A smile makeover is a multi-treatment cosmetic plan that combines veneers, crowns, whitening, and sometimes gum contouring to redesign the visible smile zone. Done well, the process starts with a structured digital design phase that lets you preview the planned outcome — and adjust it — before any irreversible tooth preparation begins. Done poorly, it can produce results that look artificial or are mismatched to the patient's facial proportions. This guide walks through Rodin's digital design process in detail: what equipment we use, what the day-by-day flow looks like, what design principles we apply, and where the honest limits of current 2026 technology sit.
The process described below is what Rodin actually does, with transparent disclosure of the technologies we use (Medit i700 wireless intraoral 3D scanner, in-office CBCT, professional DSLR facial photography, 3D-printed mock-ups) and those we do not currently offer (3D facial scanning, dynamic facial tracking systems). We believe in being straightforward about capability rather than implying we offer technologies we don't.
All pricing below is Rodin's published from-prices as of May 2026. Final case-specific pricing is confirmed in writing after the diagnostic visit (¥19,900), which includes the full digital design records collection.
Our digital technology stack
Smile-makeover precision depends on the records you capture and the design tools you apply to them. Rodin invests in a specific stack designed for high-precision cosmetic design while staying honest about which technologies we have not adopted.
Intraoral 3D scanning — Medit i700
We use the Medit i700 wireless intraoral scanner — a Korean-engineered scanner widely considered among the most accurate scanners on the market. It captures a full-mouth 3D scan in under five minutes, in real-time color, with no impression material required. For patients with strong gag reflexes — historically the largest barrier to high-quality cosmetic impression-taking — the change is significant: you feel a small wand inside your mouth for a few minutes rather than a tray full of impression putty for ten.
- Wireless operation — no cable obstructing the scanner head or the operator's hand position.
- Real-time color scanning — the digital model is rendered in the actual colors of teeth, gums, and existing restorations.
- Full-mouth scan in under five minutes — typically 3-4 minutes for experienced operators.
- No impression material required — eliminates the impression-material discomfort and gag-reflex trigger of traditional alginate/silicone impressions.
- High-precision margin capture — particularly important for veneer cases where the prep margin must be captured without distortion for the lab to manufacture an accurately fitting restoration.
Facial documentation — professional DSLR photography
Smile design depends on understanding how the planned restorations will interact with the patient's lip line, facial proportions, and dynamic smile. Rodin uses calibrated professional DSLR photography in 10-12 angles per consultation, along with short video clips capturing the dynamic smile. This 2D photographic documentation is the foundation of the facial analysis phase.
- 10-12 facial angles — frontal, oblique, profile, smile, repose, exaggerated smile, lip-retractor close-ups.
- Smile videography — short clips capturing how the lips move during speech, laughter, and natural smile.
- Calibrated color reference — using VITA shade tabs in-frame for accurate color analysis.
- Standardised lighting and distance — ensuring the photos are comparable across visits and usable for design software.
What we transparently do not offer
In the interests of honest patient communication, we explicitly disclose the technologies we do not currently use. Some Tokyo clinics market 3D facial scanning as a smile-design feature; we do not currently offer this, and we do not believe the existing 3D-facial-scan systems are essential for high-quality cosmetic outcomes in the vast majority of cases. Our position is that high-precision 2D facial photography combined with Medit i700 intraoral 3D scanning provides the necessary data for excellent smile design. The 2D plus intraoral 3D combination is, in fact, the standard at most major U.S. cosmetic prosthodontic practices.
- We do NOT currently offer 3D facial scanning systems (e.g., 3dMD, Bellus3D).
- We do NOT currently offer dynamic facial tracking systems.
- We DO use detailed 2D photographic analysis combined with intraoral 3D scanning — this combination supports excellent treatment planning accuracy for the vast majority of cosmetic cases.
- If your case has a specific clinical reason requiring 3D facial scanning, we will discuss it during consultation and refer if appropriate.
Other imaging tools
- In-office cone-beam CT (CBCT) — used where the case includes implants, bone-volume questions, or root proximity considerations.
- Digital bite registration — captured digitally as part of the Medit i700 workflow.
