Breaking Beauty Podcast | "How-to Get Your Best Smile Ever (and Mistakes to Avoid!) with Celebrity Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Apa"
Hosts: Jill Dunn & Carlene Higgins
Guest: Dr. Michael Apa, Celebrity Cosmetic Dentist
Air Date: January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a comprehensive, accessible, and deeply entertaining guide to achieving your best smile. Jill and Carlene, seasoned beauty editors, sit down with Dr. Michael Apa—the dental architect behind Hollywood’s most sought-after smiles—to demystify cosmetic dentistry. The conversation covers dental aging, veneers, orthodontics, dental health myths, how facial aesthetics and dental enhancements intersect, and actionable tips for caring for your smile at any age and budget.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Dr. Apa’s Philosophy & “Facial Aesthetic Design” (FAD)

• Customization Over “Chiclet Teeth”: Traditional cosmetic dentistry often followed a one-size-fits-all “golden proportion,” which led to the infamous “Chiclet” look. Dr. Apa's FAD approach customizes the smile using each patient’s unique facial asymmetries and bone structure (04:02).

  • Quote:
    “The basis of facial aesthetic design is that each smile will be unique to each person because it’s based off of the asymmetries that currently exist in someone’s face.” — Dr. Apa (05:17)

• Modern Tools for Smile Design: While early methods relied on manual x-rays and visual assessments, Dr. Apa is now harnessing AI and a personal library of past smiles to digitally preview smile outcomes (05:44).

2. What Your Teeth Reveal About You

• Reading Dental “Body Language”: Dr. Apa can often deduce issues like sleep apnea, mouth breathing, or personality tendencies such as aggression (from teeth grinding) based on skeletal and oral exams.

  • Quote:
    “I can tell a lot about a person just on their skeletal structure of their face, like sleep apnea, like mouth breathing, like clenching or grinding, like aggression…” — Dr. Apa (07:08)

• Voice & Dental Structure Connection: Dr. Apa describes a unique talent to match voices to people and “hear” personality or anatomy, such as linking a high-pitched voice to a weaker chin, high palate, or thick tongue (08:32).

3. The Aging Smile: What Really Happens, and When?

• Orthodontic Maintenance Is Key: Teeth naturally shift with age; best prevention includes proper orthodontia as a teen and lifelong retainer use (09:15).
  • Aging & Shifting: Teeth tend to crowd, bone structure changes, and excessive clenching or grinding accelerates this process—typically noticed in late 30s to early 40s. (10:16)
  • On Gum Recession: Most often caused by clenching/grinding or poor restorations, not purely genetics. Periodontal disease-based bone loss is less common (12:48).

4. Veneers 101: The Truth About the Process

• How Veneers Are Bonded & Customized: Modern veneers are minimally invasive and do not require aggressive tooth-shaving. Bonding is similar to a white filling—strong and long-lasting (17:01).

  • Dr. Apa Busts the 3D Rendering Myth:
    “Anyone who tells you that they’re going to give you a 3D rendering before you start is currently lying to you…so much happens when you’re actually in there.” (18:35)

• The Patient Experience:

  • Usually a two-appointment process; temporaries allow patients to ‘test drive’ before the permanents (21:02).
  • “Within the process, there is a point where you go into temporaries. And the temporaries are really an actual rendering of what the permanents are going to look like in your mouth.” — Dr. Apa (19:51)

• On Revisions & Industry Problems:

  • Over 50% of Dr. Apa’s cases are revisions of prior failed work, often from general dentists lacking cosmetic specialty. Material choice matters—prefer hand-layered ceramic over “monolithic Emax,” which is harder to fix and can damage teeth (35:05).

5. Costs, Value, and Lifespan of Quality Veneers

• Ballpark Investment: A full smile transformation (over 15 years) is about $45,000, akin to the cumulative cost of hair coloring/maintenance (26:32).
  • “What would you pay per year to look at yourself in the mirror every morning and every night and say, man, I love my smile?” — Dr. Apa (26:40)
• Lifespan: Quality veneers can last up to 15 years before needing replacement (28:40).

6. Hot Topics & Frequently Googled Questions

• Invisalign vs. Braces:

  • For kids and compliance: Braces win every time (49:55).
  • For adults: Only consider Invisalign with a great orthodontist; poorly managed cases can worsen bite and require more extensive future work (47:48).

• Correcting Crowded Teeth:

  • Veneers can resolve both aesthetic and crowding issues—often no need for Invisalign before veneers (31:07).
  • “If somebody came in and they do have crowded teeth… this is going to fix both problems.” — Dr. Apa (31:07)

• Veneer Remorse:

  • “Veneer remorse” is mostly due to botched cases, not actual veneers. Stick to experienced cosmetic dentists for best results (31:17).
  • “Over 50% of my work is revision work… It’s a nightmare for me. And it’s horrible, horrible for the patient.” — Dr. Apa (35:05; 36:48)

7. Material Matters: Emax & Hand-Layered Ceramic

• The Dangers of Emax:
  • Monolithic Emax is “fast, cheap, easy” but can ultimately destroy teeth if placed poorly due to its strength (35:05).
  • Dr. Apa prefers hand-layered ceramic for a natural, enamel-like restoration (36:58).

