Cosmetic Dentist – Alice, TX
Creating a Unique, Beautiful Smile
Almost everyone has an imperfection or two on their smile that they would like to get rid of. The good news is that these flaws don’t have to stay on your smile for life. At Advanced Dental Care of South Texas, our dentistry team can offer a variety of ways to improve your smile to remove any flaws and create a grin that fills you with confidence. To learn more about the available options, or to set up your first cosmetic consultation with our trusted cosemtic dentist in Alice, TX, give our dental office a call today.
Why Choose Advanced Dental Care of South Texas for Cosmetic Dentistry?
- Lifelike, Long-Lasting Veneers
- Reliable Teeth Whitening Options
- State-of-the-Art Dental Facility
Veneers
Actors have been using veneers to improve their smiles for decades. That’s because, unlike other treatments that can only make small improvements or make a particular kind of correction, veneers let us correct multiple cosmetic problems at a time by placing thin ceramic shells over the front of the teeth, allowing us to completely change their shape, size, and color as needed. We can transform your entire smile in as little as two visits with this treatment.
Cosmetic Dental Bonding
Bonding is a conservative way to repair slightly chipped, discolored, or crooked teeth. During dental bonding, a white filling is placed onto your tooth to improve its appearance. The filling "bonds" with your teeth, and because it comes in a variety of tooth-colored shades, it closely matches the appearance of your natural teeth.
Tooth bonding can also be used for teeth fillings instead of amalgam fillings. Many patients prefer bonded fillings because the white color is much less noticeable than the silver amalgam fillings. Bonding fillings can be used on front and back teeth depending on the location and extent of tooth decay.
Bonding is less expensive than other cosmetic treatments and usually can be completed in one visit to our dental office. However, bonding can stain and is easier to break than other cosmetic treatments such as porcelain veneers. If it does break or chip, tell your doctor. The bonding can generally be easily patched or repaired in one visit.
Teeth Whitening
Ever wanted to lift stubborn stains from your poor teeth? You’re not the only one, and dentists have answered the call with teeth whitening treatments. At Advanced Dental Care of South Texas, we offer two treatment types: take-home whitening and in-office whitening. Either way, your teeth will be pearly white before you know it!
Learn More About Teeth Whitening
Virtual Smile Design
Are you curious about what your smile would actually look like once you got veneers or completed a whitening treatment? With our virtual smile design, we can give you a “preview” of what to expect. Existing photos of your teeth are altered to show what the results would look like after a given cosmetic treatment. We want you to feel confident before committing to any sort of treatment and having a reliable visual aid can go a long way toward helping you make informed decisions.
Understanding the Cost of Cosmetic Dentistry
Since cosmetic dentistry isn’t usually covered by dental insurance, many patients may have concerns about the associated costs. The truth is that there are many treatments that can address a host of cosmetic dental issues like chips, cracks, gaps, stains, and misshapenness, and they come at a range of price points. The staff at Advanced Dental Care of South Texas will be happy to help you explore your treatment choices and navigate your payment and financing options so you can find a solution that fits your budget, so feel free to contact our Alice office for assistance.
Which Cosmetic Dental Service Is Right for Me?
Someone who is interested in cosmetic dentistry usually wants whiter, straighter, or differently shaped teeth, and we offer a number of treatments that can help you achieve your ideal smile. A few of these include:
- Veneers: These versatile dental appliances can address multiple defects and reshape teeth into an ideal state in as few as two visits. While this is one of our more costly options, it can save time by concealing multiple flaws and lasting for more than a decade with excellent care.
- Teeth whitening: Lift dental stains and discoloration with an in-office procedure that takes about an hour or a take-home kit that can be completed over two weeks. These treatments are mid-range in terms of cost and can deliver results far superior to those of store-bought whitening products.
- Cosmetic dental bonding: Repair minor chips, cracks, gaps, and stains painlessly in minutes without anesthesia. This treatment is remarkably affordable, and its results can last for several years with good hygiene.
Cosmetic Dentistry Can Be an Investment Worth Making
While cosmetic dentistry may seem like a big expense at first, it can also be seen as an investment in your confidence and appearance. People who smile frequently are generally seen as more competent, trustworthy, friendly, and self-assured than those who don’t, which gives them a significant edge in the social scene and the professional world. Cosmetic dentistry can play a key role in helping you land a juicy new position at work and help you enjoy a better overall quality of life.
How to Make Cosmetic Dentistry Affordable
While elective cosmetic dental procedures are rarely covered by dental insurance, we partner with CareCredit to offer flexible financing options. These payment plans allow patients to break their bills into small monthly payments that are easy to manage and usually involve little to no interest. During your consultation, we’ll provide you with a proper cost estimate and gladly go over your payment and financing options with you so you can find the best way to fit your treatment into your budget.
Cosmetic Dentistry FAQs
How Do I Know If I Need Cosmetic Dentistry?
Often enough, you can tell whether you need cosmetic dentistry by looking at your smile. You’d benefit from treatment if you don’t like the grin in your mirror.
Say your smile’s main problem is stained or discolored teeth. While over-the-counter whiteners may not fix this issue, professional whitening is a different story. The latter treatment can remove even the most stubborn tooth stains and brighten your grin!
Alternatively, perhaps you dislike the chips and cracks in your teeth. Cosmetic dentistry can easily treat those smile flaws for you! With porcelain veneers or dental crowns, your grin’s chipped and cracked areas will be hidden from view and won’t ruin your looks anymore.
Does Cosmetic Dentistry Hurt?
To be honest, no – cosmetic dentistry doesn’t hurt. None of its procedures should cause you or your smile aches or pains.
Most cosmetic dental services are non-invasive by nature. For example, teeth whitening and dental bonding only apply bleaching gel or composite resin (respectively). That means a typical cosmetic procedure won’t even require a local anesthetic.
That said, dentists take precautions when a cosmetic option is invasive. They’ll usually numb your mouth before doing any prep work for dental crowns or porcelain veneers. That way, you won’t feel any pain during your treatment; the most you’ll experience is some temporary post-procedure soreness.
How Long Does Cosmetic Dentistry Last?
Cosmetic dentistry doesn’t have a pre-set lifespan; how long its results last will depend on your treatment. To that extent, you’ll want to be careful which procedure(s) you choose.
“Quick-and-easy” cosmetic options – teeth whitening, direct bonding, etc. – don’t usually last long. Because they only apply gels and resins, their results wear out relatively quickly from outside forces. The longest you can expect such treatments to work is usually just a few years.
On the other hand, extensive cosmetic work offers longer-lasting effects. Procedures like dental crowns and porcelain veneers use durable materials, so they often work for a decade or more.
Is Cosmetic Dentistry Worth It?
All in all, yes – cosmetic dentistry is absolutely worth getting! Countless patients have seen boosts in their quality of life after receiving treatment.
Keep in mind that a gorgeous grin comes with priceless perks. For instance, a beautified smile will prompt others to see you as attractive, healthy, and successful. It’ll also help you feel confident and self-assured in social settings, making chats with friends and family easier.
At the same time, cosmetic dental work is a great long-term investment. Its results could help you land a big promotion, a dream job, etc. – things that involve a higher yearly income. In other words, your cosmetic dental treatment could practically pay for itself!