Is the Smile in Your Holiday Photos Really You? Here's What Ellie Did

The Holiday Lights Were Up, But Ellie Was Still Hiding Her Smile

Ellie adjusted the plaid scarf around her neck, careful to keep it covering her mouth. Her sister aimed the phone camera their way, ready to snap their annual family photo under the twinkling lights in Balboa Park. “Smile!” someone called.

Ellie did, sort of. A quick, close-lipped grin that barely moved her eyes.

She had every reason to smile. A new job. Her kids home for the holidays. But that one thing, the front tooth that had chipped a year ago and never quite looked right again, made her dread every camera flash.

“I just don’t want to spend another Christmas hiding,” she told her husband that night. “I want to feel like myself again.”

Ellie didn’t know it yet, but she was just weeks away from her best smile ever, and she wasn’t the only one thinking the clock was ticking.

The Year-End Insurance Scramble Is Very Real

As Ellie started looking into cosmetic options, she realized something else: her dental insurance benefits were about to expire. Like most patients, she'd been paying into her plan all year. But unless she used those benefits before December 31st, they'd vanish.

For many patients, that means losing out on hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars in unused coverage.

While cosmetic procedures like veneers aren’t usually fully covered, many associated treatments are. Exams, X-rays, even pre-treatment cleanings or minor restorative work might be included. And when you’re planning a cosmetic makeover like Ellie was, every bit helps.

Ellie’s Turning Point: Learning About Veneers

Ellie had heard of veneers, but like many patients, she had questions. “Aren’t those just for celebrities?” she asked Dr. Yaron Miller during her consultation at Clairemont Dentistry.

Not even close.

Dr. Miller explained that veneers are thin porcelain shells custom-designed to fit over your existing teeth. They’re ideal for fixing chips, discoloration, gaps, worn enamel, or slightly crooked teeth—all in just a few visits. At Clairemont Dentistry, the process is incredibly personalized, down to the shade and shape that best fits your face.

“What surprised me,” Ellie said, “was how natural they looked. I didn’t want ‘perfect’ teeth. I wanted my smile, just... better.”

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The Emotional Weight Behind “Just Fixing a Tooth”

For Ellie, this wasn’t vanity, it was self-identity. That chipped tooth reminded her of an awkward fall at her daughter’s soccer game. She'd laughed it off at the time, but the jagged edge left behind slowly chipped away at her confidence, too.

“I stopped smiling in photos,” she said. “Stopped speaking up at work. It sounds silly, but I didn’t feel like me anymore.”

This is something Dr. Miller hears all the time.

A smile isn’t just about teeth, it’s about feeling seen, heard, and comfortable in your own skin. And with decades of experience, treating everyone from local families to international royalty, Dr. Miller’s approach is as emotionally intuitive as it is technically precise.