When 12-year-old Emma* came to our Midtown office with her mother, she had a clear goal: she wanted a more mature, symmetrical smile so she could audition for older roles.
As a working actress, Emma had spent years playing younger characters—roles where gaps between her teeth were perfectly fine, even charming. But as she grew, so did her ambitions. She wanted to play adolescent characters, and that meant her smile needed to reflect her age. She wanted whiter, straighter, more even-looking teeth, and she wanted to replace her missing top lateral tooth.
Her mother wanted to understand all of her options—and she wanted to make sure we chose the right approach for someone so young.
Listening First, Planning Second
I started our appointment by listening to Emma. I wanted to understand exactly what she was hoping for, so I could create a plan that matched her expectations. After taking detailed photos and studying her case, I created a digital smile simulation that reflected what she was asking for.
Then we sat down together—Emma, her mother, and me—to discuss her options: veneers, a dental implant, or a bridge.
But here's what I kept coming back to: Emma is 12. She's still growing. Her face is changing. And while she has strong feelings about her smile right now, those feelings might shift as she gets older. Dental restorations also change over time depending on their environment. So my goal was to give her a beautiful, symmetrical smile while being as conservative as possible—both in terms of the dental work itself and the time she'd spend in the chair.
Let's be honest: asking a 12-year-old to sit through long, complicated procedures isn't realistic. I wanted to give her the smile she wanted in the least amount of time, with the least invasive approach.
A Coordinated, Conservative Plan
After reviewing the simulation and discussing her options, Emma decided to start with Invisalign through an orthodontist. I coordinated closely with the orthodontist to make sure we created the right amount of space for her teeth.
Once her Invisalign treatment was complete, I did some cosmetic refinements to her enamel to fine-tune her tooth shape and alignment. Then we placed one porcelain veneer and one porcelain Maryland bridge.
A Maryland bridge is a conservative option that attaches to the back of the adjacent teeth—it doesn't require crowns or caps on her healthy teeth like a traditional bridge does. No anesthesia was needed, and it only took two one-hour appointments to complete her new smile.
Her Treatment, Visit by Visit
Before her visits: about 2 years of Invisalign with her orthodontist. Her Invisalign tray had a fake tooth placed inside to hide the fact that she was missing her lateral incisor, so she didn't need temporaries.
- Preparing her teeth. No anesthesia was needed. We reduced a very small amount of enamel, and she barely noticed. We scanned her smile to create a model of her teeth, selected the right shade and took photos.
- Her veneer and Maryland bridge. I inserted her veneer and Maryland bridge, again with no anesthesia. She was blown away by her result. She couldn't believe she finally had the beautiful teeth she had always wanted.
The Results: Confidence On and Off Camera
Both Emma and her mother were thrilled with the results. Emma is now auditioning for the mature roles she always wanted, and she feels more confident than ever—not just on camera, but among her middle school peers.
It was a pleasure to work with such a thoughtful, motivated young patient and to help her step into this next chapter with a smile that reflects who she's becoming.
*All photos and stories are of actual patients. Patient names changed for confidentiality.
