Four Tips for Getting a Celebrity Smile

You see them on the big screen and the red carpet – those sparkling celebrity smiles. In a recent poll by DentalPlans.com, we asked people to tell us which celebrity has the best smile.

Over 1000 votes later, the top ten results are in:

1. Julia Roberts
2. Jennifer Aniston
3. Dwayne Johnson
4. Tom Cruise
5. Jennifer Lopez
6. Angelina Jolie
7. Brad Pit
8. Kim Kardashian
9. Denzel Washington
10. Beyoncé

Runners up: George Clooney, Blake Lively, Emma Stone, Jennifer Garner and Anne Hathaway.

How to Get a Celebrity Smile

A healthy mouth doesn’t have to be flawless. But if amazing, perfect teeth are what you want, here’s how to get them:

1. Porcelain veneers: are a celebrity smile’s very best friend. That’s no surprise, they were invented specifically to perfect the smiles of actors, back in the late 1920s by California cosmetic dentist Dr. Charles Pincus, who was known as the “Dentist to the Stars.” These super-thin (think fingernail thin overlays of porcelain) are custom-made to fit your natural teeth and they really are amazing. They can change the shade, shape and size of your teeth, and completely transform your smile. They are also amazingly expensive, starting at an average of $1,000 per tooth. Insurance rarely, if ever, includes cosmetic procedures like dental veneers but dental savings plans can dramatically reduce the cost of veneers.
2. Bonding: is more affordable than veneers and can also make a huge difference in how your smile looks. Bonding can fix chips and sometimes even repair broken teeth. The procedure can also fill in gaps between your teeth, give you a less gummy smile, and correct color and shape flaws. Bonding is significantly less expensive than veneers, typically costing between $500 and $750 per tooth. But bonding lasts 4 to 8 years (at best – be careful when you’re chewing!) while porcelain veneers will usually keep you smiling for 10-15 years.
3. Whitening: If you’re basically happy with the shape of your teeth, and just want a brighter smile, teeth whitening treatments are the way to go. Easy and very affordable, teeth whitening can be done at home, but your dentist will often be able to achieve a better, whiter result faster (one or two sessions as opposed to several weeks for at-home kits). And if you have discoloration that originates inside a tooth, at-home bleaching won’t help at all and you’ll definitely need to see your dentist. Also be aware that if you bleach at home and have dental crowns or veneers, you may end up with two-toned teeth. Ditto if your teeth don’t perfectly line up – that whitening strip may give you uneven results. All in all, it’s better to get bleaching done by your dentist. Professional whitening treatments cost $450-$600.
4. Smile makeover: this option is the most expensive, as it includes a combination of veneers, bonding and whitening along with crowns, dental implants and potentially even gum reshaping. The benefits of this comprehensive approach is that you have a treatment plan and a goal that you and your dentist are working towards. The drawback is the cost – depending on what procedures you need, you might have to pay a minimum of $50,000 for a comprehensive smile makeover and, honestly, probably double that cost.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Smile Makeovers?

Modern dentistry can give virtually anyone a perfect smile, but the cost of treatment can keep most of us from getting that enviable grin. Typically, dental insurance doesn’t cover optional treatments, and cosmetic procedures aren’t medically necessary. And dental insurance rarely pays to fix problems that existed before you purchased the policy.

So chances are good you’ll be paying the full cost out of pocket for your celebrity smile unless you join a dental savings plan. These plans provide discounts on cosmetic care (along with virtually all dental treatments). For example, a dental savings plan can reduce the cost of dental veneers by 50%. See how much you can save here using our savings calculator.