- VITA shade analysis — both with photographic reference tabs and with a chairside digital shade analyser for high-precision color matching.
The step-by-step design process
Step 1 — Initial records collection (Day 1)
Your first visit is a structured records-collection session, not a treatment session. We capture everything the design phase needs and nothing more. Typical session time is 60-90 minutes.
- High-resolution facial photography — 10-12 calibrated angles using professional DSLR equipment.
- Smile videography — short clips capturing dynamic smile, speech, and natural facial expression.
- Medit i700 intraoral 3D scan — full-mouth digital scan in under five minutes, no impression material.
- Comprehensive 2D facial proportion analysis — using the captured photographs.
- Bite registration — digital occlusal recording captured during the intraoral scan.
- Soft-tissue evaluation — lip line, gum line architecture, smile-line profile.
- Dental health assessment — confirming no underlying restorative or periodontal issues need addressing before cosmetic work.
Step 2 — 2D facial analysis
The captured facial photographs are analysed using calibrated design software. The analysis covers facial midline (so the central tooth midline can be aligned), pupillary line (so the smile is horizontally balanced relative to the eyes), lip dynamics (resting versus smile positions), smile arc (the curve of the upper teeth following the lower lip), facial proportions (so tooth-shape design fits the face), and skin tone (for color selection that complements rather than clashes with the patient's complexion).
Step 3 — Digital smile design
The Medit i700 intraoral scan and the analysed facial photographs are combined in design software to produce the proposed smile design. This is iterative — we typically generate 2-4 design variations and discuss the trade-offs (shape choices, color choices, gum-line considerations) with the patient before committing to a direction. Patients leave Day 1 with a preliminary design concept in writing; we refine through Day 2 with patient input.
Step 4 — 3D-printed mock-up (Day 1-2)
A 3D-printed wax-up — generated directly from the Medit i700 intraoral scan and the digital smile design — is then tried in the patient's mouth as a temporary overlay. You see the proposed shape, size, and position in your own mouth before any tooth preparation is performed. If the mock-up reveals a design choice you don't like, we adjust the digital file and reprint. Most cases settle on a final design after 1-2 mock-up iterations.
Step 5 — Final written treatment plan
Once the design is approved, we issue a written treatment plan including: the final design (photographic mockup or 3D-printed model photographs), the proposed material for each restoration (IPS e.max veneer, Zirconia crown, etc.), the proposed sequence and timeline, the case-specific cost, and the risks and considerations specific to your case. The plan is yours to take home and review. There is no expectation of same-day commitment.
Step 6 — Treatment execution (Days 2-7)
Tooth preparation is conservative — modern adhesive ceramics allow much less tooth structure removal than the porcelain-fused-to-metal generation of restorations. After preparation, a fresh Medit i700 scan captures the prep margins; high-quality temporaries are placed (often using the same 3D-printed shape as the approved mock-up); and the design files plus scans are sent digitally to the lab for restoration manufacture. Lab time runs 3-5 working days for most cases.
Step 7 — Final delivery and verification (Days 7-10)
When the lab work returns, the restorations are tried in for fit, bite, contact with adjacent teeth, color match, and overall cosmetic appearance. Minor adjustments are made chairside. Once the result matches the approved design, the restorations are bonded in their final position using adhesive cement appropriate to the ceramic material. Final photography documents the result for your records and for any future clinician who needs to maintain the restorations.
What treatments are typically included?
