Dental makeovers make a difference

Tue, Jan 20, 2009
Mind Your Body, The Straits Times




Makeovers made a difference

By Margaret Lee

Perfectly aligned, spotless, attractive teeth?

Everybody dreams of having a mouthful of pearly whites fit for the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with teeth that grow perfectly and few can afford to put their money down on a complete dental overhaul.

For those in the entertainment industry though, it is often a necessary career move that could help boost a public image.


Actor Sunny Pang, 36, known for his independent films and dangerous stunts, knew nice teeth would be an asset.

The rugged Mark Of The Beast actor seems an unlikely candidate for cosmetic dentistry.

However, boxing and martial arts stunts knocked out some of his teeth and cracked others, so he sought help from a dental surgeon.

As he began to get more leading roles on the big screen, he decided he had to do something about his teeth.

The process involved crowning, bridging and implants, which cost about $28,000. The entire procedure required four to five visits to his dentist with each lasting three to four hours.

His patience paid off when cast, crew and friends began to ask: 'Where did you get those?'

The new look has boosted his confidence. 'I used to muffle my words as I delivered my lines because I would try not to show my teeth when I spoke,' he said.

That will not be a problem in his upcoming movie, Knife, in which he plays an ex-Special Forces soldier with killer knife skills as well as a killer smile.

You may remember Kelvin Shinji Soon, 27, the singing sensation from Project SuperStar Season 2, but not for his dazzling smile.

It was after his stint on reality TV that he decided he needed a smile makeover.

Determined to pursue his singing career and break into the highly coveted China market, he willingly paid the cost for an entire set of 20 crowns and veneers. The price? Crowns are about $1,000 each while veneers cost $700 apiece.

Soon is now preparing for his debut album. He told Mind Your Body how his 'messy' teeth took such a toll on his confidence in Project SuperStar he did not dare smile in case he revealed them.

The crooner could not sing for two months after the procedure as the new positioning of his teeth affected his diction and he had problems pronouncing certain words.

He also found that he was sensitive to cold drinks for a few weeks.

He thinks the $24,000 was money well spent though.


'I dare to smile and portray another side of me now,' he said. He calls his dental surgeon his 'magician'.

Personal grooming is a necessity in the entertainment industry, where he constantly meets new people and appearances count for everything, he said.

Polytechnic student Trish Yee, 20, went for a smile makeover to look more like the celebrities she follows.

It was her idea to undergo treatment but her mother was so supportive that she paid for the entire procedure and also attended the consultations with her. She jokingly told her daughter: 'You can pay me back later.'

At age 20, Ms Yee felt 'too old' for braces and instead opted for a set of 20 crowns, which set her mother back about $20,000.

She had the treatment done at a private clinic in April.


The procedure took two to three visits over two weeks and each session lasted six to seven hours. Ms Yee felt some pain during each session, and drinking hot and cold drinks hurt her teeth up to six months after.

She said that the change in her appearance was so natural that people would comment on her straight, pearly white teeth and ask if she had braces as a child.

She said that she has no regrets and thinks it may improve her chances when looking for work.

In fact, it has been so impressive that her mother, sister and uncle are also thinking about getting their teeth done.




The Harley Street Smile Clinic perform smile makeovers every day; changing lives on many occasions. Lisa Weston knows only too well the difference a smile makeover can make to our confidence. Read her story below:

Lisa’s Story


Like any imperfection, it effects the person concerned in a way no one else can understand. Mine just happened to be my teeth, the first thing a person looks at when you first meet them, to me it was an enormous effect on my personality. I made a promise at a young age that no matter what I would have the perfect smile.

My two front teeth started to overlap at the age of 14, first with a chip on the front right tooth which eventually overlapped in my 20’s so much so my top lip stuck out as though I had bucked teeth, the only blessing was the colour, always having brilliant white teeth. I was eventually put in touch with a local dentist who said he could correct my teeth with veneers, which after years of crooked teeth I was overjoyed. I have to add I had no experience of veneers or cosmetic dentistry at this point and maybe should have researched into the procedure before but the prospect of a new smile was all I thought about. The procedure was simple, he put 2 new veneers on top on my 2 front teeth and one at the side, what he didn’t do was file my orginal teeth in order for my teeth to sit in line with the rest of my jawline. Now I had 2 even bigger front teeth in size and width which were more prominent than before, I was so disappointed with the result.



My personality was effected as my confidence was low, I was now smiling with my mouth closed, if a photo was taken I knew I had to angle my face as not to show my teeth. Everyone I meet or watched on TV, the first thing I looked at was always their teeth. I was now in a long term relationship with my now husband and when he aked me to marry him, I always remember thinking, I will not walk down the aisle unless I can smile into the camera on my wedding day, I wanted to be relaxed and enjoy the day without having to be concerned about the angle of my face, worried all I would see in the photo’s would be how terrible my teeth looked. I never wanted the Hollywood Simon Cowell smile, I wanted my teeth to look natural, I wanted them to match and compliment my face.



I started to research into cosmetic dentistry when I was introduced to Jill Haldane by a mutual friend, Jill worked at a top London cosmetic dentistry practice. I made an appointment for the following week and arrived with excitement along with trepidation after my last experience, I was soon put at ease by the environment and the knowledge I was given at that first consultation, nothing was going to happen without my approval and I would be informed throughout the procedure. An image of my teeth was taken and the image of my teeth was scaled down to show me how my teeth would look at the end, it was decided I needed 8 top veneers and gum contouring to allow my teeth to once again look natural, nothing was required to my bottom set and the colour would be matched to my bottom set. I was ecstatic at the image staring back at me. I arranged my appointment and felt completely confident with the treatment I was going to receive.



The following appointment was for the preparation for the temporary veneers and once again the treatment and information received was superb, I was totally at ease with Maurice who was carrying out the procedure. My temporary veneers were amazing and if they had said to me these were the final veneers, I would have been happy. Maurice and Jill had both mentioned if I did not like the colour, size or shape of the temporaries then they would make changes where necessary. I loved them! I came back the next morning, and after 90 minutes of treatment again with no discomfort, my new

veneers were fitted and I was able to see the end result. They were even better than the temporaries, colour, size, fit and Maurice had made them a little smaller than the temporaries, now they looked even more natural and complimented my face beyond my wildest dreams. I never stop smiling and everyone I meet is shocked they are veneers and not my natural teeth, I tell them with pride - and a smile!