Cosmetic Dentistry – Bedford, TX

Which Cosmetic Dental Service Is Right For Me?

During your initial consultation, our team will go over which cosmetic dental treatment would be the best approach for enhancing your smile. While some services are designed to address a single issue, such as the shape of your gums or the color of your teeth, others can offer a more comprehensive solution for your grin. Keep these few procedures in mind when comparing their results and their overall cost:

• Teeth whitening: You may have noticed over-the-counter teeth whitening products at your local store. While these may seem more convenient, they won’t provide the dazzling results your dentist can. With professional teeth whitening, we can quickly and effectively brighten your smile by several shades, providing you with a cost-effective solution that can last over a year with proper care.
• Gum recontouring: This mid-range cosmetic treatment can help reveal your beautiful smile without actually changing your teeth. If your pearly whites look short or stubby, or your gums appear thick, then we can safely and painlessly remove any excess tissue. This procedure won’t alter the color, size, or shape of your teeth.
• Dental bonding: By using composite resin, our team can sculpt any affected teeth and correct most minor dental flaws in your smile—such as chips, cracks, stains, and gaps. While your results will be reliable and natural-feeling, you’ll need to get touchups every few years to preserve your dazzling smile.
• Veneers: This cosmetic service typically comes with a higher initial price value, but it’s easy to see why it’s worth it. We can cover up multiple dental imperfections simultaneously, and the veneers will offer a virtually permanent whitening solution for your smile. You can also expect to enjoy your brand-new pearly whites for 15 years or more with proper care before needing to replace them.

Cosmetic Dentistry Can Be a Worthwhile Investment

While cosmetic dental treatments are mostly focused on enhancing the appearance of your teeth, it isn’t the only thing they’ll benefit from. Not only will they improve your oral health and make it easier to clean your teeth, but you’ll also boost your confidence by showing off a smile you can be proud of. Since you’ll be grinning more often, you’ll be able to enjoy less stress, which can even positively affect your immune system. Not to mention, having a brighter smile can greatly impact your social relationships as well as your career opportunities!

How to Make Cosmetic Dentistry Affordable

Most dental insurance companies won’t cover cosmetic dentistry, as these treatments aren’t considered “essential” dental care. Still, you can explore alternative financing options to help make your procedure more manageable in the long run. Our team offers plans through CareCredit that can break up the overall cost of your treatments into monthly installments, most of which come with little-to-no interest.  This means you won’t have to feel stressed when it comes to affording your dream smile!

How Long Will My Results Last?

For most cosmetic treatments, the lifespan of your results will depend on how well you take care of your teeth and gums afterward. Services like veneers, cosmetic dental bonding, or metal-free restorations can last a decade or more as long as you brush and floss at home every day and attend checkups and cleanings with us at least twice a year. The results of our teeth whitening treatment can last for several months or even a year or longer if you brush daily and limit your consumption of foods and drinks that stain teeth. The only exception would be gum recontouring; the results of this treatment are permanent.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Cosmetic Work Done?

A lot of variables can affect the cost of your treatment, such as which service you choose and how many teeth are being affected. As a result, there is no fixed cost of cosmetic dental work. We can go over a more personalized cost estimate during your consultation. Keep in mind, though, that it’s impossible to put a price on the benefits of having a beautiful, confident smile.

Will My Dental Insurance Cover the Cost of Cosmetic Treatment?

Generally, dental insurance companies won’t cover the cost of cosmetic services, but there are always exceptions. For example, if you’re getting a metal-free restoration to protect a severely damaged tooth in addition to improving its appearance, that may overlap into restorative dentistry, which is often covered at up to 80 percent by dental insurance.

Our practice is in-network with a variety of dental insurance carriers. We’re more than happy to help you fill out the paperwork necessary to maximize your benefits. We also offer assistance in applying for CareCredit so that you can finance your treatment with loans that come with low or even no interest rates.

Is Cosmetic Dentistry Right for Me?

If you’re unhappy with some aspect of the pearly whites you see in the mirror, you might make a good candidate for cosmetic dentistry. As long as your mouth is infection-free, you’re eligible for most of our cosmetic treatments. If you have some kind of oral health issue, such as gum disease or cavities, we’ll have to address it before moving forward with cosmetic work.

If you’re ready to fully transform your smile, contact our office to find out whether cosmetic dentistry is right for you.

Is Cosmetic Dentistry Safe?

While the Drs. Gajera are trained and equipped to safely administer cosmetic dental treatments, not every procedure is appropriate for every patient. That’s why the first step to receiving cosmetic dentistry is to have a consultation at our Bedford office so one of our dentists can thoroughly evaluate your mouth and determine which treatments can be a good fit for you. In some cases, a cosmetic procedure can be risky if an underlying issue isn’t resolved first, such as how placing a veneer over a decayed tooth can make the infection more difficult to treat. If we find an issue that can make cosmetic procedures problematic, we may be able to recommend a suitable restorative treatment such as a dental filling or gum disease treatment so you can receive the treatment later. While over-the-counter teeth bleaching products can cause injuries due to being made from cheap ingredients and using clumsy one-size-fits-all appliances, our whitening treatments are customized and performed by a qualified professional to ensure the utmost safety.

What Causes the Discoloration of a Tooth?

Several factors can contribute to dental stains or discoloration. These include:

• Dark foods and beverages: Items that are heavy with pigments and dyes such as coffee, tea, red wine, berries, and colorful candies can leave stains on your teeth, and an acidic oral environment may make your smile more vulnerable to discoloration.
• Tobacco: Tobacco use in any form can leave unpleasant yellowish or brownish stains and deposits on your teeth while eroding the health of your gums.
• Age: Older teeth are more brittle, making it easier for them to accrue stains and discoloration.
• Injury: Oral trauma can cause a damaged tooth to take on a darker color.
• Antibiotics: using certain antibiotics such as tetracycline as a child may lead to permanent dental discoloration.

What Should I Expect at an Initial Consultation for a Smile Makeover?

During your initial consultation at our Bedford office, one of the Drs. Gajera will thoroughly assess your mouth and discuss your goals to determine the state of your oral health and what sort of treatments will be necessary to achieve your ideal smile. If any mouth-related health problems are uncovered at this time, they will need to be resolved before any cosmetic dental treatment can be performed. Our dentist may also take impressions of your teeth to gather data needed for your treatment and develop an “after” image depicting what the outcome may look like. Dental technology has advanced significantly in recent decades, so your new smile will most likely be quite similar to your projected results.

Does Cosmetic Dentistry Hurt?

Since it’s understandable that many people may be worried that cosmetic dental treatment will hurt, we’ll do everything we can to ensure that your experience is as comfortable as possible. Most cosmetic dental procedures are non-invasive, and treatments like teeth whitening and cosmetic dental bonding usually don’t even require anesthesia. However, our dentist will use local anesthetics to ensure that more intensive procedures like veneers and gum recontouring are completely painless. While your treatment may involve some residual soreness for a few days afterward, this should be mild, temporary, and easily controllable with over-the-counter pain relievers.