What Is a Smile Makeover? How I Plan One With My Patients

Dr. Liza Wakim explains what a smile makeover actually is, how she plans one with her patients, and what to expect from the process — from first consultation to final result.

There’s a phrase I hear in consultations more than almost any other: “I just want to feel like myself again.”

Sometimes it comes from someone who’s been hiding their smile in photos for years. Sometimes it’s a person who had great teeth as a kid and watched things shift, chip, or fade over time. Sometimes it’s someone who’s never felt fully confident in their smile — not even once — and has finally decided to do something about it.

What they’re all describing, whether they know it or not, is a smile makeover. And the first thing I tell every one of them is this: it’s not a procedure. It’s a plan.

What a smile makeover actually is

A smile makeover is a customized combination of cosmetic and restorative dental treatments designed to address everything you want to change about your smile — in the right sequence, at the right pace, for your specific teeth, face, and goals.

There’s no single procedure called a “smile makeover.” It’s not something you can point to on a menu. What it is, is a treatment plan I build with you — one that might include teeth whitening, veneers, bonding, Invisalign, gum contouring, crowns, or implants, depending on what your smile needs and what you’re hoping to achieve.

The combination is different for every patient. That’s the point.

How I think about a consultation

My training at the Pankey Institute shaped the way I approach every new patient, and nowhere is that more true than in a smile makeover consultation. The Pankey philosophy holds that before a dentist recommends anything, they need to understand what the patient actually values — not just clinically, but personally.

So when someone sits down with me for the first time and says they want a smile makeover, I don’t start talking about procedures. I start asking questions.

What bothers you most about your smile right now? Is it the color, the shape, the alignment, the way your gums frame your teeth — or all of the above? What does your ideal outcome look like? Are you working toward a specific timeline — a wedding, a reunion, a milestone birthday? What’s your lifestyle like — are you a coffee drinker, do you grind your teeth, do you play contact sports?

The answers to those questions shape everything. A smile makeover for someone who wants subtle, natural-looking improvement looks completely different from one designed for someone who wants a dramatic transformation. Neither is wrong. Both are right, for the right person.

What the planning process looks like

Once I understand what a patient wants, I do a comprehensive clinical assessment — examining the health of the teeth and gums, the bite, the bone structure, and how the smile relates to the face as a whole. Cosmetic dentistry doesn’t exist in isolation. A great smile has to work with your facial proportions, your lip line, the way your teeth show when you talk and laugh — not just when you’re posing for a photo.

From there, I build a sequenced treatment plan. Sequence matters more than most patients expect. If whitening is part of the plan, it happens before veneers or bonding — because we match restorations to the final whitened shade, not the starting one. If there’s any underlying gum disease or structural issue, that gets addressed first. If orthodontic work is needed to shift teeth before cosmetic work begins, we plan for that timeline.

I also talk honestly about phasing. Some patients want to — or need to — spread treatment across several months for scheduling or financial reasons. A well-designed smile makeover can absolutely be phased without compromising the outcome, as long as the sequencing is right. That’s something I map out clearly at the start, so there are no surprises.

The treatments most commonly involved

While every plan is different, a few treatments show up frequently in smile makeovers at our practice:

Teeth whitening is often the starting point — the foundation everything else builds on. Professional whitening produces results that over-the-counter products simply can’t match, and it sets the shade baseline for any restorations that follow.

Veneers — either composite or porcelain — address shape, size, and color for the front-facing teeth. They’re one of the most powerful tools in cosmetic dentistry for visible, lasting transformation.

Dental bonding is a versatile option for smaller concerns — chips, minor gaps, slight irregularities — where a full veneer isn’t necessary.

Invisalign comes into play when alignment is part of the picture. Straightening teeth before cosmetic work often reduces how much cosmetic work is needed — and produces a more natural-looking result.

Gum contouring addresses the frame around the teeth. A smile that shows too much gum, or one where the gumline is uneven, can undermine even the most beautiful teeth. Reshaping the gumline is often a finishing touch that makes the whole smile come together.

Crowns and implants enter the plan when structural or restorative needs are part of the picture — a tooth that’s too damaged for a veneer, or a gap left by a missing tooth that affects the overall smile.

What to expect from the process

The timeline for a smile makeover depends entirely on what’s involved. A plan centered on whitening and composite veneers might be completed in a few appointments over a month or two. A more comprehensive plan involving Invisalign, porcelain veneers, and gum contouring might unfold over the better part of a year.

What I can tell you is that I don’t rush this process, and I don’t think patients should either. A smile is something you’ll have for the rest of your life. The time spent planning it well — understanding your options, making deliberate choices, addressing things in the right order — is time that pays off every single day.

I believe the heart communicates first with a smile. When someone leaves this practice with a smile they’re genuinely proud of, that’s not just a cosmetic outcome. It changes how they carry themselves. It changes how they walk into a room. That’s what I’m working toward, every time.

Ready to start the conversation?

If you’ve been thinking about a smile makeover and aren’t sure where to begin, the answer is simple: start with a consultation. You don’t need to know exactly what you want or have a plan in mind. That’s my job.

I’m happy to sit down with anyone in the Washington, PA area — or the greater Pittsburgh region — and walk through what’s possible for your specific smile. No pressure, no obligation. Just information, and an honest conversation.