8. Smile Makeover Meets Facial Procedures

• Interplay with Fillers & Botox:
  • Overdone fillers, lower-face Botox, and surgical lip lifts can complicate smile design and produce unnatural results (40:05).
  • Ozempic Face and “Ozempic Teeth”: Rapid weight loss makes existing teeth look unnaturally large as facial tissue “shrinks” (43:41).
    • “Ozempic face gives you ozempic teeth… your face is getting thinner and more drawn and your teeth are just looking bigger and bigger…” — Dr. Apa (43:41)
  • Advice for Patients Planning Major Weight Loss:
    “If you’re planning on losing weight dramatically, wait to have your teeth done.” (45:03)

9. Budget-Friendly Smile Improvements

• Best Options on a Budget:
  • Dr. Apa’s prescription: Invisalign (with a great ortho) plus bleaching (ideally, both in-office and with custom trays for home use) (50:34).

10. Dentist’s Personal No-No List & Essential Habits

• Habits Dr. Apa Would NEVER Do (51:07):

  • Drink out of glass straws (“Chips your teeth”)

  • Bite fingernails (also chips teeth)

  • Skip a night guard (“Prevents shifting and protects teeth at night”)

  • Quote:
    “The third thing…I would recommend is to wear a night guard… prevents against all of the shifting that causes the problems later on in life.” (51:33)

• Three Musts for Everyone:

  • Brush for the full 2 minutes, use electric toothbrush
  • Prioritize oral hygiene like skincare (52:22)
  • Display and use beautifully packaged products to make oral care engaging (52:23)

11. Innovations: Apa Beauty

• Apa Beauty Line:
  • Combines elegant packaging with oral health essentials: stylish electric toothbrush, gum gel, non-alcohol rinse, lip and tooth glosses, all designed to elevate oral care rituals (52:00)

12. Rapid Fire Myths vs. Facts (56:15)

• Do cavities occur with veneers? Fact (56:20)
• Are whitening strips damaging? Myth—unless overused, especially if using carbamide peroxide (56:31; 56:44).
• Pop-on veneers (Snap On Smile): Real but mostly used for TV/temporary looks; not a long-term solution (37:08).
• Can veneers cause bad breath? Potentially, but only if ill-fitting—same as any poor dental work (57:16).

Notable Quotes (with Time Stamps)

• “The basis of facial aesthetic design is that each smile will be unique to each person because it’s based off of the asymmetries that currently exist in someone’s face.” — Dr. Apa (05:17)
• “I can tell a lot about a person just on their skeletal structure of their face, like sleep apnea, like mouth breathing, like clenching or grinding, like aggression…” — Dr. Apa (07:08)
• "Anyone who tells you that they’re going to give you a 3D rendering before you start is currently lying to you…” — Dr. Apa (18:35)
• “What would you pay per year to look at yourself in the mirror every morning and every night and say, man, I love my smile?” — Dr. Apa (26:40)
• “Over 50% of my work is revision work… It’s a nightmare for me. And it’s horrible, horrible for the patient.” — Dr. Apa (35:05; 36:48)
• “Ozempic face gives you ozempic teeth … your teeth are not changing size and they’re just sitting there, whereas your face is getting thinner and more drawn and your teeth are just looking bigger…” — Dr. Apa (43:41)
• “The third thing…I would recommend is to wear a night guard… prevents against all of the shifting that causes the problems later on in life.” — Dr. Apa (51:33)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 04:02 — Dr. Apa explains Facial Aesthetic Design
• 07:08 — Dentist “party tricks”: what teeth reveal about health and personality
• 09:15 — How teeth age and when to intervene
• 17:01 — Veneers 101: process, materials, and myths
• 26:32 — The real cost and value of quality veneers
• 31:07 — Veneers vs. orthodontic solutions for crowded teeth
• 35:05 — Veneer remorse and revision work; Emax dangers
• 40:05 — The interplay of cosmetic injectables, surgery, and dental work
• 43:41 — “Ozempic face” and its impact on smile aesthetics
• 47:48 — Invisalign/braces for different ages and situations
• 50:34 — Apa’s budget-friendly recommendations
• 51:07 — Dr. Apa’s three dental “don’ts”
• 52:00 — Apa Beauty: luxury oral care products
• 56:15 — Rapid fire Myth vs. Fact

Memorable Moments

• Dr. Apa nerding out about reading “dental body language” and voices (05:55)
• Hosts (affectionately) mock the valley girl voice critique—and learn it can be anatomical (08:38)
• “Big personality gets big teeth.” - Jill (47:08)
• The Snap On Smile tangent—likened to a dental toupee (37:08)
• The jaw-dropping volume of revisions Dr. Apa performs (35:05)
• Rapid-fire myth busting, including the legitimate risks of glass straws and the surprising endorsement of xylitol gum (51:07; 57:01)
• Elevating oral care to the level of a skincare ritual with beautiful products (52:00)

Overall Takeaways

• The most beautiful smile is tailored uniquely to your face, not a generic mold.
• Preventive care and professional guidance are critical for maintaining lifelong dental health.
• Quality and expertise matter as much—if not more—than the latest dental technology or trends.
• Fixing prior dental mistakes is a huge part of elite cosmetic dentistry—choose practitioners wisely.
• Oral hygiene, like skincare, benefits from routines, good tools, and a little luxury.
• Major body changes (like rapid weight loss or face filler) can dramatically affect how your smile “fits” your face.
• Start good habits early: braces over Invisalign for kids; regular retainer/night guard use for everyone.