Chicago Smile Makeover Timeline: From Consult to Reveal, Week by Week
If you're considering a smile makeover, one of the first questions you're probably asking is "how long is this actually going to take?" It's a fair question, and the honest answer is: it depends on the case, but for most patients at my practice, the full journey from first consult to reveal runs 8 to 14 weeks.
That's the real number. Not "same day," not "six months." Somewhere in that middle.
I'm Dr. Brittany Dickinson, cosmetic dentist and owner of Chicago Aesthetic Dentistry in Lakeview, and a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Here's exactly what a typical veneer-based smile makeover timeline looks like at my office — week by week, appointment by appointment — so you can plan around it.
Week 0 — The Smile Design Consultation
Everything starts here. 60 minutes, in the office. We take facial and dental photos, digital scans, review your bite, talk about what's bothered you about your smile and what you want the finished result to feel like.
Before you leave, you'll see a preliminary digital preview of what your new smile could look like, and a written estimate with a real number on it — no "we'll get back to you" games.
Most patients take a week or two to sit with the information before deciding. That's healthy. This isn't a decision to rush.
Weeks 2–3 — Records + Design
Once you decide to move forward, we schedule a records appointment (about 60 minutes). This is where we capture everything the ceramist will need: precise scans, bite registration, high-resolution color photos, and a facially driven design plan.
This visit is also where we plan any prep work. If you need Invisalign first, whitening on the lower arch, or gum contouring, we schedule those now.
In the background, the design work happens: I collaborate with my master ceramist to build a digital wax-up — a 3D model of your future smile designed specifically to fit your face.
Week 3: The Prep Appointment and Temporaries
This is my favorite step, and it's what separates my process from a lot of practices.
Once the design is locked in, we schedule prep day. This is a longer appointment — usually 3 to 4 hours — and it's the only time we're actively reshaping your teeth.
Here's what happens:
Local anesthesia so you're completely comfortable
Minimally invasive prep — we shave a very thin layer from the front of each tooth (usually less than the thickness of a fingernail)
Final scans for the ceramist to build your permanent veneers
Beautifully crafted temporaries — you leave with temporary veneers that look like a polished version of your finished smile, so you can preview your look in real life for the next 2–3 weeks
You'll go home a little numb, but pain is usually minimal. Most patients take one over-the-counter anti-inflammatory that evening and are back at work the next day.
Important: Your temporaries are not the final result. They're deliberately a little rougher than the finals so you can give real feedback. Live with them, take photos, notice what feels natural and what doesn't. Bring that feedback to your next appointment.
Week 4: Trial Smile Edits
At the prior appointement, we placed temporaries as your Trial Smile. Now you’ve had Time to look in the mirror and live in them. You see the shape, the length, the width, the way it moves with your lips.
You can react honestly. Want them slightly shorter? A softer curve? Warmer shade? A touch more character in the front teeth? We adjust — sometimes right there in the chair, sometimes back in the lab.
Some patients wear the trial smile home for a few days, take it out to dinner, show it to their partner, take photos. That real-life feedback is priceless.
Most cases require 1–2 rounds of trial smile refinement. Budget 1–2 weeks for this stage.
Weeks 7–9 — The Ceramist Builds Your Smile
This is invisible work, but it's where the magic happens.
Your master ceramist spends 15–20 hours per case hand-layering the porcelain to match the design, adding subtle color variation, translucency at the edges, and micro-texture that makes them look like real enamel — not like typing paper.
This is why great veneers take 2–3 weeks and cheap veneers can be delivered in a few days. You're not paying for speed. You're paying for artistry.
Week 10 — The Bonding Appointment (a.k.a. Reveal Day)
This is the day everyone waits for. About 3 to 4 hours in the chair.
Before we bond anything permanently, we do a try-in — the finished veneers are held in place with a temporary paste so you can see them in your face, in the mirror, one last time. If anything needs adjustment (shade, edge shape, length), we handle it now. Once you say yes, they get bonded permanently.
The bonding process itself is meticulous: each tooth is cleaned, etched, primed, and bonded individually. We check your bite, polish, and refine. You'll leave with your final smile.
Most patients cry a little at reveal. That's normal.
Weeks 11–12 — Follow-up + Nightguard
Two weeks after reveal, you come back for a follow-up. We check the bite, polish anything that needs polishing, and address any small adjustments. We also take final photos for our records (and yours, if you want them).
At this visit, we also deliver your custom nightguard. Every veneer patient at my practice wears one — not "if you grind," but always. Nightguards protect your investment from the small forces of clenching and grinding that everyone does at night, whether they realize it or not. It's how veneers last 10–15 years instead of 5.
Ongoing — Maintenance visits
After that, you're on the regular hygiene schedule (every 6 months). Your veneers get treated a lot like natural teeth: brush, floss, no biting into apples or corn on the cob straight off the ear, no using your teeth as tools. That's it.
Every visit I check the veneers, polish them, and confirm your nightguard is still fitting well.
What can extend the timeline
Invisalign first. If your teeth need to be aligned before veneers (which produces a better and more conservative result), add 4–14 months up front depending on complexity.
Whitening the lower arch. If we're doing upper veneers only, we usually whiten your lowers first so they match. Add 2–3 weeks.
Gum contouring. If your gum line needs adjustment, we do that early and let it heal for 6–8 weeks before impressions.
Restorative work. Cavities, old crowns, or root canal work under an existing restoration all get handled before cosmetic work begins.
Your schedule. Some patients want to space appointments around work travel or a specific event. We plan around your life, not the other way around.
What we can compress (a little)
If you have a hard deadline — a wedding, a big work event, a milestone birthday — tell us at the consultation. For simpler cases (6 veneers, no additional work), we can sometimes run the timeline in 6–8 weeks by scheduling closer together. But I won't compromise the trial smile step. That's what makes the difference between a smile you love and a smile you tolerate.
The office schedule
One planning note: our office is open Monday through Thursday. Most patients book appointments in the morning before work, over their lunch hour, or as the last appointment before dinner. If you need to plan around a specific event, tell us at the consultation and we'll build the whole schedule backwards from your deadline.
If you're ready to see what your timeline could look like, the first step is a Smile Design Consultation — 90 minutes with me, a full digital preview, and a real, written plan (with a real calendar) before you leave.
Ready to book? Call 773-883-1818 or book a Smile Design Consultation online. Chicago Aesthetic Dentistry — 3346 N. Paulina St., Lakeview.
written by Dr. Brittany Dickinson