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Smile makeover

Smile design · Veneers & crowns

Smile makeover in Istanbul, Turkey Veneers, crowns and whitening, planned tooth by tooth and shown to you before anything is final.

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Hollywood smile and smile makeover in Istanbul: smiling woman in her thirties holding a hand mirror (illustrative image, not a patient) — Smile Makeover

Treatment at a glance

How a smile makeover with veneers works, step by step

Smile makeover with porcelain veneers, 3D illustration: prepared upper front teeth and veneers

Illustration for explanation only. How many teeth are treated, and whether each one needs a veneer or a crown, is planned from your own examination and scan.

In short

A smile makeover is a plan, not one procedure. Depending on your teeth it combines porcelain laminate veneers, crowns in zirconia or E-max glass-ceramic, teeth whitening, composite bonding and gum contouring. Veneers are thin shells bonded to the front of sound teeth. Crowns cover the whole tooth and suit teeth that are heavily filled, broken or root-treated.

Most people who ask us about a smile makeover are unhappy with the colour, shape or spacing of their front teeth, or have old fillings and crowns that no longer match. Preparing teeth for veneers or crowns removes enamel and cannot be undone, so a careful plan starts with what can be kept. Your written plan states the days and visits you would need in Istanbul.

How it works — 4 steps

We look at your photos.A free first assessment from home, before you book flights.
You are examined in Istanbul.An examination and a digital scan on your first day confirm the plan.
You see the design first.A try-in shows shape and shade before your final teeth are made.
Your new teeth are fitted.Veneers or crowns are bonded in place, and your bite is checked.

What it is: A planVeneers, crowns, whitening or bonding, as your teeth need
Materials: Ceramic or compositePorcelain veneers, zirconia or E-max crowns, composite bonding
Planning: Photos and digital scanA design and a try-in before the final teeth
Anaesthesia: LocalYour dentist explains the options for your case
Visits to Istanbul: In your planDays and visits are stated before you book flights
Price: Written quoteAfter a dentist has seen your photosNot reversible: a prepared tooth always needs a veneer or crown

1 Before you travel · From home

A first answer before you book anything

Send a few photos of your teeth, or a panoramic X-ray if you have one, on WhatsApp or through the form. A dentist reviews them, and our international team replies in your language.

What we ask you

Photos of your teeth or a panoramic X-ray
Your general health and any medication
What bothers you most about your teeth now
Which dates could work for you

What you receive

Your treatment options, explained
A price range
The days and visits you would need in Istanbul
A final plan only after your examination

2 In Istanbul · Arrival and examination

We meet you, examine you and confirm the plan

Airport and hotel. We coordinate your airport transfer and your stay with partner hotels near the clinics, including the Sheraton Grand Istanbul Esenyurt and Days Inn by Wyndham Istanbul Esenyurt.
Examination at the clinic. Day one starts with your examination, a 3D tomography (CBCT) and a digital scan of your mouth.
The plan, in person. Your dentist goes through the images with you and confirms the plan, or explains any change and why. Treatment then follows the written plan you approve.
In your language. Our international department works in English, Arabic, French and Turkish.

3 In Istanbul · Design and try-in

You see the design before anything is final

Photos and shade. Your dentist takes photos, records the colour of your teeth and talks through what you would like to change, and what you would rather keep.
The design. The new shape of your teeth is designed from your digital scan and photos, so that it suits your lips, your gum line and your bite.
Try-in. In many cases the design can be tried on your own teeth as a temporary mock-up. You see length and shape in the mirror and can ask for changes.
Gums and whitening first. If your plan includes gum treatment, gum contouring or whitening of the teeth that are not being covered, this comes before the final shade is chosen.

4 In Istanbul · Preparing the teeth

Your teeth are prepared and protected

Local anaesthesia. The teeth are numbed, so you should feel pressure and vibration rather than pain. Your dentist explains the anaesthesia options for your case beforehand.
Preparation. For a veneer a thin layer of enamel is removed from the front of the tooth. For a crown the tooth is reduced all round. The aim is to remove no more than the material needs.
Scan of the prepared teeth. A new digital scan is taken, and your veneers or crowns are made to fit it.
Temporary teeth. You usually wear temporary veneers or crowns while the final ones are made. They protect the prepared teeth but are not as strong, so you eat carefully.