| Treatment | Purpose | Cost at Rodin (from) |
|---|---|---|
| Porcelain Veneers (IPS e.max) | Shape, color, alignment in the visible smile zone | ¥199,900 per tooth |
| Ceramic Crowns (Zirconia) | Severely damaged or root-canal-treated teeth in the smile zone | ¥179,900 per tooth |
| Professional Whitening (BEYOND®) | Base color of lower teeth and non-treated upper teeth | ¥34,900 |
| Gum Contouring | Gum-line aesthetics where excess gum display is visible | ¥50,000 - ¥150,000 depending on extent |
| Composite Bonding | Minor adjustments where a full veneer is not warranted | ¥30,000 - ¥80,000 per tooth |
| IV Sedation (optional) | For anxiety or for longer-session cases | ¥165,000 per session |
When implants integrate into the smile-makeover plan
Patients missing teeth in the smile zone often combine implant placement with veneers or crowns on the remaining teeth. The implant timeline runs across two trips for international patients (placement and final crown 3-4 months apart), while the cosmetic veneer/crown work on the remaining teeth typically completes in the first trip. The overall plan is sequenced so the patient leaves Trip 1 with a complete provisional smile while the implant integrates. American-made Hiossen is our primary implant system; Straumann and Nobel Biocare are available as premium alternatives. Pricing: single implant case ¥578,800 (Hiossen) at Rodin; All-on-4 from ¥3,500,000 per arch.
Smile-design principles we apply
Facial-proportion-based tooth shape
The 'right' tooth shape depends on the face. Four broad shape categories cover most cosmetic-design starting points: square shapes communicate strength and structure; triangular shapes lean youthful; oval shapes feel softer; combination shapes balance multiple cues. Selection takes account of facial outline, jaw structure, and the patient's age and personality. Photographic analysis identifies which shape range best supports the patient's overall facial proportions before any specific tooth design is locked in.
Tooth-width proportions
Within the visible smile zone, the relative width of the central incisor, lateral incisor, and canine follows a proportional pattern that the eye reads as natural. Designs that deviate substantially from these proportions tend to look 'too perfect' — the artificial appearance patients often want to avoid. Our design software allows precise control over these proportions, and the 3D-printed mock-up lets you verify the natural-look outcome before any irreversible tooth preparation.
VITA shade selection for color harmony
Color is one of the most case-sensitive choices in smile design. Too white reads as artificial against most natural skin tones; too yellow reads as 'didn't bother whitening.' We use VITA shade tabs in the diagnostic photography for accurate baseline color reading, then select a target shade that complements the patient's skin and hair tone, harmonises with any non-treated teeth, and accounts for BEYOND® whitening of the lower arch if that is part of the plan. The shade is locked in on the written treatment plan so the lab manufactures to the agreed target.
Smile-line architecture
The 'smile line' — how the upper tooth edges follow the curve of the lower lip during a natural smile — is a quiet determinant of how the result reads aesthetically. A perfectly straight smile line tends to look unnaturally flat; a smile line that follows the lower lip curve too aggressively can look exaggerated. We design within a range that the eye reads as natural given the patient's facial proportions, lip dynamics, and gum-line position.
Material choices and their trade-offs
IPS e.max (Lithium Disilicate)
IPS e.max from Ivoclar Vivadent is the workhorse material for anterior cosmetic veneers and single crowns. Approximate flexural strength is 360 MPa — sufficient for the cosmetic-zone load with proper bonding and adequate ceramic thickness. The translucency is high, allowing the underlying tooth color and the cementation media to influence the final appearance in a natural way. IPS e.max is the primary material we use for smile-makeover veneers.
Zirconia (multi-layered for cosmetic zones)
Zirconia is substantially stronger (approximately 1,200+ MPa) and used for cases where mechanical strength dominates the material decision — full-coverage crowns on posterior teeth, or anterior crowns where the patient has heavy parafunctional grinding. Modern multi-layered zirconia formulations have improved translucency dramatically, making zirconia viable for anterior aesthetic crowns in cases where the strength advantage matters. We use Zirconia for crowns rather than for veneers in most cases.
Feldspathic porcelain (specific aesthetic cases)
Feldspathic porcelain is a more traditional ceramic offering the most natural appearance available, but with lower strength than IPS e.max or Zirconia. It is technique-sensitive in the lab phase — requiring a skilled ceramist — and is typically reserved for cases where the aesthetic priority is absolute and the patient does not have significant occlusal load on the cosmetic zone. We can offer feldspathic veneers for specific cases; the lab and material premium is disclosed transparently in the treatment plan.
For international patients — trip planning
Most smile-makeover cases (6-10 veneers) complete in a single trip of 7-10 days. Lab time during your trip can be used for sightseeing — many international patients combine the dental work with Tokyo or Kyoto cultural visits.
