Before a makeover, ask these questions.
A smile makeover can be transformative, but the wrong plan can mean many healthy teeth crowned for a uniform look, which removes a lot of tooth and cannot be undone. The right questions, in writing before you travel, are your protection. We never name a clinic.
before you pay or travel
crowns remove far more
does not grow back
What should you ask first?
Ask why each tooth is being treated and whether veneers or no treatment would do instead of crowns, how much tooth will be removed, which material and laboratory will be used, how many visits the plan needs, whether you will see a digital design or mock up first, and how aftercare and any remake are handled once you are home. Get it in writing.
A clinic that explains the plan clearly, prefers the least invasive option, and puts the details in writing is a good sign. Pressure to crown many healthy teeth quickly is a warning. This is general information, not medical advice.
The list to send in writing.
Email these before you commit. A careful clinic will answer each one plainly and keep the plan conservative.
Crowns or veneers, and why? Ask why each tooth is treated, and whether veneers, alignment, or whitening would achieve the look with less tooth removed. Crowns take the most tooth and cannot be undone.
How many teeth, and how much is removed? A full arch differs from a few front teeth. Ask for the plan tooth by tooth and whether any healthy teeth are being prepared that did not need it.
Which material and laboratory? All ceramic and zirconia differ in strength and look, and a good laboratory shows in the result. Ask which will be used and to see the shade plan.
Will I see a design or mock up first? A digital smile design or a trial mock up lets you preview the shape and size before anything irreversible is done.
How many visits, over how long? Makeover work is usually staged, with temporaries first. Ask whether you need a second trip and how the fit and bite are checked.
What does the package include? Confirm whether whitening, gum work, scans, and aftercare are in the price, and what is extra.
What happens if something fails at home? Ask about the guarantee, who pays for a remake, and how a chipped or loose restoration is handled from another country.
Clear, conservative, and in writing.
A conservative instinct. A good clinic reaches for the least invasive option that gets the look you want, and is willing to say no treatment is needed where that is true. If it talks you out of crowning healthy teeth, that is a sign of care.
A preview before anything permanent. Expect a digital design or a trial mock up so you can see and agree the result before any tooth is reduced.
Named materials and laboratory. A clinic confident in its work will name the material and the laboratory and put them in writing.
A real plan for follow up. Expect a clear answer on the guarantee, what a remake costs, and how a problem is handled once you are home, with your records shared.
When to walk away.
Be cautious if a clinic proposes crowning a full set of healthy teeth for a cosmetic result, especially without offering veneers or a more conservative option. Heavy, irreversible reduction of sound teeth is the most common concern raised about cut price smile work abroad.
Other warnings include no preview or mock up before treatment, a refusal to confirm the material or laboratory in writing, a package so cheap something must be left out, vague answers on aftercare, and pressure to decide quickly or pay in full before you arrive.
A safe rule: if you cannot get clear, written answers to the questions above, that is your answer. A second opinion from an independent dentist at home, reviewing the plan and your scans, is worth the small cost.
Get these questions answered properly.
Send one brief and we route it to vetted clinics that will confirm in writing why each tooth is treated, the material, the laboratory, and how aftercare works. You choose, with no pressure.
Free and no obligation. Accredited clinics only. We never sell your details.
How we make money: the guides are free and no clinic can pay to be named, ranked or recommended. We never name clinics. Get Matched is an optional service that helps keep the guides free and independent of any one clinic; using it is always your choice and you are never charged. How this works.
The things everyone asks.
What is the single most important question?
Why each tooth is being treated, and whether veneers, alignment, or whitening would achieve the look instead of crowns. Crowns remove the most tooth and cannot be undone.
Should I expect a preview before treatment?
Yes. A digital smile design or a trial mock up lets you see and agree the shape and size before any tooth is reduced. A clinic that skips this is worth questioning.
Why ask which laboratory is used?
Because the laboratory affects the fit and the look of veneers and crowns. A poorly fitting restoration can let bacteria in at the margin and cause problems over time.
What is a warning sign in an answer?
A plan to crown a full set of healthy teeth, no mock up, vague replies on material or aftercare, a package far below the market, or pressure to pay in full before you arrive.
Is a second opinion worth it?
Often yes. An independent dentist at home reviewing the plan and your scans is a small cost against irreversible over treatment of healthy teeth.
Where to go next.
Smile makeover cost
Guide liveThe honest total, what drives the price, and the over treatment risk.
What to ask about veneers
Guide liveThe more conservative option in many makeovers, and what to ask.
What to ask about crowns
Guide liveIf crowns are proposed, the questions that protect your teeth.
More smile makeover guides are in production. You can Get Matched or browse all procedures.
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