Digital Smile Design in Milwaukee, WI: See the Plan Before Treatment
For anyone considering veneers, crowns, bonding, or a full smile makeover. You approve the design before any work starts.
15 years serving Milwaukee
AGD Fellow and AAID Associate Fellow on staff
iTero digital scanning, no putty molds
Design approved by you before treatment begins
Cosmetic dental work is hard to undo. That's what most people are actually weighing when they sit down to talk about veneers or a smile makeover — and it's a fair thing to weigh. At Lake Park Dental in Milwaukee, Digital Smile Design turns that decision into something you can see first. Photos, video, 3D scans — your new smile gets built on screen before anyone touches a tooth. Here's what usually brings people in to ask about it.
WHEN YOU NEED DIGITAL SMILE DESIGN
Most people who ask about Digital Smile Design already have something in mind. A tooth that sits shorter than the one beside it. A gum line that runs uneven across the front. Years of wear that took the edges down without any single moment you can point to. Some people bring photos of their own smile from ten years ago. Others bring a list of small things they've never said out loud. You see it. Other people may not. That doesn't make it less real.
There's no medical clock on Digital Smile Design. Waiting a month won't make anything worse. The real reason to do it early is simpler — it belongs before treatment, not during. Once veneers are prepped or a crown's seated, changing the shape or length means redoing the work. Planning first costs you one appointment. Changing your mind after costs you the whole restoration. Most people book the design once they've decided the smile actually matters to them — not because something started to hurt.
OUR DIGITAL SMILE DESIGN PROCESS
The first appointment is records. We take photos and video of you talking and smiling, scan your teeth with iTero instead of a putty tray, and measure how your upper teeth sit against your lip and face. The video matters — a smile moves, and a still photo hides how much tooth actually shows when you talk. From there, we design the shape, length, and position of the teeth on screen. In many cases, you'll get a trial version to wear for a few days and check out in your own bathroom mirror.
You look at the design, tell us what you want changed, and we adjust it. That loop can happen more than once. When you approve it, the design becomes the guide for the veneers, bonding, crowns, or aligners that follow, and the lab works from it too. Treatment then starts from an agreed picture instead of a verbal description.
UNDERSTANDING THE COST OF DIGITAL SMILE DESIGN
Digital Smile Design is planned per person, so the fee depends on how much we're designing and what treatment follows it. Some plans cover four front teeth. Others cover both arches and the bite behind them. We put the design fee and the treatment fee in writing before anything begins, and that number is what you pay. Lake Park Dental is a fee-for-service practice in Milwaukee, and we provide detailed receipts you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement. Cherry and CareCredit are available if you'd rather spread payments out. The consultation is where you find out what your case involves.
Why Choose Us
A smile design is only worth as much as the dentistry that carries it out. Dr. Beau Schneiss holds a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry and an Associate Fellowship in the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, a combination held by about 6% of dentists in the United States. That matters here because cosmetic changes have to work with your bite, your jaw, and the teeth you already have. We've been doing this in Milwaukee for 15 years, and every design is drawn to fit your face and the way your teeth meet.
Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Smile Design FAQs
Can I really see my new smile before I agree to treatment?
1
Yes. You see it on screen, and in many cases you can wear a trial version of it for a few days. Nothing permanent happens until you've looked at the design and approved it.
Does the design appointment hurt?
2
No. There's no drilling and no anesthetic involved in the design itself. We take photos, record video, and scan your teeth digitally, which takes a few minutes and doesn't involve trays of putty.
How close is the finished result to the design?
3
Very close, because the lab builds the restorations from the same design file you approved. Small refinements happen at try-in, when we check how the teeth look on your face and how they meet when you chew. That's expected, and it's the point of trying them in.
Will insurance pay for Digital Smile Design?
4
Cosmetic planning is usually not a covered benefit, though parts of the treatment that follow sometimes are. We're fee-for-service, so we give you a written estimate up front and detailed receipts you can submit yourself. Cherry and CareCredit are available if you want to spread the cost out.
Schedule Your Digital Smile Design Consultation in Milwaukee
The consultation is where you find out what's possible for your teeth and what it would take to get there. Bring your questions and the photos on your phone, and we'll go through it with you. Call 414-963-9440 to schedule.
Explore our full range of cosmetic dentistry services or call to schedule your consultation.