparation.
Our veneer dentists page lists dentists we have checked.
Taking a week longer to choose is far easier than undoing a smile makeover you are not happy with.
Who to look for
Restorative dentists and prosthodontists both do excellent smile makeovers; so do experienced general dentists. See our cosmetic dentists and veneer dentists pages. Precious Dental, which publishes this guide, offers smile makeovers with a published written guarantee; our top pick, Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, focuses on implants and prosthetics.
Common questions
How many teeth are in a smile makeover?
It varies. Many people only need the teeth that show when they smile, often eight to ten per jaw. Some need fewer.
Should every tooth be crowned?
No. Healthy teeth can often be treated with veneers, bonding or whitening instead.
How white should my teeth be?
A natural shade for your age usually looks best. Ask your dentist to show you options in the mock-up.
How long does a smile makeover take in Turkey?
Often about a week in one trip, but complex cases may need two.
Sources
- Oral Health Foundation: going abroad for dental treatment
- NHS: treatment abroad checklist
- NHS: teeth grinding
- NHS: teeth whitening
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
Want our top pick to look at your case?
Send an X-ray or a few photos to Precious Dental in Antalya. Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, our implant surgeon, or one of his colleagues will reply with a written plan and price. No obligation, and you are free to compare it with any dentist in this guide.