Built by Design
A look at what goes into the work and philosophy of Dr. Jon Marashi, a Los Angeles cosmetic dentist known for porcelain veneers, cosmetic dentistry, and highly individualized smile design.
Twenty five years, one smile at a time
Dr. Jon Marashi is a cosmetic dentist in Los Angeles, known for porcelain veneers that read as natural teeth rather than a set. He treats every smile as a design problem, drawn for one face, and his work has been covered in more than twenty five publications including Vogue, GQ and The New York Times.
More about himFeatured in
The premise
Filmed over several months around the world, the documentary explores Marashi’s approach to creating natural-looking porcelain veneers and the level of detail that goes into each smile. From color, shape, and proportion to the way a smile works with a patient’s face and overall aesthetic, his work is rooted in the idea that cosmetic dentistry should never feel one-size-fits-all.
The film also looks beyond the treatment itself, exploring the influences, relationships, design sensibility, and creative process behind a career in high-end cosmetic dentistry.
The thinking behind the finished smile
Porcelain is layered in many hues so a veneer reads as enamel rather than a flat, uniform shell.
Length, width, edge and surface texture are drawn for one person, not pulled from a template.
A smile is designed against the lips, the eyes and the way someone actually moves and speaks.
From Episode 1
“I was built by design. I was very clear from early on about who I wanted to be and what my deficiencies were.”
“It's the artist looking at that block of marble, and he already knows what's inside of it, and now it's just chipping away the exterior to reveal what was always there.”
“I do things differently for every single patient because I truly do believe in this bespoke approach. Imperfectly perfect, if you will.”
“Ordinary things done over a long period of time yield extraordinary results, plain and simple.”
Episodes
Los Angeles
The first episode traces where the work comes from. A lower middle class childhood spent building things by hand, a skateboarder's education in failing, getting up and going again, and the years of repetition behind a craft that is judged in millimeters.
It also lays out the way he sees a case before he starts, closer to a sculptor reading a block of marble than a technician following a template, and why every smile is drawn for one face and no other.
Watch Episode 1Location announced soon
Filmed abroad. Details to come.
Location announced soon
Filmed abroad. Details to come.
Location announced soon
Filmed abroad. Details to come.
Further episodes were filmed in other places around the world and will be added here as they are released. Get notified.
Where it was filmed
- Los AngelesEpisode 1
- Announced soonFilmed abroad
- Announced soonFilmed abroad
- Announced soonFilmed abroad
Filmed over several months around the world.
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“If anything that I said, or did, or shared moved the needle for even one kid getting out of dental school, where they made one better decision that helped them do better for a patient, then it was worth it. Every last bit.”
If the film has you thinking about your own smile, a consultation is one hour, one-on-one with Dr. Marashi in Brentwood.
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