Being a cosmetic dentist has always involved helping to transform people’s smiles, but what a lot of people don’t realise is how cosmetic dentistry has, and continues to evolve. A person’s smile is the first thing you notice when you meet them, whether that’s in person, on a video call, on social media or in a photo. And a smile reveals a great deal about a person, I can tell by looking at someone’s social media feed for example if they are self-conscious about their smile, because they will often cover their mouth in photos, or keep their lips together. A person’s smile is such an integral part of not only how they look but also who they are, and it’s for this reason that in my 15 years in this industry I’ve developed a deep understanding of human behaviour and the psychology behind the smile.
Changing smiles – rejection of perfection
A decade ago we saw a rise of the big, white, perfect smiles that were made popular with many celebrities and TV personalities. These smiles, achieved with veneers, were obvious not just due to their unnaturally bright colour but also due to their size and uniformity. In the last decade however a huge shift has taken place which is in part due to society’s expectations, but also due to improvements and advancements in the world of cosmetic dentistry. Society is becoming not only more accepting of a person’s unique features, but also learning to celebrate our differences. Now we are experiencing a rejection of so-called ‘perfection’ as people not only become more accepting of a person’s unique features, but are keen to celebrate them. This has evolved alongside cosmetic dentistry techniques such as the development of Feather VeneersⓇ, so that now clients are looking for natural looking smiles which embrace their best features compliment their face. They want people to notice that their smile looks fantastic, but to be left wondering ‘have they, haven’t they?’ had dental work done. By opting for natural, unique and bespoke smiles they can retain character and personality whilst also looking their best. Of course it’s important not to confuse ‘natural’ for yellow or crooked. It’s still about beautifully straight and perfect smiles but ‘perfect’ no longer means fake. It should be the most perfect smile for you, guided by factors such as facial harmony, existing face structure and psychology, allowing the individual’s character to shine through.
#Smilesculpting and the hand made trial smile
One of the reasons that sets my cosmetic dentistry practice apart from others is something that is increasingly relevant in the image-conscious society that we live in – Smilesculpting™.
Smilesculpting™ treatment attracts an international client base and is now more popular than ever. This aptly named treatment involves the hand-sculpting of harmonious looking shapes for each patient, instead of ordering it in on a templated smile. The treatment involves sculpting bespoke, perfectly natural shapes for each individual patient, and applying wafer thin porcelain shells (Feather Veneers ®️) made as a replica of the hand sculpted design, individually designed to cover the teeth. This gives a healthy, natural look that enhances the smile in nearly every way. It’s about handcrafting teeth to fit your smile, rather than the other way around, and the end result is unbelievably good.
And the first step of the process is the ‘Trial Smile’ – a hand sculpted temporary set of veneers. The temporary set of veneers allows you to live and breathe with your ‘new’ smile before you actually get it. This smile trial allows patients to decide if their new smile is exactly how they want it before we do the final placement of veneers. Being able to test out your smile before you have it is an ideal way of making sure it fits perfectly with your face, that it’s in harmony with your facial structure and that it feels right. It results in a more natural facially driven and less artificial result.
Veneers and the changing landscape
Veneers have never been more popular or sought after, but the way they are used has (and should have) changed significantly. In the past, treatment often involved removing a considerable amount of healthy tooth structure, which is now widely considered unnecessary in many cases.
One of the key innovations in this space is the development of ultra-thin porcelain veneers, such as Feather Veneers®, exclusive to Bespoke Smile. Feather Veneers® offer an entirely new approach to smile transformation. These are typically around 0.3-0.5mm thick and are designed to require little to no preparation of the natural tooth.
What makes Feather Veneers® different is that they are handcrafted for each individual patient, combining artistry with modern dental innovation to create a result that feels highly natural and personalised. At Bespoke Smile we have our own ceramics laboratory, where every Feather Veneer® is crafted entirely by hand by his master ceramist. The veneers are custom shaded to mimic the natural anatomy of the tooth and are facially designed to complement a patient’s features, rather than creating a one-size-fits-all smile. The aim is enhancement rather than replacement.
Feather Veneers® were created to address longstanding issues associated with traditional veneers, including invasiveness and overly artificial aesthetics. Despite being ultra-thin and lightweight, they are made from porcelain, one of the strongest and most durable materials used in dentistry.
This means we can achieve a highly aesthetic outcome while maintaining the integrity of the enamel, which is essential for long-term dental health. The best cosmetic dentistry should be undetectable.
Teeth as a statement of wealth
Teeth, and indeed smiles, have now become a statement of wealth, and at £1500-£2000 per tooth it’s safe to say that these smiles don’t come cheap.
With bespoke treatments and individually hand-crafted smiles in luxurious surroundings complete with a concierge service, for many dental treatment is nothing short of a VIP smile treatment. There is no substitute for the feeling of confidence an individual and beautiful smile can give. Smiles have now stepped into the luxury sector where they’re regarded as a must-have accessory, just like holding a designer handbag on their arm, or sitting behind the wheel of the latest Lamborghini, their smile is a statement of their wealth. The key difference here, however, is that a hand-crafted smile also has benefits to physical health and wellbeing. I’ve seen firsthand how a smile transformation can provide a subtle yet beautiful change which improves confidence and wellbeing.
Social media and its role in patient education
Social media plays a huge part in today’s image-conscious world, and there are now approximately 5.66 billion social media users worldwide* – that’s nearly 7 in 10 people on Earth.
All businesses need to utilise social media in order to drive visibility and bookings, and cosmetic dentistry is no different. The key difference here, however, is that we leverage social media through education, rather than marketing. We see it as a platform to educate and empower our audience about safe and best practice, and in doing so we build a community who not only understand, but also trust, our techniques. The benefits of this are multifaceted, whereby we not only safe them from the common botched jobs that we see so often in clinic, but also raise awareness of the safe, subtle transformations that can be achieved.
Cosmetic dentistry – the future
The global cosmetic dentistry market is experiencing significant growth᩵᩵᩵. It crossed $31 billion in 2026, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors in all of healthcare. * Whereas once upon a time someone visited a cosmetic dentist just to fix a chipped tooth or straighten a wonky smile, now it’s about more than that. The landscape of the industry has changed so much that cosmetic dentistry now involves the smile as a central aspect of someone’s physical health and happiness. Supported by the continued evolution of sophisticated techniques, smiles are set to become high on the agenda for 2027 and regarded as integral for confidence and wellbeing.
