“Hollywood smile” is a popular name, not a single procedure. It describes a plan to change the colour, shape, length and alignment of the teeth you show when you smile, so that they suit your face and lips. Depending on your starting point, the plan may combine whitening, composite bonding, gum contouring, porcelain veneers and, only where a tooth is already heavily damaged, crowns.
Because most of these steps involve removing tooth structure that never grows back, the most important part of a smile makeover happens before any drilling: an honest diagnosis, a design you can see and test, and a plan that treats as few teeth, as gently, as possible. This page explains how that works during a stay in Istanbul and what to watch out for.
Is a smile makeover right for you?
A smile design suits adults with healthy gums and teeth who are bothered by discoloured, worn, chipped, uneven or slightly crooked front teeth, or by gaps. Before anything cosmetic, decay, gum inflammation and infections are treated, and a stable bite is confirmed.
Some people are better served by something else, or should wait:
- If your teeth are mainly crooked or crowded, orthodontic treatment with aligners or braces can often straighten them without cutting enamel, even if it takes months.
- If your only concern is colour and the teeth are well shaped, professional whitening alone may be enough.
- Untreated grinding breaks porcelain and must be addressed first, often with a night guard.
- Gum disease, receding gums or heavy smoking compromise the result and its durability.
- Young adults whose gum line is still settling are usually advised to wait.
From digital design to the final smile
Analysis and digital design
The dentist takes photographs, a short video while you talk and smile, X-rays and a 3D scan of your teeth. On this basis a digital smile design is prepared: tooth proportions, the curve of the smile line, the midline of your face and how much tooth shows at rest are all considered. You discuss the shape and the shade, and what is realistic for your teeth.
The mock-up: a test before you commit
The design is then transferred into your mouth as a mock-up, a thin layer of temporary resin placed over your own teeth without any preparation. You can look at it, smile, speak, take photos and ask for changes. Do not agree to drilling until you have seen and accepted a mock-up.
The treatments that may be combined
- Whitening comes first if it is planned, because porcelain does not change colour later and the shade of veneers is chosen to match your whitened teeth.
- Gum contouring reshapes an uneven or high gum line with a laser or a small incision, under local anaesthesia.
- Composite bonding adds resin to repair chips or close small gaps with little or no drilling.
- Veneers cover the front of the tooth. Minimal-preparation or no-preparation veneers are possible when the teeth are well positioned and the design adds rather than removes volume.
- Crowns cover the whole tooth and are reserved for teeth that are already broken, root-treated or heavily filled.
Preparation is done under local anaesthesia. Temporaries protect the teeth while the laboratory makes the final restorations, which are tried in and adjusted before final bonding.
The overtreatment risk you should know about
In recent years, media reports and dental organisations have described short dental trips in which many healthy teeth were ground down to small stumps to receive full crowns, a pattern widely referred to in the press as “Turkey teeth”. The consequences can include sensitivity, damage to the nerve requiring root canal treatment, gum inflammation and a smile that looks bulky and uniformly white. These are avoidable choices, not inevitable outcomes. The number of teeth treated should follow from your smile line and their condition, not from a package; full crowns on healthy teeth are rarely justified for cosmetic reasons; and a clinician who suggests treating fewer teeth or choosing orthodontics deserves more trust, not less.
Your stay in Istanbul, day by day
A full smile design usually requires seven to ten days, with five to seven days of actual treatment:
- Day 1: arrival and transfer to your hotel.
- Day 2: examination, X-rays, photos, scan and cleaning; any decay or gum problem is treated; whitening if planned.
- Day 3: review of the digital design and the mock-up; you approve the plan in writing.
- Day 4: preparation of the agreed teeth, gum contouring if planned, impressions and temporaries.
- Days 5 – 7: laboratory work and one or more try-ins to check shape, shade and bite.
- Days 8 – 9: final bonding or cementing, then a check of the bite and gums.
- Day 10: last review and flight home.
Whitening or bonding alone take far less time; your plan states the exact number of days.
What the written quote should include
Esthappy organises the consultation, the dental fees, your hotel, transfers and an interpreter. Your quote should list:
- each tooth to be treated, by number, and the type of restoration for each;
- the material (for example feldspathic porcelain, lithium disilicate or zirconia);
- whitening, gum contouring, cleaning or fillings, if included;
- the digital design, mock-up, temporaries and try-ins;
- a night guard where grinding is a concern;
- hotel nights and transfers.
The quote lists exactly what is included and should state how remakes or repairs are handled.
Settling in, week by week
First days: teeth may feel sensitive to cold, and the gums slightly sore, especially after contouring. Most people go back to desk work after one or two days. The bite may feel unfamiliar, and your lips need a little time to adapt to the new shape.
Weeks 1 – 2: sensitivity usually fades. Report any high spot in the bite or rough edge so it can be adjusted, as these can strain the veneers.
Weeks 2 – 6: trimmed gums settle into their final contour. Your speech and the feel of your teeth become familiar. The result can be judged once the gums have settled.
Risks, and how they are kept in check
- Sensitivity or nerve damage: limited by conservative preparation and careful cooling during drilling.
- Chipping or debonding: reduced by a stable bite, a night guard for grinders and avoiding biting hard objects.
- Gum irritation: reduced by well-fitting margins and good daily cleaning.
- Dissatisfaction with the look: addressed by the mock-up and try-in before final bonding.
Questions to ask before booking
- Why does each of these teeth need treatment, and what is the least invasive option?
- How much enamel will be removed, and will any tooth get a full crown?
- Can I see and approve a mock-up before anything is prepared?
- Would orthodontics or whitening alone achieve part of what I want?
- Which material is planned, and why?
- What happens if a veneer chips or comes off once I am home?
Back home: follow-up and lifelong care
After you return, the team stays in touch: send photos if something feels wrong. See a local dentist for persistent sensitivity, pain on biting, swollen gums, or a chipped or loose restoration.
You leave with a treatment report listing every treated tooth and the material used, your X-rays, the shade reference and, where relevant, your night guard. Veneers and crowns need lifelong care: brush and clean between your teeth daily, attend check-ups every six months and wear your night guard if prescribed. Restorations do not last indefinitely; expect them to be repaired or replaced at some point, and bear this in mind when deciding how many teeth to treat.