5 In Istanbul · Your new teeth

Your new teeth are fitted

Try-in. The finished veneers or crowns are first placed on your teeth without being fixed. You look at shape and shade in the mirror before anything is bonded.
Bonding. Once you and your dentist are happy, veneers are bonded to the teeth and crowns are cemented in place.
Bite check. Your dentist checks how your teeth meet and adjusts any spot that touches too early.
Before you fly. You are shown how to clean around your new teeth, and your dentist tells you whether a night guard makes sense for you.

6 Aftercare · Back home

Looking after your new teeth

Veneers and crowns are cleaned like natural teeth: brushing every day and cleaning between the teeth. The tooth underneath can still decay at the edge and gums can still become inflamed, so check-ups matter. Routine check-ups can be done with a dentist near your home.

After you fly home, your coordinator stays in touch and your dentist is one message away for questions and follow-up.

Your treatment journey

Your smile makeover journey,
step by step.

From your first photos to your new smile, one international team coordinates every step.

Step 1 / 5 · From home

Get in touch

Send a few clear photos of your smile on WhatsApp or through the form, and tell us what you would like to change. A dentist reviews them, and our international team replies in your language.

Photos on WhatsApp
Reviewed by a dentist
English · Arabic · French · Turkish

Step 2 / 5 · From home

Your written plan

You receive a written plan: which options are suggested for your teeth, such as veneers, crowns or whitening, a price range, and the days and visits you would need in Istanbul, so you can book flights with confidence. The final plan is confirmed after your examination.

Options explained
Days and visits stated
Confirmed after examination

Often a good fit if …

You are unhappy with the colour, shape or length of your front teeth
You have small gaps, chips or worn edges
Old fillings or crowns no longer match your other teeth
Your gums are healthy, or you are ready to have them treated first
You can keep up daily cleaning and check-ups

Worth discussing first if …

Missing teeth → single or multiple implants can be part of the plan
Crowded or misaligned teeth → orthodontics first can save healthy enamel
Sound, well-shaped teeth that are only discoloured → whitening may be all you need
Active gum disease, untreated decay or heavy teeth grinding → these are dealt with first

Not sure? Send us a few photos of your smile. A dentist will tell you which treatments make sense for your teeth, and which you do not need.

Get my free assessment

Feature	Laminate veneers	Zirconia crowns	E-max crowns	Composite bonding
What it covers	The front surface and biting edge	The whole tooth	The whole tooth	Only the part being repaired or reshaped
Best suited to	Sound front teeth with colour, shape or spacing concerns	Heavily filled, broken or root-treated teeth, and back teeth	Teeth that need a crown where a natural look matters most	Small chips, small gaps and minor shape changes
Tooth preparation	Little: a thin layer of enamel at the front	More: the tooth is reduced all round	More: the tooth is reduced all round	Little or none
Material	A thin porcelain shell	Zirconia, a very strong ceramic	Lithium disilicate glass-ceramic	Tooth-coloured resin, shaped on the tooth
Over time	Keeps its colour; can chip or come off	Keeps its colour; a porcelain surface layer, where one is used, can chip	Keeps its colour; can chip or crack under heavy load	Can stain and wear; easier to repair
Reversible	No	No	No	Largely, when no enamel is removed

Orthodontics & clear aligners Single & multiple implants Before & after cases

Everyday life with new teeth

Eating and drinking	Once the numbness has worn off
Work and daily routine	Usually straight away
With temporary teeth	Softer food, nothing sticky or hard
Hot and cold sensitivity	Common at first; it usually fades
Biting hard things	Not with your front teeth: no ice, pens or fingernails

How you look after them

Brush every day and clean between your teeth
Wear a night guard if your dentist recommends one
Do not use your teeth to open or tear things
Keep up check-ups and professional cleaning

Contact us if …

Your bite feels high or uneven, a veneer or crown feels loose or comes off, a tooth stays sensitive or starts to ache or throb, or the gum around a tooth stays red or swollen.

What it does not do

Veneers and crowns do not protect a tooth from decay or gum disease. The edge where ceramic meets tooth still needs cleaning every day. Ceramic also does not respond to whitening, so the shade you choose is the shade you keep.

Not reversible

Enamel removed for a veneer or crown does not grow back. A prepared tooth will always need to be covered, now and when the veneer or crown is replaced one day.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity to hot and cold is common after preparation and usually settles. Tell us if it does not.

A tooth that needs root canal treatment

Occasionally the nerve of a prepared tooth becomes inflamed and the tooth needs root canal treatment. The risk is higher with crowns and with teeth that already have large fillings.

