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What to Expect at Your Cosmetic Dental Appointment
A Typical First Visit
1. A Thorough Dental Examination.
We believe a comprehensive first exam is the best way to begin the process of obtaining a healthy, beautiful smile. In order to ensure success in our cosmetic dental procedures, we take the necessary time to fully and thoroughly evaluate your present dental condition. Our goal is to give our guests the necessary information and education so that they may enjoy a beautiful, healthy smile for years to come. Here is what to expect.
When you arrive, one of our dental concierges will greet you and take you on a tour of our incredible new facility. You'll meet some of the other members of our team, see our in-house cosmetic dental lab, view some of our high tech equipment and sterilization area, as well as see examples of our amazing smile transformations. Then, we'll escort you to a private consultation room where we'll help you fill out the necessary paperwork. We continue with a one-on-one discussion covering your past dental history and present concerns. After that, your treatment consultant will then guide you through the rest of the process.
- We will take any necessary dental x-rays with digital radiography (which uses 90% less radiation that traditional x-rays).
- We will perform a full-mouth periodontal probing to determine if you have any signs of gum disease. We will also create a chart of all your teeth and the restorations presently in place and note areas of disease, bleeding, or other problems noted.
- We will perform a cancer screening intra-orally checking the tongue, cheeks and surrounding soft tissues.
- We will perform a complete cavity check tooth-by-tooth.
- We will begin a thorough evaluation of your occlusion (how your teeth meet).
2. Your Smile Analysis & Computerized Imaging
To be comfortable with a cosmetic dental procedure, it helps if you are shown what some of the possibilities may be. We have a few ways of doing this:
Through viewing some of our before and after images of other quests with procedures similar to yours;
Through seeing 3-D models of patients with procedures similar to yours; and
Through computerized cosmetic imaging.
For the computerized imaging, first we listen to your wants and desires for your smile. Then we take digital and diagnostic photographs necessary to create an image that is designed to closely correspond to your desires to see if you like it. At this time we will discuss your smile analysis, and show you computer- enhanced images of your own features with expertly crafted restorations, natural-looking veneers, or crowns. This method allows you to preview possible results using our computer imaging technology and work together to make any changes you'd like (for example to the color, shape, etc.).
Because you will be able to see yourself "before" and "after," our pre-operative imaging session gives you a more realistic expectation about results and thus greater peace of mind and a better understanding for what to look forward to from your smile design. Our cosmetic dentists also benefit by gaining a clearer sense of your needs and expectations. This imaging session is an opportunity to fully discuss your desires for your appearance. We feel that imaging is about communication, and communication is the most indispensable tool of all. Your images are stored in our computer for future reference and you receive a printed copy.
Your Second Visit:
Hygienic Cleaning & Treatment Plan Presentation
Typically a week or so after your initial cosmetic dental exam (unless your visits have been combined into one visit), we will schedule a follow-up visit. You will first have your teeth hygienically cleaned by one of our aesthetic hygienists. After this, you will meet with one of our cosmetic doctors, then your treatment coordinator where they will lay out one or more possible treatment plans for you. This is usually done with a PowerPoint presentation, which we place on a CD for you to take home and discuss with family and friends if you'd like. In viewing our treatment plan presentation, you are encouraged to be actively involved in the planning of you smile and will have the opportunity to discuss your questions and concerns with our cosmetic dentists and your personal treatment coordinator.
Your Third Visit:
It's Up To You!
After we have provided a complete examination, hygienic cleaning and presented a treatment plan, you may want to get going right away on getting a beautiful new smile, you may want to have restorative work done, or you may want to think about it. Whatever you decide, we're here to work with you and help with getting a healthy beautiful smile that you are proud to show others.
Although most guests do come to us for cosmetic work, we also perform general dental procedures including hygienic cleanings, fillings, etc. The difference is that we practice dentistry with the aesthetics of the final result in mind, so we place a special emphasis on making you look great.
As for costs and whether they are more than other cosmetic dentists, our fees are comparable to those at premier cosmetic dental boutiques nationally. If you are price shopping for cosmetic dental care, bear this in mind -- just like all restaurants, cars, or hotel rooms are not the same and you would never purchase one because it was the cheapest one you could find -- all cosmetic dental offices are not alike. With such a high level of artistry, technology, and science needed for optimal results, there are at least two healthcare professionals you should not skimp on-- your brain surgeon and your cosmetic dentist. This is not to say that our office is necessarily higher on the specific treatment you may need. In fact, depending on the procedure, our fees may be lower than other dental practices. We encourage you to experience what separates us from other cosmetic dental practices, before making a life-altering decision based on price alone. We are confident you will agree that our services are value-priced.
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