Smile Makeover in Overland Park, KS
A smile makeover is a planned combination of cosmetic treatments, such as whitening, bonding, porcelain veneers, crowns, or implants, that changes the color, shape, size, and spacing of your teeth as one design. We choose and sequence treatments around your bite and face.
At Overland Park Dental Design, Dr. Patrick B. Lillis, DDS, designs your smile digitally; you wear it as temporaries and approve it, and the final ceramic is made by hand to match. The office is at 109th and Roe in Overland Park, on the Leawood line.
- One plan for the whole smile instead of one tooth at a time
- Your new smile designed on screen, then worn and approved as temporaries
- Ceramic layered by hand at a small West Hollywood studio
- Planned around your bite, so the work lasts
- Practicing in Overland Park since 2004, one dentist, one location
Smile makeover vs veneers vs full mouth reconstruction
A smile makeover changes how your smile looks using whatever mix of treatments fits; veneers are one of those treatments, and full mouth reconstruction rebuilds a bite that no longer works.
| Compare | Smile makeover | Porcelain veneers alone | Full mouth reconstruction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main goal | How the whole smile looks | Shape, length, and color of the front teeth | How the teeth meet and function, with looks rebuilt at the same time |
| Typical treatments | A mix of whitening, bonding, veneers, crowns, implants, sometimes orthodontics first | Veneers on the teeth that show | Crowns, onlays, veneers and implants across the upper and lower teeth |
| Who it suits | A healthy bite with several things you want changed | Healthy teeth where the front surfaces are the main issue | Worn, broken or failing teeth, or a bite that never feels right |
| Number of teeth | Usually the teeth that show when you smile | Usually six to ten upper teeth | Often most or all teeth |
| Design step | Digital design and trial temporaries | Digital design and trial smile | Digital design and trial temporaries |
If your teeth are worn down or your bite has changed, full mouth rehabilitation comes first, because ceramic placed over a failing bite chips.
"Function is always first. Cosmetics will be a byproduct of proper function."
What a smile makeover can change
A smile makeover can change almost anything you see when you smile: color, shape, length, spacing, and missing or failing dental work.
Most people who come in are bothered by shape more than color. Front teeth that have worn short, gaps that opened as the gum pulled back, one tooth that sits behind the others, or old crowns that no longer match the teeth around them.
"It's really shape. People don't like the shape of their teeth."
The common problems and the treatment that usually fixes each one:
| What bothers you | Treatment that usually fixes it |
|---|---|
| Yellow or dull teeth with no other issues | Teeth whitening |
| A small chip or a small gap | Dental bonding |
| Short, uneven, or misshapen front teeth | Porcelain veneers |
| A cracked or heavily filled front tooth, or an old crown that shows | Cosmetic crowns |
| A missing tooth | Dental implants |
| Crooked teeth that are otherwise healthy | Orthodontics, usually as the first step |
Why the order of treatment matters
A smile makeover works when treatments happen in the right order, because each step sets up the next.
- Gums and decay first. Ceramic placed on inflamed gums or over active decay fails at the edges.
- Straightening comes first. Moving crooked teeth into line often means less tooth has to be shaped for veneers.
- Whitening, then matching. Whitening does not work on crowns, veneers, or fillings, so we whiten natural teeth first, then match the ceramic to the new shade.
- Missing teeth planned early. An implant changes the spacing, so it is part of the design from the start.
- We check the bite at every stage. The new edges have to work when you chew, or the ceramic chips.
How a smile makeover works at Overland Park Dental Design
You see your new smile on a screen first, then wear it in your mouth as temporaries, and the final ceramic is made only after you approve it.
Consultation and records
You start by telling Dr. Lillis what bothers you and what you want to look like. Then he takes photos of your face and smile, intraoral scans of your teeth, and records how your jaw moves and how your teeth meet.
He looks at your teeth, jaw joints, jaw muscles, and airway because a smile that ignores how the jaw works will not last.
Diagnosis and options
You hear what is possible, what each part of the plan fixes, and what order it happens in. Usually there are two or three paths at different price points, from a smaller change to a complete makeover, each with a written cost.
If something you want isn't a good idea for your teeth, you hear that at this visit, along with what would work instead.
Digital smile design
Your records go to the design team the practice works with in California, and a design file comes back, typically within about half an hour. The design is built around your face, your lips, and your bite, not a template.
The file is printed as models on the 3D printers in the practice's own laboratory.
You wear your new smile as temporaries
The printed design is transferred into your mouth as temporaries you can see, wear, and show to the people close to you. You talk, eat, and smile with it for real.
If the shape, length, or color isn't right, the design changes here, and changing it is still simple.
"They leave with the same design that they saw on the computer. The final restorations are a replica of the temporaries."
The ceramist builds your final smile
Once you approve the temporaries, the ceramist builds your final veneers and crowns by hand at a small studio in West Hollywood that Dr. Lillis has worked with for over a decade.
Each tooth is layered and shaded so it varies the way real teeth do.
Placement and bite check
We try each restoration in, check it against the adjacent teeth, and bond it in place. Dr. Lillis checks your bite with everything in place, since that decides how long the work lasts.
