I’ve always loved to smile — so much so that I won “Best Smile” in high school. But as the years passed and I got busier with work, first as an entertainment journalist and now as the co-host of Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast and Page Six Radio on SiriusXM, I started noticing my smile less for its charm and more for its flaws.
The culprit? A perfect storm of neglected retainers, years of drinking Diet Coke and iced coffee, and — I’ll admit it — excessive at-home bleaching sessions that left my enamel weak and patchy. My once-straight teeth had shifted, my front two teeth looked awkwardly dominant compared to the smaller ones beside them, and from certain angles, my smile looked jagged and uneven. In photos and videos, I’d find myself strategically smirking instead of flashing a full grin.
So this summer, I decided to do something about it. And if I was going to do veneers, I was going to do them right — which is why I turned to Dr. Nick Mavrostomos, better known as Dr. Mavro, the 31-year-old rising star of cosmetic dentistry at New York City’s world-famous Apa Aesthetic.
After getting a nose job to refine my appearance and a lower blepharoplasty to get rid of my pesky eye bags this year, veneers felt like the final step in my glow-up journey. Disclaimer: Custom dentition at Apa Aesthetic, which has locations in NYC, Los Angeles, Miami and Dubai, can range in price from $800 to more than $5,000 per tooth — but, for me, investing in my self-esteem has been invaluable.
Meeting Dr. Mavro
If you’re unfamiliar with Apa Aesthetic, it’s basically the Rolls-Royce of smile makeovers. The practice’s clientele includes celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman, Brooks Nader and both Kendall and Kylie Jenner. “Real Housewives” favorites Lisa Hochstein, Ramona Singer, Kyle Richards and Jenn Fessler are also proud patients, as well as “Jersey Shore” legends Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and Vinny Guadagnino.
And Dr. Mavro? He’s built a cult following of his own. His patient list includes Bravo stars Lindsay Hubbard and Jesse Solomon, New York Giants players Saquon Barkley and Malik Nabers, and “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast host Amanda Hirsch, who once joked in a cheeky Instagram Story that she manifests dental issues just to spend time with him.
From the moment I met him at my consultation, I understood why. Dr. Mavro is equal parts clinician and artist — warm, charismatic, and with an eye for detail that borders on perfectionist (in the best way). He studied dentistry at NYU, where he graduated with honors in Aesthetic Dentistry, before completing his residency at the Brooklyn VA. He’s won awards from both the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry — but what’s most striking is his passion. Dentistry, to him, isn’t just about fixing teeth; it’s about enhancing a person’s entire sense of self.
Appointment 1: The Consultation
During our consultation, I told Dr. Mavro all my concerns — the size disparity of my teeth, the reverse smile arc that made my canines appear too long and the discoloration that had crept in over time. He immediately put me at ease.
“I think the best term that I can describe what you’re seeing is it’s a boyish smile,” he explained, describing my current proportions in detail. His vision? Lengthen my front two teeth slightly, shorten my canines and build out my side teeth so that the entire smile followed the curve of my lip. “It’s not a total reinvention,” he said. “We’re tweaking proportions, sizes, shapes and color.”
He also assured me that mine was a “minimal prep case,” meaning very little of my natural tooth would be shaved down — a huge relief.
Appointment 2: Temporary Veneers
A few days later, I was back in the chair for what I was most nervous about: the prep and temporary veneer placement. The process was surprisingly smooth. Dr. Mavro used his creative vision to hand-design my temporaries on the spot, sculpting them out of a tooth-colored acrylic material that mimics the shape of the final veneers.
The moment I saw them, I felt my first wave of confidence rush back. I couldn’t stop smiling in the mirror — even with the nitrous oxide still wearing off.
Appointment 3: The Blueprint Moment
Two days later, I had my first real before-and-after moment. Even though I loved my temps, Dr. Mavro — ever the perfectionist — pointed out tiny tweaks he wanted to make to get the proportions just right. He reshaped the temporaries with almost surgical precision, ensuring that the ceramists at Apa Aesthetic would have the perfect blueprint to work from.
I wore those temps for three weeks while my porcelain veneers were crafted by Apa Aesthetic’s in-house masters, who treat every tooth like a work of art. (Pro tip: Don’t bite down on boneless wings or M&Ms during this period — temps are fragile. I cracked two.)
Appointment 4: The Big Day
Three weeks later, after my in-house ceramist Miguel completed each tooth with hands-on guidance from Dr. Mavro, it was time for the final install.
Once my temps were removed, Dr. Mavro meticulously placed my 14 upper and 4 lower veneers, adjusting each one until they looked seamless. For every appointment, I watched “The Hills” on their treatment-room smart TVs — which, paired with a little laughing gas, made the whole process oddly relaxing.
When I saw the finished product, I was speechless.
courtesy of Apa Aesthetic
The Final Reveal
“We gave you a little bit more of a masculine shape with the front two teeth,” Dr. Mavro told me after my final fitting. “We lengthened the two side teeth and then we lengthened the teeth in the back a little bit to give it a more uniform arch to follow your lip. And we went a little bit brighter.”
He was right. My new smile wasn’t a reinvention; it was an enhancement. It still looked like me, just the best possible version of me.
And best of all? It looked natural.
“Your veneers should feel normal and it should look like it’s just something that you could have been born with,” Dr. Mavro reminded me. “That’s the idea. It’s good that people aren’t coming up to you screaming, ‘Oh my God, look at your teeth.’”
Now, a few weeks later, I can confirm: mission accomplished. I’ve stopped overthinking my side profile. I smile — fully — without hesitation. Friends, colleagues and strangers alike have complimented me on my teeth, but in a way that feels organic, never overdone.
If you’ve ever dreamt about getting veneers, take this as your sign to do it — and to do it right. Dr. Mavro and the entire Apa Aesthetic team treat smile design like an art form. Every detail matters, from the first consultation to the final polish.
For me, this wasn’t just about fixing my teeth. It was about reclaiming my confidence, showing up as my best self. And every time I catch my reflection now, I think to myself: Damn, that’s a great smile.
