Hollywood Smile

Where veneers or crowns on several front teeth may be suitable

• Discolouration on several front teeth that whitening does not correct
• Worn, chipped or misshapen front teeth (for worn teeth, the cause, such as clenching, grinding or acidic food and drink, is assessed first)
• Old fillings and crowns that no longer match
• Healthy gums, no active decay and, for veneers, enough enamel on the teeth

Where another treatment is needed first

• Active decay or gum disease. These are treated first.
• Uncontrolled clenching and grinding. This increases the risk of ceramics breaking. It is assessed first and protection such as a night guard is agreed; for some people, veneers may not be suitable.
• Marked misalignment. Orthodontics is assessed first; covering it with veneers or crowns removes a lot of tissue from the teeth.

Who it is not for

• Sound, straight teeth when the only wish is a whiter colour. Whitening is considered first, because it does not cut the tooth. It does not reach the same shade on every kind of discolouration. The plan may end with whitening alone.
• Teeth that are still developing. In young patients, veneers and crowns are usually postponed.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Cosmetic procedures that are not essential, whitening in particular, are usually postponed until after this period.
• Expectations that do not match the condition of the teeth. Where a trial is possible, it gives an idea of the look that can be reached. The plan is then discussed again on that basis.

A good plan gives a reason for each tooth. A single-line offer such as "veneers on all the front teeth" should be explained tooth by tooth if it includes sound teeth.

The list below runs roughly from the options that remove the least tooth tissue to those that remove the most. Orthodontics and gum reshaping do not fit neatly on this scale, because some plans involve an extraction or surgery on the gum and bone. It is not a ladder: each treatment answers a different problem, and not all of them need to be done.

1. Doing nothing, or waiting. If your teeth and gums are healthy, leaving them as they are is a valid choice. Nothing is removed, and you can decide later.
2. Whitening. It is considered for a colour concern, once the cause of the discolouration has been assessed. It can cause temporary sensitivity and gum irritation. It does not lighten existing fillings, crowns or veneers¹. It does not give the same result on every kind of discolouration. Yellowish teeth usually respond well, brownish teeth may respond less, and greyish teeth may not lighten at all. The effect fades: the teeth partly return to their earlier colour over time, and the treatment can be repeated. If you want your own teeth lighter, whitening comes first, so that the shade of any veneer, crown or bonding can be matched to them. After whitening, time is allowed for the colour to settle and for conditions to suit bonding; your dentist decides how long.
3. Bonding (adding tooth-coloured composite to the tooth). For small chips, worn edges, small gaps and reshaping a single tooth. The tooth is usually not cut, but its surface is treated so that the material bonds. Composite is easier to repair than ceramic, but stains and wears more easily².
4. Orthodontics. For crowding, rotated teeth and gaps. It moves the teeth into line instead of reducing them for veneers or crowns, takes months, often years, and needs retention afterwards. Some plans need limited reshaping of the enamel between the teeth, or an extraction. The risks of shortening of the root tips, white spots on the enamel and gum recession are assessed separately. "Correcting" crowded teeth with veneers or crowns means removing a great deal of tissue from the teeth.
5. Gum reshaping. When too much gum shows, the cause is assessed first. It may lie in the gum level, the position of the supporting bone or of the teeth, the jaw structure or how the lip moves. In suitable cases, the gum, and the supporting bone where needed, is reshaped surgically. In others, orthodontics or different treatments are considered. Possible sensitivity, exposure of the root surface and changes in the appearance over time are discussed in advance.
6. Laminate veneers. For changing the colour and shape of several front teeth together, when there is enough enamel. Enamel is usually removed, and removed enamel does not grow back, so the treatment cannot be undone².
7. Crowns. Whether a crown is needed depends on the sound tissue left, any cracks and the chewing load. A root canal treatment or a large filling does not on its own mean a crown is needed. Options that remove less tissue, such as fillings and onlays (restorations that cover part of the chewing surface), are considered first. Where too little sound tissue is left, a crown may be the right choice. On a sound tooth, a crown only for appearance is not the first option: it removes far more tissue than a veneer or bonding.

The comparison table that sets these options side by side is on the dental veneers and crowns page.

Many people who ask for a Hollywood smile picture a very white, even row of teeth. That is one possible choice, not a clinical standard. The shade, shape and size of the new teeth are agreed before anything is made, after any whitening of your own teeth.

• The colour is fixed once bonded. The colour of a veneer cannot be changed after it has been bonded³, and whitening does not lighten ceramic.
• Teeth that are not covered can change colour. Unlike ceramic, natural teeth can change colour over time, so a difference can appear between them and the restorations. This applies to the back teeth, and to the lower teeth if only the upper ones are treated.
• Shape and size are a choice too. Where a trial (mock-up) is possible, you can see the planned shape in your mouth before any tooth is prepared. The final colour and translucency of the ceramic can look different from the trial.

If you are unsure, ask to see the planned shade next to your own teeth before you agree.

Smile design is the planning that decides which treatments, in which order, can reach the look you want. The steps can vary between clinics. Where a trial is possible, the order below lets you try the planned look before any tooth is prepared. It also helps you choose the route that removes the least tooth tissue.

Risks

A Hollywood smile plan may treat many healthy teeth at once. Each prepared tooth carries the risks below, so the more teeth are prepared, the more teeth are exposed to them. The figures come from published studies, not from our own records.