Chipping or coming loose

Ceramic can chip or crack, and a veneer or crown can come off. Teeth grinding, nail biting and biting hard objects raise this risk.

They do not last for ever

Veneers and crowns wear, gums can recede and edges can become visible. Expect to maintain or replace them at some point in your life.

Shade and gums

Ceramic cannot be whitened later, so the shade is chosen carefully and agreed with you at the try-in. Inflamed gums bleed easily and can change position as they heal, which is why gum health comes first.

What changes the price

The number of teeth, whether each one needs a veneer, a crown or only bonding, the material, and any gum treatment, whitening or root canal treatment your case needs.

What to ask for in writing

The teeth to be treated and the material for each, by name
What the price includes
The days and visits planned in Istanbul

Travel and stay

We coordinate airport transfers and accommodation with partner hotels near the clinics. Ask your coordinator what your quote includes.

Only if your case needs it

Extra steps such as gum treatment, root canal treatment or a night guard are explained and written into your plan before treatment starts.

No price is final until a dentist has examined you. Your plan is confirmed after your examination and digital scan in Istanbul.

Patient storiesSmile makeover patients, in their own words

Patients who travelled to Istanbul for zirconia crowns and a new smile talk about their experience. Tap a card to watch.

Zulfia from Russia: zirconia crowns at İkon Dental in Istanbul, Turkey (patient video review)

Noel from Malta: smile transformation at İkon Dental in Istanbul, Turkey (patient video review)

Ziki from the Netherlands: Hollywood smile at İkon Dental in Istanbul, Turkey (patient video review)

Sakir from the Netherlands: implants and zirconia at İkon Dental in Istanbul, Turkey (patient video review)

See all patient stories

Before & afterSmile design, veneers and crowns: before and after

Real patients treated at İkon Dental: smile design, laminate veneers and zirconia crowns. Tap a photo to enlarge it.

Upper-jaw smile design before and after in Istanbul, Turkey: photos of a patient from the Netherlands at İkon Dental — NetherlandsUpper-jaw smile design

Upper-jaw smile design before (top) and after (bottom), close-up: a patient from the Netherlands treated at İkon Dental, Istanbul — NetherlandsUpper-jaw smile design

Smile design before and after in Istanbul, Turkey: photos of a patient from the Netherlands at İkon Dental — NetherlandsSmile design

Smile design in Istanbul, Turkey: a patient from the Netherlands after treatment at İkon Dental — NetherlandsSmile design

Smile design with zirconia crowns before and after in Istanbul, Turkey: photos of a patient from the Netherlands at İkon Dental — NetherlandsSmile design with zirconia crowns

Smile design with zirconia crowns in Istanbul, Turkey: a patient from the Netherlands after treatment at İkon Dental — NetherlandsSmile design with zirconia crowns

Smile makeover before and after in Istanbul, Turkey: photos of a patient from Germany at İkon Dental — GermanySmile makeover

Smile makeover before (top) and after (bottom), close-up: a patient from Germany treated at İkon Dental, Istanbul — GermanySmile makeover

Laminate veneers before and after in Istanbul, Turkey: photos of a patient at İkon Dental — **Laminate veneers**

Laminate veneers before (top) and after (bottom), close-up: a patient treated at İkon Dental, Istanbul — **Laminate veneers**

Laminate veneers before and after in Istanbul, Turkey: the smile of a patient at İkon Dental — **Laminate veneers**

Zirconia crowns before and after in Istanbul, Turkey: photos of a patient at İkon Dental — **Zirconia crowns**

Zirconia crowns before (top) and after (bottom), close-up: a patient treated at İkon Dental, Istanbul — **Zirconia crowns**

Zirconia crowns before and after in Istanbul, Turkey: the smile of a patient at İkon Dental — **Zirconia crowns**

Results differ from person to person. What is possible for you depends on your own teeth, gums and bone, which your dentist assesses at the examination.

See all before and after cases

Questions about a smile makeover

The questions we hear most often. If yours is not here, ask us on WhatsApp.

Does a smile makeover hurt?

Teeth are prepared under local anaesthesia, so you should feel pressure and vibration rather than pain. Sensitivity to hot and cold is common afterwards and usually settles. Your dentist explains the anaesthesia options for your case.

Veneers or crowns: which do I need?

It depends on each tooth. A veneer covers the front of a sound tooth and needs little preparation. A crown covers the whole tooth and suits teeth that are heavily filled, broken or root-treated. Many plans combine both. Your dentist recommends one for each tooth after the examination.

