What you mean, shown
“A bit straighter” is hard to act on. Pointing at a picture and saying “more like that, but not that far” is much easier.
A picture before a plan
Digital Smile Design in Mindarie
Seeing a change is often easier than describing it. A smile preview starts from a photo of you and shows one possible change to shape, colour or proportion. It’s a rough picture to point at and talk around, and your teeth still have the final say on what’s possible.
Something to point at
Why a picture helps
Words like “whiter” or “more even” mean different things to different people. A preview gives you something to point at: what you’d change, what you’d keep and where you’d stop. Your dentist can then explain what your teeth, gums and existing dental work make realistic.
The examination still decides
We still examine your teeth, gums, jaw, bite and existing dental work. A preview can’t stand in for that, and it can’t make a treatment right for you if your mouth says otherwise.
Several ideas, side by side
Seeing a couple of directions next to each other can show whether colour is really the main thing, or whether shape, position or a few teeth need a wider conversation.
When it’s worth it
Do I need a preview, or will a normal check do?
A preview earns its place when you’re weighing up several changes, or want to see how one affects another. Plenty of questions don’t need one. One stained tooth or a small chip is usually better answered by an ordinary check and a straight conversation.
When colour, shape, position and old dental work are all in play, a preview gives you and your dentist the same reference point. It doesn’t choose the treatment for you.
What a picture can’t do
Where a preview falls short
Treat it as a sketch of one possibility. It’s useful for showing a direction, and it has real limits. Your dentist checks the rest in your mouth.
It’s good for talking through shape, colour, proportion and what might happen in which order. It makes the conversation clearer. It doesn’t show the final result.
How it works here
How we make your preview
The photo comes after the conversation and the examination, not before. Your dentist explains what a preview could add for you, takes the records it needs and then goes through the design with you.
You point out what you notice.
Show us the teeth, colours, shapes or proportions that bother you, and what you’d like to keep. Mention any dental work, sensitivity or other problem.
We check your mouth first.
Teeth, gums, jaw, bite and the soft tissues of your mouth all get a look. X-rays or other records are only taken if your question needs them.
We take the records the preview needs.
A preview usually starts with photographs, and sometimes scans or video. We’ll tell you which your appointment needs, why, and what the preview can and can’t show.
You look it over and say what you think.
Be honest. If something looks wrong to you, say so. We’ll explain how changes to the design work and whether they’re included.
We talk about what’s realistic.
Your dentist explains whether whitening, bonding, veneers, clear aligners, a repair or something else fits, and what each one would involve.
You decide whether to go further.
Some people go ahead with one change, some take time to think, and some leave it there. Whichever you choose, it’s your call.
If you change your mind
What if I see it and decide against it?
Then you decide against it, and that’s fine. Seeing a preview doesn’t commit you to veneers, bonding, whitening, clear aligners or anything else. A preview is an illustration, not a prediction of your exact final result, and individual results vary.
Any treatment decision rests on what your dentist finds in your mouth, not on the image. There’s no deadline, either: if you’d like to talk it over at home first, take as long as you need.
Seeing isn’t signing up
Commenting on a design is just commenting. If we ever move from the preview to a treatment decision, we’ll say so out loud, so you always know which conversation you’re in.
The first version isn’t fixed
If your examination turns up something that changes the design, your dentist explains what and why, rather than treating the first picture as the plan.
What the picture leaves out
Shade in daylight, texture, tooth preparation, how your gums respond, upkeep, repairs, timing and cost all belong to the treatment conversation afterwards. No picture answers all of those.
Cost, and the free 10 minutes
Can the free 10 minutes cover a preview?
No, and it’s worth asking what’s included before you agree to anything. The examination, records, design discussion and any revisions can be charged separately from the free session, and any treatment afterwards has its own price.
Book an AppointmentFree 10 minutes, not an examination
Anyone can book our free 10-minute implant and cosmetic consultation, whether you’re new to us or not. It’s for talking through your goals and options, and as an information session it isn’t an examination and doesn’t include a preview or a quote. Ring us to ask how long a preview appointment takes.
What the preview fee covers
We’ll confirm what your preview appointment includes, such as photos, any scans or video, the design discussion and revisions, rather than quote a general price online.
Treatment is priced separately
Veneers, bonding, whitening, clear aligners and repairs each have their own price, along with their own conversation about suitability, risk and upkeep. The preview is priced on its own.
Will my health fund help?
Check with your fund first. Health funds don’t automatically cover cosmetic planning or treatment. We accept private health fund claims and are a preferred provider with Bupa, HCF and nib, but your rebate and gap depend on your policy. Our payment options page covers ways to spread the cost.
Finding us in Mindarie
We’re at 1/6 Rothesay Heights, Mindarie, and see people from Clarkson, Burns Beach, Kinross, Merriwa and Quinns Rocks. Book online, call (08) 9407 7888 or email enquiries@anchoragedental.com.au. Hours are 8am to 6pm Monday to Thursday, 8am to 5pm Friday and 8am to 1pm Saturday, and we’re closed Sundays. Ask for a smile preview appointment when you book.
After the preview
Where a preview can lead
A preview answers the “what could it look like” question. These pages cover the treatment decisions that can follow, without treating the picture as a recommendation.
Preview questions
Questions about smile previews
A preview makes the conversation more concrete, but it doesn’t turn a picture into a clinical promise. Here’s what it can do, and where your examination still has the final say.
It’s an image, made from a photo of you, that shows one possible change to the shape, colour or proportion of your teeth. It’s there to talk around. Your teeth, gums, bite, old dental work, the materials and how your mouth responds all change what’s actually possible, so we’ll point out which parts would carry into a real plan.
A planning tool. It helps you and your dentist talk about possible changes before deciding on whitening, bonding, veneers, clear aligners, a repair or nothing at all. Each of those still needs its own examination, consent, risk discussion and cost.
Usually photographs, and sometimes scans or video. We’ll confirm which records your appointment needs, so don’t assume any particular scanner, software or 3D model is part of it. Before you agree, we’ll tell you what will be captured, why, and how it’s used and stored.
Yes. Your feedback is part of the process. Before you agree to the preview, we’ll tell you how revisions work, whether they’re included and what happens if your examination changes the design.
No. Looking at or discussing a preview doesn’t commit you to anything. We’ll go through the risks, alternatives, upkeep and cost of any option, and the decision stays with you. If you’d like to ask questions before booking, our free 10-minute consultation is open to everyone, but it’s an information session about your goals, not an examination, plan or quote.
It can be the starting point. A smile makeover sorts several concerns into an order, with the risks, upkeep, timing and cost of each stage, and a preview can help you see where you’d like that plan to head.
It can help you see a few possible directions, but it doesn’t make every option right for you or show every limit. Your dentist checks your teeth, gums, bite and existing work before explaining which of those is worth considering.
We don’t list a fixed fee, because what’s included varies from person to person. We’ll confirm the price before your appointment, and any treatment estimate stays separate from the preview.
