Of course, dentists accept cash and checks, and most also accept credit cards, which may be a viable option for some patients not wishing to pay the full amount up front. Bear in mind, however, that when using this method, you will be subject to the interest rates of the credit card company, which will accumulate and add to the overall amount of the treatment cost over time. That is why so many dental patients choose to use financing to help cover the cost of porcelain veneers, dental implants, and teeth whitening.

When speaking with your dentist, ask about other payment options, as many will have a working relationship with special financing companies, such as Care Credit and Capital One. Care Credit allows patients up to $25,000 to cover the costs associated with cosmetic dentistry. The patient will establish a payment plan, and pay off the total amount owed over a series of affordable monthly installments. In many cases, your dentist will submit the application and provide you with notice of acceptance into the plan within as little as 24 hours. There is typically no down payment, and treatment can often begin right away once the patient has been approved. Capital One offers a health care financing option, which allows a patient to take advantage of payment plans that are more adequately suited to their budgets. This, combined with low interest rates, can make cosmetic dentistry affordable to patients.

Dental implants are surgically anchored below one’s gums. The artificial teeth are thereby strengthened, as bone below the gum line, and gum tissue surrounding the area, both grow in around the implant. This fusion of one’s organic, natural mouth tissue and bone and the artificial implant creates added stability to the new tooth, which is often far superior to dentures or crowns. Due to this fusion, patients are required to have healthy gum tissue and strong bones.

Austin dental implants expert Dr. Mark Sweeney places restorations that look and function like one’s natural, original teeth, all the while allowing for permanent replacement of whatever teeth are missing. The implants typically have tooth roots as part of their forms, so they function like whole teeth, and fuse with the bone in much the same manner as the original teeth. The bone beneath missing teeth is often in a state of deterioration, which can potentially dramatically alter one’s natural facial appearance, and increase wrinkles. Dental implants, with their root element, can restore this aspect of tooth loss, making them an extremely efficient and thorough solution. Contact our Austin cosmetic dentistry practice for more information.

After perhaps conducting some informative research on your own, the next logical step would be to consult your dentist, in order to gain as much information as possible about the steps to perfecting your smile and restoring a healthy state to your mouth. It is wise to have some idea about your goals and expectations. You should also discuss these with your dentist at that time. As part of the procedure, should you elect to have porcelain veneers done. Your dentist will begin by buffing the surface of your teeth, removing only a slight amount of enamel. Porcelain veneers are extremely thin, and will eventually be set in the space of enamel that has been buffed away from the surface of each tooth. As with many other dental procedures, a mold of your teeth will then be cast. Porcelain veneers are custom made from this mold, and will fit your teeth to an exact measurement. In a later visit, the veneers are placed on the teeth, and the color is matched to your original teeth, in order to facilitate a seamless look. Finally, a special light is used on the adhesive, in order to permanently affix the porcelain veneers to the surface of the teeth.

The quality of the porcelain used in the dental procedure closely resembles natural tooth enamel, and can thusly be seamlessly integrated into one’s mouth, leaving a potentially flawless, natural looking smile. Since the porcelain veneers are translucent like real teeth, they can be a perfect tooth whitening solution for teeth that are discolored, as well as reshaping teeth that are naturally crooked or chipped. If you experience either of these situations, and have longed to correct problem areas in your mouth, then porcelain veneers may be the way to go. This is especially true if you are not able or willing to go through the reshaping process involved with orthodontics. Further, because the porcelain veneers are exactly custom-fitted to your teeth, chipped, cracked teeth can be restored to flawless condition and more than just the color of teeth can be returned to its original luster.

Many dentists provide digital imaging services as part of the consultation process, which can give a patient a fairly exact look at what the results of the procedure will look like when the process has been completed. Either way, if you are considering porcelain veneers, consult Texas cosmetic dentist Dr. Mark Sweeney more information on this cosmetic dental procedure.

In order to whiten discolored and stained teeth, most teeth whitening methods use a form of peroxide to bleach the surface of the teeth. In these methods, none of the tooth surface is removed, but the tooth surface is lightened in the process.

An in-office tooth whitening typically involves a kind of bleaching gel, which is applied to the teeth. After this, heat, special light or a laser is applied to the gel, accelerating the results of the tooth-whitening process. This procedure typically takes less than an hour, and can be effective in as little as one appointment. Office bleaching, also referred to as chair-side bleaching, tends to produce the quickest results, but can also be fairly expensive. This method can be effective with only a few visits to a dental professional. Though it can be pricey, the effects tend to last longer than other procedures used in teeth whitening (up to a couple of years), as the concentration of peroxide in dentist-used bleaches tends to be significantly higher than over the counter brands, and therefore more effective.

In addition to cosmetic dentist tooth-whitening procedures, there are several other alternate in-office methods, at specialized centers, that do nothing besides whiten teeth. Patients can also have porcelain veneers placed at our Texas cosmetic dentistry practice to improve the appearance of their smiles. Typically supervised by dentists, these centers offer the use of “blue spectrum” light, rather than laser light, to accelerate the effect of the whitening agents they use.