“Although you’re a handsome guy, you need to have your teeth fixed.” That comment stayed with Sekou for a long time. As an acting student he had became very self-conscious about the gaps in his smile, especially during auditions; he felt he wasn’t up to his “best game”.  Sekou started researching the best way to improve his smile.  He asked his actor friends if they had their teeth done and who they would recommend. Finally, a friend (a patient of NYC Smile Design) recommended that he see us for a consult. Sekou, in his own words wanted a “Chris Rock smile.” After imaging his smile, to show Sekou the range of possibilities, he became both very anxious and very excited at the same time and asked detailed questions about the process.  The first step was to address his uneven gum line, which was corrected with a laser gum lift. After a few weeks we were satisfied that we had achieved harmony and balance for his gum alignment. Now it was time to mock up the final results on a copy of his teeth on a stone model. (We waxed the teeth to match the exact proportions of the final result.) This process is extremely detailed, and involves sculpting the final results on the wax replica. It is extremely important because it serves as a precise guide for the actual process of placing porcelain veneers on Sekou’s teeth. With placement of six perfectly fitted porcelain veneers we were able to close the gaps between his teeth and create an overall improvement of his smile. Sekou’s final comment was “I wonder if they are going to confuse me with Chris Rock?” The best part, especially for an actor, is that Sekou’s memorable smile is entirely individual and natural — his very own.