Laguna Niguel Cosmetic Dentistry

Since 1977, Laguna Niguel has been a leading provider of cosmetic dentistry and personalized oral health services in Laguna Niguel. We perform a number of cosmetic dental procedures at our office in Laguna Niguel that will improve not only the appearance of your teeth, but how they function as well. Our mission is to deliver the greatest results cosmetic dentistry can offer using a combination the most up to date technology, in addition to evidence-based techniques used successfully in aesthetic dentistry for decades. If it’s porcelain veneers you are seeking, then you have come to the right place. Ceramic veneers are stain resistant and can be custom-tinted to blend in naturally with the rest of your teeth, or whiten and brighten them to give you a dramatic new smile. Porcelain veneers can significantly change your smile’s appearance by correcting most cosmetic faults, such as chipped and cracked teeth, gaps between teeth, misalignment, and stains due to tetracycline.

What is Cosmetic Dentistry?

Quite simply, cosmetic dentistry is any dentistry designed to improve the appearance of your teeth.

Merriam Webster provides the definition of “cosmetic” as, “done or made for the sake of appearance”.

There is, however, a misunderstanding that cosmetic dentistry is done only to improve appearances.  Many times, dentistry truly IS needed – but the patient chooses to have a dentist who is an expert in cosmetic dentistry to complete the work.

Every smile design is different, and each comes with its own sets of unique challenges. We believe that taking the time to properly diagnose and identify those challenges at the very beginning makes the whole process of getting porcelain veneers much less frustrating and more efficient and cost effective as well. It is because of our dedication to continuing education that we are able to provide our Laguna Niguel patients with the most personalized cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Balaze has studied at the prestigious Pankey Institute and has been awarded a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry.

How Much Does Cosmetic Dentistry Cost?

As with all things, prices can vary.  Especially in our office – because we individualize all of our treatment.  We can make improvements to the look of your teeth with a simple tooth whitening treatment for around $100.  With the more predictable results that we are getting with clear aligners, like Laguna Niguel Invisalign, we are able to do more cosmetic dentistry with less veneers.  Simple cases can range from $2,000 – $4,000.  More complex cases, and cases where we are placing veneers on both bottom and top teeth will be much higher.  Some cosmetic dentistry makeovers can reach costs of $30,000.

Be sure to also check out our recent post on why veneers are so expensive!

How Long Does It Take To Get Veneers?

It is always my preference to take the time to do something right the first time.  The pain of having to re-do something because we rushed it the first time is just too great for me to bare.

You will hear me talk about my “two simple rules” all the time.  They are, 1. No Strangers and 2. No Surprises.  The second rule is the one that saves us time.  If you are getting any cosmetic dentistry done, and the dentist promises that you can get a great result at your first appointment – run away.  Significant changes require significant planning.  Especially if you want the results to last longer than the time it takes to get back to your car.

Composite bonding, also called “direct veneers”, will take at least one appointment for photos and planing.  The next appointment is the one where we do the actual “work” and complete the dentistry.  For a total of 2 appointments, which in our office are usually spread out by a week or two to allow me enough time to properly plan.

Ceramic veneers, also called “indirect veneers”, will take longer.  The same type of first appointment for planning, a second appointment for preparing the teeth, and a third appointment for delivering the final ceramic veneers.  I like to have at least a week for the planning between the first and second appointments, and then between 2-4 weeks while our ceramic artist creates the new veneers.

When we are straightening teeth prior to doing the veneers, that process can add a year or two to the front end.  The benefit of doing that, however, is that we can keep much more tooth structure and get a significantly more predictable result.

What is the Difference Between a Dentist and a Cosmetic Dentist?

All dentists in the United States must graduate from a dental school, and pass the National Dental Board of Examiners examination.

Laguna Niguel Cosmetic Bonding

Laguna Niguel is a suburban city located in Orange County, California. If you are one of the 62,979 people that live in the beautiful town of Laguna Niguel, you know that there is a certain demand for high-quality, naturally beautiful, cosmetic dentistry. We are here to serve you, and help you reach your goals of having a healthy and beautiful smile. We are happy to sit down with you and listen to any questions you may have regarding your vision of your perfect smile. After a thorough and detailed exam, we create a custom design for your new porcelain veneers. Our next step is to create a trial-smile using digital 3-D dental techniques. When you approve the look and feel of the trial smile, we will make provisional veneers, or esthetic veneer prototypes. These veneer prototypes will be made for your teeth while our world class ceramist fabricates your personalized porcelain veneers in our Laguna Niguel dental lab. Once the veneers are ready, you will return to our office so that we can carefully remove the esthetic veneer prototypes and place your brand new, custom porcelain veneers.

Laguna Niguel Porcelain Veneers

If you’re on the fence about investing in porcelain veneers, you may want to consider cosmetic bonding as an alternative. Chips, stains, gaps, and cracks in your “smile zone” can take away from your beautiful smile. While cosmetic bonding doesn’t last quite as long as veneers, bonding is usually faster and less expensive than porcelain veneers. Similar to porcelain veneers, however, cosmetic bonding fights stains and re-shapes your teeth to give you a very natural and beautiful smile. After the same detailed examination process in our Laguna Niguel dental office, we make a similar custom designed smile as a guide for your composite veneers. At the very next appointment we use the same custom-tinted, composite resin that we routinely use for white fillings, to create your new smile while you are in our office. We will then carefully shape and polish your new composite veneers for a natural appearance. Call or click for an appointment today!

Our practice is conveniently located at the corner of Town Center and Alicia Pkwy.