• Tissue that does not grow back. For a veneer, a layer of enamel is usually removed from the front of the tooth. For a full crown, enamel is removed from every surface, and often the dentine beneath it. The tissue removed does not grow back²; the tooth depends on a restoration for life.
• Going beyond the enamel. The more a tooth is reduced, for example to cover crowded teeth, the more dentine is exposed. A retrospective study followed 672 veneers for up to 15 years, about 6 on average. Failure was seen more often where dentine had been exposed⁴ than where the preparation stayed within the enamel.
• Sensitivity. Teeth can become more sensitive because some enamel is removed³.
• The nerve of the tooth. Teeth that were alive at the start and then receive indirect restorations, such as crowns, partial crowns or bridges, can lose their vitality. In the pooled result of 37 studies with different follow-up periods, this was seen in about 5 in every 100 teeth⁵. The certainty of the evidence is low. The figure is not your personal risk, and it is not a yearly rate. The more crowns there are, the more likely it is that at least one tooth is affected. If the nerve dies, root canal treatment is needed to keep the tooth; the figure above is not a root canal treatment rate.
• Fracture and debonding. These are the main reasons ceramic veneers fail⁶; clenching and grinding increase the risk.
• Colour mismatch. Ceramic keeps the colour it was made in, while natural teeth can change over time; a difference can appear.
• Decay and gums. A crown or veneer does not protect the tooth from decay. New decay and gum inflammation can develop at the edge of restorations that do not fit well or are not cleaned well enough. The gum can also recede. In a review of studies on crowns, inlays and onlays, decay was the main biological complication⁷.
• Repair and replacement. Restorations do not last for life; over time they may need repair or replacement, which has an additional cost. The more teeth are treated, the greater this burden becomes.
• Expectations. A digital design is a visualisation; the real result depends on the condition of the teeth, the gums and the bite. Images presented as a promise are misleading.

Benefits

• Veneers and crowns can change the colour, shape and size of several teeth together, where whitening or bonding cannot reach the aim.
• Planning treatment for all your concerns together, rather than one at a time, aims to avoid unnecessary or conflicting procedures.
• Where a trial is possible, it lets you assess the planned look before any tooth is prepared, and change your mind.
• A plan done in the right order can end with the option that removes the least tooth tissue, on fewer teeth.

Care depends on the treatment carried out; the shared principles are:

• After teeth are prepared, they can be more sensitive to hot and cold. Sensitivity that lasts more than a week or keeps getting worse is a reason to contact your dentist.
• Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. Clean the edges of restorations and between your teeth every day.
• Do not bite your nails, pens or hard objects with your front teeth. If you clench or grind, a night guard may be recommended.
• The colour of whitened teeth partly returns over time. Whitening does not change the colour of ceramic. Ceramic stains less than bonding composite, although discolouration can appear along its edges over time. Colour differences between restorations and your natural teeth are assessed at check-ups.
• If you have had orthodontics, wear the retainer for as long as your dentist recommends; without it, teeth tend to move back.
• Come for regular check-ups; the edges of restorations, the gums and the bite are assessed.

How long any result will last cannot be known for certain in advance. The figures below come from published studies, not from our own records.

The effect of whitening fades over time⁸, and the teeth partly return to their earlier colour.

A 2025 review combined 29 studies of ceramic veneers. About 94 to 97 in every 100 veneers were still in place⁹ after an average follow-up of about 10 years. The range covers feldspathic, leucite-reinforced and lithium disilicate ceramics; there are no long-term data for zirconia veneers.

The great majority of single crowns on natural teeth are still in place after five years¹⁰, according to a 2026 review of 64 studies.

A restoration that is still in place is not necessarily free of complications. It may have needed repair, and in time it may need replacing. The result depends on the condition of the teeth, the bite, your habits and your care.

1. What is proposed for which tooth, and why? Ask for a reason for each tooth.
2. Is doing nothing, or waiting, also an option? For healthy teeth, the consequences of not treating and of postponing should be discussed too.
3. Why is a less invasive option not enough for this tooth? The answer should rest on the condition of the tooth, not on a one-size-fits-all offer, the material or a deadline.
4. Veneer or crown, and why? A veneer covers the front surface of a tooth; a crown covers the whole tooth². If a crown is proposed for a healthy front tooth, ask why a veneer or bonding is not enough.
5. Is there a trial stage? Can you try the planned look in your mouth before any tooth is prepared?
6. How much tissue will be removed, and from how many teeth? This is decided by a clinical examination and restorative planning; X-rays are used when clinically needed. A plan made from photographs alone is only a preliminary assessment, not a firm plan.
7. Could a root canal treatment be needed? For teeth where crowns are planned, the condition of the nerve is assessed in advance.
8. How long, and how many appointments? Ask how many appointments the plan needs and over what period, including the try-ins and the review.
9. What happens afterwards? Ask in writing who will deal with a fracture, a debonded restoration or sensitivity, and how.

If you are undecided between two plans, getting a second opinion is normal; ask for your photographs and X-rays. You can say no, or take time to decide, before any tooth is prepared.

Contact your dentist if any of the following happens after treatment:

• Sensitivity that lasts more than a week or keeps getting worse
• Pain when biting, or a feeling that the bite is too high
• A break, crack or movement in a restoration; a crown or veneer coming off (keep the piece)
• Bleeding, recession or a dark line in the gum at the edge of a restoration

Emergencies. Throbbing pain, facial swelling or a fever are not an expected result; see a dentist without waiting. Some signs need emergency care: difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling in the mouth and neck that spreads quickly, or swelling around the eye. In that case, go to an emergency department or call 112.

Fees are not given on this page. The main factors that affect the cost are:

• Which treatments it includes
• How many teeth are treated
• The material and how it is made
• Treatment needed first: decay, gums, root canal treatment
• The trial and review appointments

For comparable treatments, the fewer teeth are treated, the lower the cost and the fewer teeth lose tissue. Ask for the plan in writing, showing which procedure is proposed for which tooth, and why.