Michigan City Cosmetic Dentistry
We’ve heard patients say things to us like, “I wish I had a movie star smile, but it’s not for me I guess.” For some reason, people think they don’t deserve to have the same flawless smiles that they see on magazine covers or that those celebrities were born with picture-perfect smiles. At Edgewood Dental, we offer a variety of cosmetic dentistry solutions that will get your smile camera-ready and give you the confidence to smile broadly in every photo. Contact us in Michigan City to schedule an appointment. Our team welcomes patients from Trail Creek, Pottawattamie Park, and other nearby communities.
Metal-Free Dental Restorations
At Edgewood Dental, we want to replace lost tooth structure and restore proper function, but we also believe that restorations should look beautiful. That’s where smile repair options like metal-free, all-ceramic crowns and bridges come in. They offer our patients an unbeatable combination of flawless appearance and long-lasting restoration. Made from only the highest quality materials, these metal-free restorations can be used to repair damaged teeth or to improve the overall appearance of the smile. Additionally, metal-free restorations are the option best suited to patients who have metal allergies or sensitivities. Perhaps best of all, we can use our CEREC system to design, craft, and place a quality all-ceramic restoration in just one appointment, saving you time and allowing you to leave our office in one day with a beautifully renewed smile.
Teeth Whitening
If you’re one of our many patients seeking to brighten their smiles, we can help! At Edgewood Dental, we offer both in-office and take-home teeth whitening services. Combining professional, customized doses of the active whitening agent with safe, effective application methods, we help patients achieve results up to ten shades brighter. If you’d like to brighten your smile right away in preparation for an upcoming event or you’d prefer to leave all the dental work in our capable hands, in practice whitening might be for you. If you have sensitive teeth or want to brighten more gradually, we may recommend take-home whitening kits. Regardless of your chosen method, we’ll help you achieve the brighter smile you desire.
Learn More About Teeth Whitening
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are a great cosmetic solution for patients who have numerous cosmetic flaws across several teeth. As the word veneer may imply to you, this treatment is completed by placing thin sheaths of dental grade porcelain onto the front facing surfaces of teeth effectively concealing any chips, cracks, stains, or gaps. The process is completed over the course of two appointments. During the initial visit, we prepare teeth, capture impressions, and place temporaries to protect your prepared smile. When our dental lab is done crafting your custom restoration, you’ll return to our office to exchange the temporary for your flawless porcelain veneer.
Learn More About Porcelain Veneers
Componeers®
Want to get all of the aesthetic benefits of porcelain veneers in less time and for half the price? With pre-made composite-resin based Componeers®, our team can quickly eliminate flaws such as stains, chips, cracks, and gaps in just one easy visit. After examining your smile, you and our team will select thin composite coverings to bond directly to your teeth, and once applied, they’ll give you the beautiful, uniform smile you’ve always wanted.
Six Month Smiles®
For adult patients with minimal crowding, alignment issues, or large gaps between teeth, Six Month Smiles® may be a great orthodontic solution. As the name indicates, treatment plans are typically completed in three to six months. This process is completed more quickly than traditional orthodontics because it focuses on just the front facing teeth, those that are visible when you smile. While not typically recommend for younger patients, Six Month Smiles® can be ideal for adults who need minimal orthodontic correction. In addition to the abbreviated wear time, Six Month Smiles® braces also use clear and tooth-colored materials, making them less noticeable.
Understanding the Cost of Cosmetic Dentistry
Many people frustrated by dental imperfections avoid scheduling a cosmetic consultation because they’re afraid they can’t afford the treatments needed to reach their smile goals. Although it’s normal to worry about potential costs, our team also believes that everyone deserves to have flawlessly beautiful teeth they can be proud of.
Continue reading to learn more about how the cost of these services is determined and how our office in Michigan City helps make procedures more affordable!
Which Cosmetic Dental Service is Right for Me?
Are you interested in enhancing your appearance with one or more aesthetic treatments, but are unsure how to get started? Our team offers several options so that you’re more likely to find options that suit your budget, including:
- Metal-free restorations. Replacing an older amalgam dental crown with a more contemporary, tooth-colored version can boost your confidence for about $800 to $3,500 per restoration.
