Reviewed by Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS — South Florida Smile Spa, Pompano Beach, FL
A smile makeover in Pompano Beach is not a treatment you book. It is a plan that decides which treatments you need, in which order, to get one result instead of several unrelated ones.
Quick answer
A smile makeover combines whatever cosmetic and restorative treatments are needed — whitening, bonding, veneers, crowns, sometimes Invisalign or implants — into a single sequenced plan. At South Florida Smile Spa in Pompano Beach, Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS plans it from photographs, the bite and gum health, and you preview the proposed shape and length in temporary material before anything irreversible happens. Treatment can be staged over months by budget or time. The foundation is always treated first, because cosmetic work built on untreated disease does not last.
A Plan, Not a Procedure
Why sequence matters more than technique
Treated one at a time, dental problems tend to get solved in the order they hurt. That produces a mouth full of individually reasonable decisions that do not add up: a crown matched to a shade you later whiten past, veneers on teeth that should have been moved first, a bridge where an implant would have preserved bone.
Planning the whole result first avoids that. It also usually reduces the work. Once you know where the teeth should end up, it becomes obvious which ones genuinely need porcelain and which only need to be a different colour.
The plan is built from photographs, the bite, and the condition of the gums, not from a menu.
What a makeover is usually made of
| Element | What it addresses | Typical stage |
|---|---|---|
| Gum health | The frame around every tooth | First, always |
| Invisalign | Teeth that are out of position | Before anything is shaped |
| Whitening | Overall shade | Before restorations are matched |
| Bonding | Chips, small gaps, minor reshaping | After the shade is set |
| Porcelain veneers | Shape, colour and alignment across front teeth | After position and shade |
| Crowns | Teeth too damaged for a veneer | With the porcelain stage |
| Implants | Missing teeth | Early; healing sets the timeline |
Where the damage is extensive across both arches, the right label is full mouth reconstruction rather than a cosmetic makeover. The difference is whether we are rebuilding function or refining appearance.
Seeing It First
How the plan gets made
- What you actually want. In your words, with your own photographs. People are rarely bothered by what a dentist would list first.
- The foundation. Decay, cracked teeth, bite, and a periodontal examination. This decides what is possible.
- Records. Photographs, a digital scan and, where useful, a design mocked up before anything is touched.
- The preview. A trial smile in temporary material, so you can wear the proposed shape and length and live with it for a few days.
- Adjust, then commit. Changes are made at the preview stage. Once porcelain is bonded, altering it means remaking it.
Longer appointments are common in makeover treatment, and sedation is available in house if that is a concern.
What we will tell you honestly
- If whitening alone would get you most of what you want, we will say so before proposing porcelain.
- If your teeth need moving, doing that first means less drilling and a better result than masking it with veneers.
- If you grind, the plan includes a night guard, because porcelain without one is a repair waiting to happen.
- If the timeline you want is not realistic for the biology involved, you will hear that at the start rather than midway through.
- Nothing placed in a mouth is permanent. Every plan has a maintenance cost, and you should know it before you begin.
If you are still deciding whether any of this is for you, this piece covers why more South Florida patients are asking, and our cosmetic dentistry page sets out the individual options.
Care in Pompano Beach
Why patients choose South Florida Smile Spa
Dr. Nicole M. Berger has practiced in Pompano Beach for more than twenty years. She plans makeovers as one result rather than a series of appointments, and she is willing to talk you out of the expensive version.
- Photographic and digital planning before anything is prepared
- A trial smile you can wear and assess before committing
- Digital scanning with the iTero scanner rather than impression trays
- IV and oral sedation available for longer visits
- A written plan with sequence, timeline and figures before the first appointment
- English and Spanish spoken, at one location on E McNab Rd serving Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coconut Creek
New here? See what to expect on your first visit, or meet the team.
If you have been putting this off
Bring photographs of what bothers you. The first appointment is a conversation and an assessment, and you will leave knowing what is realistic and roughly what it involves.
South Florida Smile Spa · Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS · 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 · (954) 785-1100
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a smile makeover?
A plan rather than a procedure. It combines whatever treatments are needed to reach one agreed result, sequenced so that each step supports the next, instead of treating problems one at a time as they surface.
How long does a smile makeover take?
Anywhere from a few weeks to a year or more. Whitening and bonding are quick. If teeth need straightening first, or implants need to integrate, the timeline is set by biology rather than by scheduling. You will be given a realistic sequence at the planning stage.
Do I have to do it all at once?
No, and most people do not. Staging by budget and by time is normal. What matters is that the whole plan exists before the first step, so early work is not undone later.
Can I see the result before you start?
To a degree, yes. Photographs, digital design and a trial smile in temporary material let you see and wear the proposed shape and length before anything irreversible happens. That preview is the point at which to say what you would change.
What treatments might be involved?
Commonly whitening, bonding, veneers, crowns, and replacement of old fillings. Sometimes Invisalign to move teeth into better positions first, implants to replace missing teeth, or gum treatment to get the frame healthy. The mix depends on your mouth, not on a package.
Does a smile makeover include the gums?
Often. Gum health and gum position shape every tooth you see, and uneven gum levels are a common reason a smile looks wrong even when the teeth themselves are fine. Periodontal treatment comes before cosmetic work, not after.
Will it look natural?
That is a choice you get to make. A natural result usually means slightly irregular rather than perfectly uniform, with translucency at the edges and shade variation from front to back. If you want brighter and more even than nature, that is achievable too; it should just be deliberate.
What if I do not like it?
The trial stage exists so that this gets caught before the permanent work. Adjustments to shape, length and shade are expected and easy while you are in temporaries, and difficult once porcelain is bonded. Be picky at the preview.
Is a smile makeover covered by insurance?
The cosmetic elements usually are not. Parts that restore function or repair damage, such as a crown on a cracked tooth or treatment for gum disease, often are. Our front desk separates the two and gives you the figures in writing.
What drives the cost?
The number of teeth involved, the materials, and whether the foundation needs work first. A makeover built on healthy gums and well-positioned teeth costs far less than one that needs periodontal treatment, orthodontics and implants before the visible work starts. That is why the assessment comes first.
I have put this off for years. Is it too late?
Very rarely. Worn, broken or missing teeth are all workable, and if the situation is extensive it may be a case for full mouth reconstruction rather than a cosmetic makeover. Either way, an honest assessment costs you one appointment.