Skip to main content
Open Search
Contact Us
Search for topics or resources
Enter your search below and hit enter or click the search icon.
Close Search
Smile Transformation Stories

Katie

Katie came to our Wellesley clinic concerned about two porcelain crowns she had done nearly a decade earlier. She disliked their shape and color, felt her bite was “off,” and was frustrated by repeated adjustments with her previous dentist. Our comprehensive Smile Design approach gave her a balanced, natural, and stable smile.

Katie Smile Transformation

Katie's Smile Transformation Story

When Katie first visited us, she was unhappy with both the appearance and function of her smile.

Her two existing crowns looked mismatched in shape and color, her gumline felt uneven, and her bite was unstable — requiring frequent adjustments that left her worried about fractures and further wear. After a full evaluation, we diagnosed ill-fitting anterior crowns, tooth size discrepancies, lower crowding, upper tooth shifting, and a traumatic bite.

At our Wellesley Smile Design Clinic — the first certified Digital Smile Design Clinic in the U.S. — we developed a precise, step-by-step plan. Katie began with a Smile Design “test drive” to preview her ideal proportions, followed by clear aligner therapy (Invisalign) to correct crowding and eliminate traumatic bite forces. We then performed laser gum recontouring to create balanced gum architecture, completed professional whitening for a brighter foundation, and finalized her smile with a combination of two porcelain crowns (to replace her old crowns) and two porcelain veneers on her lateral incisors, handcrafted by our in-house Master Ceramist. To ensure long-term stability, Katie now wears custom clear retainers to protect her restorations, prevent relapse, and keep her bite stable.

The result is a smile that feels fresh, balanced, and authentically her own.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Cosmetic Dentistry Key Highlights

  • Patient: Katie, Massachusetts
  • Concerns: mismatched porcelain crowns (color/shape), uneven gumline, unstable bite, repeated crown adjustments
  • Diagnosis: ill-fitting anterior crowns, upper-lower tooth size discrepancy, lower crowding, upper tooth shifting, traumatic bite
  • Treatments:
    • Smile Design “test drive” for preview and planning
    • Clear aligner therapy to correct bite and crowding
    • Laser gum recontouring for symmetry
    • Professional whitening for natural brightness
    • Two porcelain crowns + two porcelain veneers (upper anteriors) by in-house Master Ceramist
    • Clear retainers for long-term protection and stability
  • Outcome: A natural, proportionate, and stable smile with restored function and esthetics
Katie Smile Transformation with Dr Cardenas

Ready to Experience the Maria Cardenas Difference?

If you’ve lived with crowns or veneers that don’t look right, or if your bite feels unstable and uncomfortable, we can help.

At our Wellesley clinic, we specialize in smile revision cases, combining Digital Smile Design, orthodontics, and in-house ceramic artistry to achieve results that are beautiful, functional, and long-lasting.

Schedule your consultation today and experience the difference of a smile designed for you.

Best Dental Team Wellesley

Book Your Appointment Today