- Teeth Whitening. We offer in-office procedures for more immediate results, which can range from $400 to $800+, as well as professional-grade take-home whitening kits, which often cost a few hundred dollars.
- Porcelain Veneers. These ceramic restorations are customized to match your enamel and then are cemented over the fronts of your teeth to hide flaws, which can cost around $900 to $2,500+ per tooth.
- Componeers®. This option addresses many of the same issues as veneers, but because the covers are made from resin rather than ceramic, they usually have a lower price point, ranging from $250 to $1,500+ per tooth.
- Six Month Smiles®. This fast-track alternative to traditional orthodontics focuses on the front-facing teeth to reduce treatment timelines, and can cost between $3,000 and $5,000.
Is Cosmetic Dentistry a Worthwhile Investment?
Most dental insurance companies don’t cover the cost of services that are intended to improve your appearance more than your oral health. As a result, many patients wonder whether it’s worth investing their personal time and resources into treatments to enhance their smiles.
But there are benefits to improving your dental condition that you might not have considered. For example, did you know that having oral problems has been negatively associated with the probability of being employed? Fixing flaws in your grin can boost your confidence, which in turn can contribute to more meaningful relationships, a more rewarding social calendar, and better professional or educational achievements.
How to Make Cosmetic Dentistry Affordable
Our team understands that you might be concerned about potential costs, but we don’t want your current financial situation to hold you back from achieving the smile you’ve always dreamed of.
That’s why we offer the following options to help make treatments more affordable:
- In-House Memberships. For a flat monthly or annual fee, you gain access to complimentary annual exams, cleanings, and X-rays, as well as additional discounts on services that we provide.
- Flexible Financing. We also gladly accept flexible payment packages through CareCredit. These low- to no-interest plans allow you to divide your total invoice into more manageable installments that are paid over a designated period if your application is approved.
Cosmetic Dentistry FAQs
Why Is Cosmetic Dentistry So Popular?
Yes, cosmetic dentistry is more popular now than in the past. This change is due to society’s improved oral health, modern dental tools, and the reduced cost of care.
Firstly, people today have cleaner mouths than those who lived decades earlier. They value their oral health and can better maintain it. So, these folks can now focus on their smile’s looks instead of its damage. Keeping their teeth and gums healthy demands less time and energy than before.
Shifts in technology and cost are also key. After all, current dental tools work better than those from earlier decades. That means cosmetic dentistry offers more notable results than it once did. Plus, dental practices now offer financing options to make treatment less pricey.
Is Cosmetic Dentistry Safe?
At its best, cosmetic dentistry is a very safe field of care. Its services are harmless and won’t damage your teeth, gums, or any other part of your mouth.
That said, some cosmetic treatments are risky if you have an underlying health issue. If a dentist places (say) a veneer over a decayed tooth, the decay will be harder to treat later. It’s thus crucial that your dentist assess your mouth before doing cosmetic work. That way, they can address any oral problems you may have first.
To learn whether a cosmetic option is risky for you, consult your dentist. They’ll give you an idea of which aesthetic services are safe for your mouth.
How Long Does Cosmetic Dentistry Last?
Generally, the lifespan of cosmetic dental effects varies by patient. How long these results last will depend on the treatment you get.
For example, easy services don’t usually last long. Teeth whitening’s average lifespan is only about 1-3 years. You’d have to get regular touchups to compensate. (An exception to this rule is gum recontouring, a simple option that delivers permanent results.)
Meanwhile, more involved options have longer lifespans. Porcelain veneers can last 15-20 years (or more) with proper care. Similarly, the results from Six Month Smiles braces may stick around for a lifetime.
Is Cosmetic Dentistry Worth It?
In the end, cosmetic dentistry is quite worth it. Patients who receive it enjoy big jumps in their quality of life.
For starters, a pretty smile can improve your social situation. It’d help you feel more confident (and thus less anxious) around friends and family. Plus, it’ll give your peers a better first impressions of you. Those you chat with will likely rate you as attractive, healthy, smart, and successful.
Better yet, a gorgeous grin can lead to better work prospects. Showing it off would make job interviewers want to hire you. On the other hand, your boss may think to promote you to a higher role.