Remote pre-design consultation
Before you book travel, we ask for submitted current smile photos (frontal smile, three-quarter view, profile, full face) through the free online consultation form. A doctor reviews and replies within 48 hours with a preliminary design direction, the realistic treatment options, and an indicative cost range. For complex cases, we run a video-conferencing follow-up to confirm direction before you book flights. This pre-travel agreement on the broad direction means Day 1 in Tokyo can move directly into structured records collection rather than starting from scratch.
Day-by-day in-office timeline
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Diagnostic visit: examination, Medit i700 intraoral scan, DSLR facial photography, smile videography, written design proposal. |
| Day 2 | 3D-printed mock-up try-in, design refinement, written treatment plan approval. |
| Day 3 | Tooth preparation, fresh Medit i700 scan of preps, premium temporary placement, lab files sent. |
| Day 4-6 | Lab manufacture phase — free for sightseeing (Hakone, Nikko, Kyoto day trip, etc.). |
| Day 7 | Try-in of finished restorations, color verification, fit verification. |
| Day 8 | Final adjustments and bonding. |
| Day 9 | Final polish, occlusion verification, final photography. |
| Day 10 | Final check; pre-departure care instructions; departure. |
Post-treatment follow-up
- Video follow-up at one week post-treatment.
- Video follow-up at one month post-treatment.
- Six-month and twelve-month video check-ins.
- Email and WhatsApp/LINE support throughout for any urgent question.
Realistic cost packages
Three illustrative packages cover most patient scenarios. Your case may differ — the diagnostic visit produces a case-specific written quote.
International-patient total cost should also include flights and Tokyo accommodation for the 7-10 day stay. Typical mid-range trip overhead (flights from US East Coast plus 7-10 nights central Tokyo) runs US$2,500-4,500.
Common concerns addressed
'Will my teeth look fake?'
Two factors prevent the artificial 'too white, too uniform' look: case-specific facial-proportion analysis (so the tooth shape matches your face rather than a generic template), and color selection at the natural-shade end of the VITA range rather than the maximum-white end. The 3D-printed mock-up lets you preview the proposed result in your own mouth before any commitment, with the option to dial the design choice in either direction.
'How long do veneers last?'
Modern adhesive-bonded ceramic veneers in IPS e.max typically last 10-15+ years with proper care, per peer-reviewed long-term outcome studies. Longevity depends on bite forces, parafunctional habits (grinding, clenching), oral hygiene, and the absence of major trauma. Some cases serve substantially longer; some need adjustment or remake earlier. We do not quote a specific guaranteed lifespan because outcomes depend on patient maintenance as much as on the restoration itself; workmanship coverage on our work is documented separately in writing.
'Is the process reversible?'
Most veneer cases involve some tooth-structure removal, which is not reversible — but the amount removed in modern adhesive veneer protocols is much smaller than in the porcelain-fused-to-metal generation of restorations. Some cases (composite bonding, no-prep veneers) are largely reversible; the diagnostic visit clarifies which approach fits your case. The 3D-printed mock-up phase is the moment to verify you're committed before any preparation occurs.
'What if I don't like the final result?'
The design-approval workflow is structured specifically to prevent this scenario. The 3D-printed mock-up try-in lets you see and feel the proposed result in your mouth before any tooth preparation. The try-in of the finished restorations on Day 7 lets you verify color, fit, and appearance before final bonding. Both steps include adjustment options. The result-after-final-bonding is the same shape, color, and design you approved at try-in — if it's not, we make it right.
Maintaining your smile makeover long-term
- Daily: standard brushing twice daily with non-abrasive toothpaste; floss with care around veneer margins.
- Six-monthly: professional cleaning and peri-veneer assessment.
- Annually: comprehensive oral examination including X-rays for the supporting teeth and bone.
- Night guard recommended for patients with any history of grinding or clenching — protects both natural teeth and ceramic restorations from parafunctional load.
- Avoid using teeth as tools (opening packaging, biting nails) — ceramic veneers are strong in normal function but not designed for non-physiological load.
