If You Want A Perfect Smile, Do Your Homework

While cosmetic dentistry solutions can certainly improve the way your teeth look, it's always best to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of any proposed dental procedure.

Advantages of Cosmetic Dentistry

The major advantages to cosmetic dentistry include its realism and the speed with which major improvements can be implemented.

• Realistic-looking. Almost all modern cosmetic dentistry procedures create highly realistic results. If a person has porcelain veneers for instance, the porcelain will blend perfectly with the surrounding teeth and be undetectable.
• Fast and Easy. Today, getting the most beautiful smile can virtually happen in an instant. With cosmetic dentistry, making your teeth perfect is as easy as shopping for the best shoe with the right fit.
• Highly Effective. Almost all cosmetic dentistry can be performed on any individual with a good set of healthy teeth. That means that anyone with problem teeth has access to a solution.

Disadvantages of Cosmetic Dentistry

The only real drawbacks to investigating cosmetic dental procedures involve the high cost and getting poor quality work.

• High cost. Cosmetic dentistry costs can be quite high, especially if they are not offset by insurance. The current cosmetic dentistry prices for the simplest procedure involving porcelain veneers ranges on average from $900 to $2,200. (Note that prices will vary widely from location to location.)
• Artificial Appearance. Cosmetic dentistry offers artificial solutions to common teeth problems. If your dentist is not skilled in the given procedure, the improvements may look artificial and unnatural and their durability and longevity is not assured.

Always conduct careful research on the dental professional you choose and if possible, ask to see examples of their work.

What Are Some Actual Costs of Cosmetic Dental Procedures?

The price of cosmetic dentistry is based primarily on the duration of the work required and the materials to be used. For instance:

• Tooth reshaping and contouring will cost somewhere between $100 and $1,500. The more teeth that need to be reshaped the higher the price.
• Tooth bleaching or whitening is priced from $400 to $650. The price may vary depending upon the tooth whitening procedure performed. Gel-tray whitening is usually less expensive than BriteSmile whitening. Laser whitening is the most expensive bleaching procedure available.
• Porcelain Veneers are $900 to $2,600. The cost of this procedure is really calculated per veneer applied.
• Front tooth bonding costs around $300 to $1,600. Bonding is something of an art and the more skilled the dentist, the higher the rate is apt to be.
• Invisible braces for adults are offered from $4,000 to $8,000. Traditional braces are, of course, less expensive.

Cosmetic dentistry is certainly a good solution to correct the appearance of your smile, but only if you have the money for it. Most of the time, cosmetic dental surgery is not covered by your health insurance. (Be sure to check well in advance of booking a procedure.) If the cost of a dazzling smile is worth it to you, however, high quality procedures are available and waiting for you.