From then on, we check the work at every one-hour hygiene visit, with a stored intraoral scan each time, so small changes show up early.
Natural-looking results, especially after 50
A natural smile makeover looks like good teeth, and people notice you look well without being able to point to the dentistry.
Many of the people who come here for a makeover are 60 or older. Some have watched a friend get teeth that looked too white and too uniform, and put the idea off for years because of it. The difference is almost always in the planning and the laboratory.
"They don't want chiclets. They want teeth that look like teeth. Pretty, but natural."
That means teeth sized to your face and your age, color that varies slightly from tooth to tooth, and edges with the translucency of real enamel.
How long a smile makeover takes
A smile makeover takes anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on which treatments are in the plan.
- Whitening and bonding can be finished within a few weeks.
- Veneers and crowns add laboratory time between preparation and placement, because each piece is layered by hand.
- Implants add months because the bone has to heal around the implant before the final tooth goes on.
- Orthodontics adds the most time when it is part of the plan.
You get a timeline with your plan, so you can work around events that matter to you.
The dentist who designs your smile in Overland Park, KS
Dr. Patrick B. Lillis completed a two-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at the UMKC School of Dentistry, treating complex cosmetic and reconstructive cases under attending faculty. He trained under the dentists who developed the bonding techniques that made porcelain veneers predictable.
At thirteen, he worked in his grandfather's dental laboratory, waxing and casting. He opened Overland Park Dental Design in July 2004 and teaches other dentists as faculty for Seattle Study Club.
What patients say
5.0 on Google · 32 reviews
A very professional doctor and staff. They also deliver very caring and compassionate care. I highly recommend this great cosmetic doctor with his great team!😀
I've been to a number of dentists over the years. This past year I had to have some major work done. Since it affected my smile, I really wanted a top-level dentist on the job. I also have extreme anxiety about having impressions made like when you need a crown.
First let me say that all the staff at Overland Park Dental Design. are friendly and helpful. Dr. Lillas is truly a top-tier highly skilled dentist with a support team to match. They also have some type of 3d scanning software that means I didn't have to have traditional impressions which was incredible.
My teeth look perfect and the process was super smooth and painless!
I highly recommend Overland Park Dental Design!
Their team is detail oriented. You don't leave their office unless everything is perfect. I had major dental work performed. Since then I've received numerous compliments from family, friends & strangers about my new smile.
What a smile makeover costs in Overland Park, KS
The cost of a smile makeover depends on how many teeth are involved and which treatments are in the plan. Whitening and bonding cost less per tooth than veneers, crowns, or implants, so the total varies widely from one plan to another.
After the diagnostic visit, you receive a written plan with costs, usually with two or three options, and larger plans can be phased over time.
Because the ceramic ships back to Kansas, you pay Kansas City fees for work from a studio whose ceramics are priced at a premium in Los Angeles.
Smile makeovers near Leawood, Prairie Village and Kansas City
Overland Park Dental Design is in the Foxhill Medical Building at 109th and Roe, just off I-435 at Roe Avenue, on the line between Overland Park and Leawood. Patients come from Leawood, Prairie Village, Mission Hills, Olathe, Lenexa, and across the Kansas City metro.
Overland Park Dental Design, Patrick B. Lillis, DDS4601 West 109th Street, Suite 318, Overland Park, KS 66211
(913) 451-7330
Smile makeover questions
What does a smile makeover consist of?
A smile makeover is a custom mix of treatments such as whitening, bonding, porcelain veneers, crowns, implants, and sometimes orthodontics. The mix depends on what you want to change and what your teeth and bite need.
How much does a smile makeover cost?
It depends on the number of teeth and the treatments involved. After the diagnostic visit you receive a written plan with costs, usually with more than one option.
Is a smile makeover the same as veneers?
No. Veneers are often part of a smile makeover, but a makeover can also include whitening, bonding, crowns and implants, planned together as one design.
Can I see and try my new smile first?
Yes. Your smile is designed digitally, then worn in your mouth as temporaries. You approve the temporaries, and the final ceramic is made to match them.
How long does a smile makeover take?
From a few weeks for whitening and bonding to several months when implants or orthodontics are involved. You receive a timeline with your plan.
Am I too old for a smile makeover?
No. Many smile makeover patients here are 60 or older. What matters is healthy gums, a stable bite, and a design sized to your face and age.
Will my smile makeover look fake?
Not when it is planned around your face and bite and the ceramic is layered by hand. Makeovers look fake when every tooth is one flat shade, too white or too large for the face.
Does insurance cover a smile makeover?
Insurance rarely covers treatment done for appearance alone. Parts of a plan that repair damaged or missing teeth may qualify, depending on your plan.
What is digital smile design?
Digital smile design is planning your new smile on a computer from photos and scans of your face and teeth. Here, the design is printed and worn as temporaries, so you see it in your own mouth.
Book a smile makeover consultation in Overland Park
If you have wanted to change your smile for years, the consultation gets you a diagnosis, a design you can see and wear, and written costs. You decide from there.