Will my teeth be filed down?

Some enamel is removed, and this cannot be undone. For a veneer it is a thin layer at the front of the tooth; for a crown the tooth is reduced all round. Ask your dentist how much preparation each tooth in your plan needs, and whether whitening, bonding or orthodontics could do the job with less.

How much does a smile makeover cost in Istanbul, Turkey?

We do not publish fixed prices, because the cost depends on the number of teeth, the treatment each one needs and the material. Send us photos of your smile and you receive a price range with your written plan, free and with no obligation. No price is final until a dentist has examined you.

How long do I need to stay in Istanbul?

It depends on your case: how many teeth are treated, and whether gum treatment or other steps come first. Your written plan states the days and visits you would need, before you book flights.

How long do veneers and crowns last?

They can last many years when they are cleaned well and checked regularly, but not for ever. Teeth grinding, biting hard objects, gum health and decay at the edges all affect how long they last. Expect that they will need replacing at some point.

Can I choose the colour, and can it be whitened later?

You choose the shade together with your dentist and see it at the try-in. Some people want the very white, very even look often called a Hollywood smile; others prefer a shade close to natural teeth. Either way, ceramic does not respond to whitening, so it cannot be lightened afterwards. If you want your natural teeth whiter, that is done first and the ceramic is matched to them.

Is İkon Dental authorised to treat patients from abroad?

Yes. İkon holds the International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health, for its Başakşehir and Hadımköy clinics. You can see the certificate on our international patients section.

What do I need to send for a first assessment?

Clear photos of your smile from the front and from both sides are enough to start. Add a panoramic X-ray if you have one, and a short note about your dental history, your general health and what you would like to change.

This page is general information and does not replace an examination by a dentist.

Why İkonWhy patients choose our clinics

Treatment abroad is a big decision, so here is what you are choosing: three clinics in Istanbul, one standard of care, and an international team that stays in touch from your first message to your follow-up at home.

Reception at İkon Dental Bahçeşehir, a dental clinic in Istanbul, Turkey

Another treatment room at İkon Dental Kıraç, a dental clinic in Istanbul, Turkey

Dental X-ray and 3D imaging room at İkon Dental Kıraç, a dental clinic in Istanbul, Turkey

Sterilisation room at İkon Dental Bahçeşehir, a dental clinic in Istanbul, Turkey

2008Founded in Hadımköy

Built on one rule

İkon began as a two-chair practice. It grew into three clinics by offering only what is useful to the patient. Nothing is sold because it is profitable.

3Clinics in Istanbul

One team, one standard

All our dentists provide general dental treatment, and each brings fields of special interest from their training. Cases that need more than one field are planned together by the team.

MoHAuthorised

Approved for international patients

International Health Tourism Authorisation Certificate from the Turkish Ministry of Health, for the Başakşehir and Hadımköy clinics.

4Languages spoken

Understood from the first message

Our international department works in English, Arabic, French and Turkish, from your first photo on WhatsApp to the follow-up after you fly home.

Why İkon?Our clinics Our doctors International patients

Other treatmentsWhich treatment suits your teeth?

A smile makeover often sits next to other treatment, such as straightening teeth first or replacing a missing one. Your examination shows what fits.

Braces and clear aligners in Istanbul: smiling man in his thirties holding a clear aligner (illustrative image, not a patient)

Orthodontics & Clear AlignersClear Aligners & Braces for a Straighter Smile

Dental implants in Istanbul, Turkey: smiling woman in her forties with her hand on her chin (illustrative image, not a patient)

Single & Multiple Dental ImplantsPermanent Replacement for One or More Teeth

Zirconia dental implants in Turkey: smiling woman around sixty with short blonde hair (illustrative image, not a patient)

Zirconia Dental ImplantsMetal-Free Ceramic Implant Option

Full mouth dental implants in Istanbul, Turkey: smiling man in his fifties giving a thumbs-up (illustrative image, not a patient)

Full-Arch Dental ImplantsComplete Upper & Lower Teeth Restoration

Your journey starts here

Your next chapter
begins with a conversation.

Tell us what you would like to change. We reply with options, the days you would need in Istanbul and a price range. Free, and with no obligation.

Bahçeşehir

2. Kısım, Mercedes Bulvarı No:28-A D:78, 34488 Başakşehir

+90 546 690 88 10 View on map

Free online consultation

Full name

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Email (optional)

What would you like to change?

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Your details are used only to answer this request. No price is final until a dentist has examined you.