Cosmetic dentistry in midtown Sacramento

What cosmetic dentistry is

Cosmetic dentistry is the part of dental practice focused on the appearance of your smile. It includes everything from a single shade lighter on a wedding day to a full smile makeover that combines whitening, veneers, gum reshaping, and orthodontics. The treatments themselves are not new, but modern materials, digital planning, and conservative bonding techniques have made the results dramatically better and the procedures less invasive than they used to be.

Our approach is conservative and long term. The most beautiful smiles in our office are the ones where you can not tell what we did, because the work blends in with the rest of the patient. That requires the same attention to bite, occlusion, gum health, and tooth structure that goes into any restorative case. Cosmetic dentistry done well is restorative dentistry that also happens to look great. Cosmetic dentistry done badly is the kind of bright white, oversized, blocky smile that ages poorly and creates problems later. We do the first kind.

Professional teeth whitening

Whitening is the fastest, least invasive cosmetic upgrade in dentistry. A single in office treatment can lighten teeth several shades in about an hour, and a custom take home tray system can produce equivalent results over a couple of weeks. Both work on the same principle: a peroxide gel breaks down staining molecules inside the enamel and dentin without removing tooth structure.

Professional whitening is significantly more effective than over the counter strips because the gel is stronger, the trays are custom made to your teeth, and the process is supervised. We screen for sensitivity, decay, and existing dental work that will not whiten with the rest of your teeth before we begin. More about professional whitening.

Porcelain veneers

Veneers are thin, custom shells of porcelain bonded to the front surface of the teeth to change their color, shape, length, and alignment. Done well, they can completely transform a smile while requiring relatively little tooth preparation. Done badly, they look like a row of toilets in the mirror. Material quality, shade selection, and the artistry of the lab matter as much as the dentist.

We use high quality porcelain veneers from trusted local labs and walk every case through digital smile design before any tooth structure is touched. Patients see a preview of the planned result before committing. Read more about veneers.

Invisalign clear aligners

Invisalign uses a series of clear, custom plastic trays to gradually move teeth into their final position. It is virtually invisible, removable for eating and brushing, and well suited for the kind of mild to moderate adult orthodontic cases that used to be treated with traditional braces. Treatment time is often shorter than traditional braces, especially for adults focused on straightening their front teeth.

For many cosmetic cases, the most conservative path is orthodontics first to align the teeth, followed by minor whitening or bonding to refine the result. That avoids removing healthy tooth structure for veneers when straightening is the actual issue. Read more about Invisalign.

Dental bonding

Dental bonding uses tooth colored composite resin, the same material we use for fillings, to repair small chips, close small gaps, smooth out a jagged edge, or change the shape of a tooth. It is fast, conservative, often does not require anesthetic, and is significantly less expensive than veneers or crowns. The trade off is that bonding is not as strong as porcelain and may need to be touched up every five to ten years.

Bonding is a great option for the small fixes that veneers would be overkill for. It is also a useful test drive before committing to porcelain in some cases.

Cosmetic crowns and implants

When a tooth is too damaged for a veneer, an all ceramic crown can completely rebuild it while looking just as natural. Modern crown materials reflect light the same way enamel does and can be matched precisely to the surrounding teeth. Crowns are also the right call for teeth that have had root canals or large old fillings.

For missing teeth, dental implants with custom ceramic crowns are the gold standard cosmetic and functional restoration. They preserve the bone underneath and look like the tooth they replaced. More on crowns and bridges or read about implants.

How a smile makeover works

Most cosmetic cases follow a similar arc, regardless of which treatments are involved.

1. Consultation and listening. We start by hearing what you want to change. Bring photos of smiles you like if it helps. There is no commitment at this visit.
2. Exam and records. Comprehensive exam, X-rays, photos, and a digital iTero scan of your bite. We check the underlying tooth health and gum health that has to be solid before any cosmetic work begins.
3. Digital smile design. We mock up the planned result digitally so you can see what your new smile will look like. Adjustments are made before any irreversible work happens.
4. Sequence and timeline. We map out the order of treatments. Whitening before veneers, Invisalign before whitening, gum work before crowns. The sequence matters and bad sequencing creates problems.
5. Treatment. We deliver each step with the long term plan in mind. You leave each appointment looking better than you came in.
6. Maintenance. Routine cleanings, night guards if you grind, and touch up whitening as needed protect the investment.

Cost and financing

Cosmetic dentistry pricing varies widely. Whitening is the least expensive and full smile makeovers with multiple veneers or implants are at the other end. Most purely cosmetic procedures are not covered by insurance, but treatments that double as restorative work, like crowns and implants, often are. We provide a written treatment plan and estimate before any work begins.

For self pay patients, we offer financing through Cherry, including 0% APR options for qualified patients. See accepted insurance plans or request a cosmetic consultation.