Most cosmetic dental treatment involves making a decision and then discovering the result. You say yes to the treatment plan, preparation proceeds, and the final result is revealed when the veneers or crowns are placed. For a treatment that is irreversible and represents a meaningful investment, that is a significant leap of faith.
The Smile Test Drive at Smile Creative changes that dynamic entirely. It allows patients to literally wear a trial version of their proposed new smile, temporarily attached over their existing teeth, before any preparation work begins. Dr Karishma Wijeyesinghe developed this approach as a cornerstone of Smile Creative’s treatment philosophy, and it has become one of the most talked-about aspects of the practice.
The Problem the Smile Test Drive Solves
Patients considering smile makeovers face a dilemma that is difficult to resolve through conventional consultation and digital imaging alone. Computer renderings of a proposed smile are helpful but abstract. Photographs of other patients’ results are informative but impersonal. What patients really want to know is: what will my new smile look like on my face, in motion, in the real world?
The Smile Test Drive answers that question directly, by creating a physical 3D mockup of the proposed new smile and attaching it temporarily to the patient’s teeth so they can see and feel the result before any irreversible treatment has occurred.
The Six-Step Process
Step 1: Consultation and Diagnostics
At the first visit, Dr Karishma conducts a private consultation to understand the patient’s goals and dental history. Comprehensive diagnostics are then taken, including 3D digital scans, diagnostic photographs, dynamic video capturing natural facial movements, and 3D CBCT x-rays where required. This level of diagnostic information goes well beyond what most conventional cosmetic consultations involve.
Step 2: Digital Smile Design
Dr Karishma collaborates with a specialist dental laboratory to digitally design a new smile specifically tailored to the patient’s facial proportions and natural features. The design is not a generic template: it is a bespoke design created from the diagnostic data captured at the first visit.
Step 3: The Smile Test Drive Appointment
At the second appointment, the laboratory-fabricated 3D Smile Mockup is temporarily attached directly over the patient’s existing teeth without any preparation or drilling. The patient can see their new smile immediately, in their own face, in real time.
Smile Creative has a professional photographic studio onsite. Photographs and video are taken during the Smile Test Drive appointment, and a Smile Reveal video is created so the patient can see their before-and-after transformation clearly. For many patients, watching the Smile Reveal video is a deeply emotional moment, and they are encouraged to bring a support person to the appointment.
Step 4: Treatment Planning
With the Smile Test Drive result as a shared reference, Dr Karishma and the patient discuss the path forward. There are often multiple treatment options that can achieve a great result, and the conversation about those options happens in the context of a result the patient has already seen and experienced. The patient chooses their treatment direction; they are never pressured to proceed if the time is not right.
Step 5: Treatment
Once the patient has confirmed their treatment direction, the transformation process begins. The specific clinical pathway depends on the chosen treatment.
Step 6: Maintenance
Following treatment, regular dental care maintains the result. Smile Creative’s approach to ongoing dental health supports patients in maintaining their investment for the long term.
Why the Smile Test Drive Is Rare
Most dental practices do not offer a physical smile trial because it requires the investment of time, specialist laboratory collaboration, advanced diagnostic equipment (including 3D CBCT imaging), a professional photographic studio, and a clinical philosophy that prioritises patient certainty over clinical efficiency. The Smile Test Drive takes more appointments and more preparation time than a conventional consultation-to-treatment pathway.
Smile Creative makes this investment because Dr Karishma believes that patients who have seen and worn their proposed result make more confident treatment decisions, have more realistic expectations, and experience better outcomes. The Smile Test Drive is not a marketing tool: it is a clinical planning instrument that produces better results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Smile Test Drive free?
Contact Smile Creative directly to discuss the Smile Test Drive consultation process and any associated costs. Call 03 4320 0777 or book online.
Do I have to proceed with treatment after the Smile Test Drive?
No. Smile Creative’s approach is patient-centred: patients are empowered to make their own decisions and are never pressured to proceed. The Smile Test Drive is designed to give patients the information and confidence to make their own choice, and that includes the choice not to proceed or to defer treatment. Dr Karishma will support whatever decision the patient makes.
Can the Smile Test Drive be used for planning treatments other than veneers?
Yes. The 3D planning information gathered during the Smile Test Drive diagnostic process is valuable for a range of cosmetic treatments, not only veneers. The same detailed diagnostic data that enables precise veneer design also supports treatment planning for crowns and other restorations where the final aesthetic outcome matters.