Smile Design in Turkey
Smile design (sometimes marketed as "Hollywood smile") is a comprehensive approach to transforming the appearance of a smile using a combination of veneers, crowns, gum contouring, and digital planning technology. It is not a single product but a methodology: every smile is designed individually based on the patient's facial proportions, lip dynamics, gum architecture, skin tone, and personal preferences.
The term "Hollywood smile" has become ubiquitous in dental tourism, but the quality gap between clinics using this label is enormous. A genuine smile design is planned tooth by tooth, previewed in the mouth before any irreversible preparation, and executed with materials and craftsmanship that produce a result indistinguishable from naturally perfect teeth. A poor "Hollywood smile" produces the uniform, over-white, bulky appearance that makes dental work immediately obvious.
Vellum Select curates dentists for whom smile design is an artistic discipline, not a standardised package.
Conditions This Treatment Addresses
Frequently Asked Questions
About Smile Design in Turkey
What is the difference between smile design and just getting veneers?
Veneers are a product. Smile design is a process. You can get veneers placed without a formal design protocol — but you risk a result that looks technically acceptable yet doesn't harmonise with your face. Smile design uses digital facial analysis, proportion mapping, and mock-up previews to ensure the veneers are designed specifically for your face before fabrication begins.
What is a Hollywood smile?
"Hollywood smile" is a marketing term for a full-arch veneer or crown makeover that creates a bright, symmetrical smile. The quality ranges enormously between providers. At its best, it produces a natural, luminous result. At its worst, it produces uniform white tiles that look obviously artificial. The difference is in the design and fabrication quality.
Can I see my new smile before committing?
Yes. The mock-up trial is a standard part of the smile design process. Temporary restorations matching the digital design are placed in your mouth so you can see and feel the result in real life before any irreversible preparation begins.
How long does smile design take?
Typically 7–14 days in Istanbul: consultation and design (days 1–2), preparation and temporaries (day 3), laboratory fabrication (5–7 days), final bonding and adjustment (day 10–14). Some patients complete treatment in a single trip; others prefer to split across two shorter visits.
Will my smile look natural or obviously fake?
That depends entirely on the dentist and ceramist. Dr. Sönmez's philosophy — and the reason Vellum Select curates her specifically — is that the best smile work is invisible. She customises colour, translucency, surface texture, and micro-characterisation so that each tooth looks naturally perfect rather than artificially uniform.
Smile Design Cost in Turkey
| Treatment | UK Cost | Turkey Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Smile design (8 veneers) | £6,000–£10,000 | £1,800–£3,500 |
| Smile design (16–20 veneers) | £12,000–£20,000 | £3,500–£7,000 |
| Smile design with gum contouring | +£1,000–£2,000 | +£300–£600 |
Your Dentist: Dr. Nesrin Sönmez
Dr. Nesrin Sönmez is a prosthodontist, cosmetic dentist, and dental ceramist, a rare combination that means the person who designs your smile is the same person who handcrafts the final ceramics. Her PhD research on CAD/CAM materials ensures evidence-based material selection, and her approach treats each smile as a unique composition shaped by the patient's individual facial features.
Her practice, NS Clinic in Nişantaşı, Istanbul, is equipped with digital smile design software, intraoral scanners, and an in-house ceramic finishing studio.
Journey to Recovery
Facial Analysis and Photography
Detailed photographs and video of the face are taken at rest, smiling, speaking, and laughing. These capture the dynamic relationship between teeth, lips, gum line, and facial features.
Facial Analysis and Photography
Detailed photographs and video of the face are taken at rest, smiling, speaking, and laughing. These capture the dynamic relationship between teeth, lips, gum line, and facial features.
Digital Design
Using DSD software, ideal tooth proportions, arch shape, and symmetry lines are mapped onto the facial photographs, considering the golden proportion, smile arc, gum line symmetry, and buccal corridor.
Digital Design
Using DSD software, ideal tooth proportions, arch shape, and symmetry lines are mapped onto the facial photographs, considering the golden proportion, smile arc, gum line symmetry, and buccal corridor.
Mock-up Trial
A temporary preview of the designed smile is placed directly in the mouth using composite or milled acrylic. The patient evaluates the result in their own face before any tooth preparation occurs. Adjustments are made until the patient approves.
Mock-up Trial
A temporary preview of the designed smile is placed directly in the mouth using composite or milled acrylic. The patient evaluates the result in their own face before any tooth preparation occurs. Adjustments are made until the patient approves.
Execution
Only after final approval does tooth preparation begin. The approved design serves as the precise specification for the dental laboratory, ensuring the final restorations replicate the previewed result.
Execution
Only after final approval does tooth preparation begin. The approved design serves as the precise specification for the dental laboratory, ensuring the final restorations replicate the previewed result.
Learn more about Smile Design in Turkey
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