Flawless Harmony from Careful Planning

Understanding the Real Problem

She came to our Beverly Hills practice after trying Invisalign, hoping that straightening her teeth would solve her smile concerns. The aligners did their job—her teeth were now perfectly positioned. But something still looked off, and she could not pinpoint what it was. The answer lay not in where her teeth sat, but in how they were shaped. Her lateral incisors, teeth number seven and ten, were genetically smaller than normal. This is a relatively common condition called peg laterals or microdontia, and no amount of orthodontic movement can fix a problem that is fundamentally about tooth size and shape.

This is a situation I encounter regularly in my practice, having treated complex cosmetic cases for over 20 years. Patients invest time and money in orthodontic treatment, expecting a perfect smile, only to discover that alignment was never the core issue. When the problem is the teeth themselves—their size, shape, or proportion—only restorative dentistry can provide the solution.

"Orthodontics moves teeth. It cannot change their shape."

Why Small Lateral Incisors Disrupt Harmony

The lateral incisors sit immediately adjacent to your front teeth, the central incisors. In a harmonious smile, the lateral incisors should be approximately 80 percent the width of the centrals. When they fall significantly below this ratio, as with genetically small laterals, the entire smile appears unbalanced. The central incisors look too large. The canines look too prominent. Even though every tooth may be healthy and properly positioned, the proportional relationship is disrupted.

This disruption becomes more apparent when you smile broadly. The asymmetry draws the eye. People sense something is wrong without being able to articulate what. The patient often hears vague comments—nice smile, but something seems off—that erode confidence over time.

The Facially-Driven Design Approach

The solution required more than simply making the lateral incisors larger. If we had addressed only teeth seven and ten, they would have looked out of place against the unchanged surrounding teeth. True harmony demanded a comprehensive approach—redesigning the proportional relationships across all visible upper teeth to create a cohesive whole.

This is what we call facially-driven design. Rather than focusing on teeth in isolation, we begin with the face. We analyze how the lips frame the smile, how much tooth shows at rest and in animation, how the smile relates to facial features and overall appearance. The teeth are designed to complement the face, not exist independently of it.

With over two decades of experience in cosmetic dentistry, I have learned that technical precision alone does not create beautiful smiles. The mathematics of proportion must merge with artistic judgment—an understanding of what looks natural and appealing on a specific individual. Every face is different. Every smile requires its own design.

Comprehensive Proportional Redesign

We placed ten porcelain veneers on the upper teeth, not because all ten teeth were problematic, but because achieving true harmony required adjusting every proportion. The small laterals received the most significant change in width. The central incisors were refined to create better proportional balance with the new laterals. The canines and premolars were shaped to flow naturally from the anterior teeth.

Color was addressed simultaneously. Her existing shade had yellowed slightly over time. The new veneers introduced a brighter yet natural tone—not the artificial white that announces dental work, but a refined improvement that enhances without calling attention to itself.

• Lateral incisors increased to proper proportional width
• Central incisors refined for improved balance
• All ten teeth shaped to create unified proportional flow
• Natural color gradation from gum line to incisal edge
• Surface texture matched to natural tooth anatomy

Why This Result Is Beyond Reproach

The transformation speaks for itself. Not only is the color improved, but the shape achieves something rare in cosmetic dentistry—flawless natural beauty. This is not a generic Hollywood smile imposed on a unique face. This is a smile designed specifically for this patient, taking into account her facial features, lip dynamics, and personal aesthetic.

The result appears effortless, as if she was simply born with perfect teeth. That apparent effortlessness is the product of careful planning, precise execution, and the accumulated judgment that comes from over 20 years of creating smiles at the highest level. Anyone can make teeth whiter. Creating absolute harmony requires experience and refined taste working together.

"The goal is not perfect teeth—it is teeth perfect for your face."

The Five-Week Process

From consultation to final placement, treatment required just five weeks. The first appointments involved detailed analysis and digital planning, allowing the patient to preview her new smile before any work began. This preview step is essential—it ensures alignment between patient expectations and clinical outcomes before committing to irreversible preparation.

Tooth preparation was performed with meticulous attention to preserving healthy structure while creating adequate space for the porcelain. Temporary veneers allowed the patient to live with her new proportions, making any necessary refinements before final fabrication. When the permanent veneers were placed, she saw exactly what she had approved—no surprises, only the realization of a carefully developed plan.