Cosmetic Dentistry in Sonora, CA
Your smile does a lot more than brighten a room, as studies show smiling can boost your mood, relieve stress, and even help you live longer! However, not everyone has the confidence to smile. People who are self-conscious about their teeth often avoid smiling, missing out on these great benefits. Stains, chips, and misalignments can make patients reluctant to smile, causing them to evade photos and hide their teeth behind their hands when they talk. Fortunately, Sonora Dentist has a solution! Using cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Berger helps patients like you enhance the appearance of their smile. With cosmetic treatments, you can live confidently with a smile that you love!
What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry is a field of dentistry focused on improving the appearance of your teeth. With cosmetic procedures, we can help patients learn to love their smile again!
Unlike restorative dentistry, cosmetic procedures usually only target the appearance of your smile. However, some treatments provide both restorative and cosmetic benefits, such as dental implants or fillings.
When you visit Dr. Berger in Sonora, CA, for your initial appointment, he will conduct a thorough examination of your smile and take any necessary X-rays to assess your specific needs. Afterward, he’ll discuss your smile goals with you and create a custom treatment plan tailored to your smile!
Understanding What Cosmetic Dentistry Can Do for You
Some people are born with perfect teeth. Most people, however, are not. If you’ve been struggling with the appearance of your smile, cosmetic dentistry may be able to treat imperfections like:
- Stains and discoloration
- Chips and cracks
- Gaps between teeth
- Misshapen and crooked teeth
Once Dr. Berger determines you’re needs, he’ll develop a treatment plan that enhances your smile and fits your budget!
Our Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures
Sonora Dentist offers a wide variety of cosmetic treatments, ranging in price, procedure, and outcome.
Dental Fillings
While mostly seen as restorative, dental fillings do offer cosmetic benefits for your smile.
When decay spreads in your enamel and causes cavities, a dental filling is an excellent restoration method. First, Dr. Berger removes the decaying portion of your tooth, leaving the cavity clean and free from infection. Then, he roughens up the tooth’s surface using specialized dental tools to help the bonding material adhere to the enamel.
Using a tooth-colored composite resin that matches your natural enamel, he will fill in the cavity. Finally, with a special UV light, he’ll cure the resin material to harden it, effectively sealing your cavity while maintaining the aesthetics of your smile.
Dental Bonding
Although dental bonding uses the same composite resin as a filling, it is used to cover up small cosmetic issues, rather than cavities.
Using the same preparation process, Dr. Berger will gently roughen the surface of your tooth to prepare it for the resin. Then, he’ll use a tooth-colored composite resin material to conceal imperfections on your teeth, such as chips, cracks, small gaps, and misshapen teeth.
Once it has hardened, he will smooth the resin to blend seamlessly with your enamel, improving the appearance of your smile!
Dental Veneers
Dental veneers are thin shells of porcelain or ceramic that cover the front enamel of your tooth. Amazingly, this cosmetic procedure allows for incredible customization, as you alter the shape, size, and color of each individual veneer to create your dream smile!
At Sonora Dentist, Dr. Berger only performs full veneers, which means that he will cover every individual tooth in your smile line. A smile line refers to the 8-10 teeth you show when you smile!
The process is simple, as he starts with a consultation. Once Dr. Berger determines that your teeth are healthy enough for veneer treatment, he will remove a small amount of the front-facing enamel to make room for the veneer to sit flush against your tooth.
Once prepared, he’ll take impressions of your smile to send to a dental lab, where technicians will craft your veneers with excellent accuracy. While you wait for your final veneers, you’ll wear temporaries to protect your smile.
When your final veneers arrive, he’ll cement them in place to provide you with a brand-new, custom smile!
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are often used for restorative purposes, as they protect damaged teeth from further decay and help fortify your tooth’s structure. However, Dr. Berger can also use tooth-colored crowns to preserve the aesthetic of your smile!
By perfectly matching the color of your enamel, he can place a crown to restore your tooth and maintain the beauty and natural appearance of your smile.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are titanium posts that Dr. Berger places in your jawbone to support artificial teeth. These restorations include dental crowns, which replace one tooth, dental bridges, which replace multiple teeth, and dentures, which replace your entire smile! Dental implants anchor these restorations to your jawbone, providing a long-lasting solution to tooth loss.
While these implants do restore your smile, they also provide important cosmetic benefits that keep your smile full. With implant-supported restorations, we replace gaps and create a beautiful, natural-looking smile.
At Sonora Dentist, Dr. Berger only offers mini dental implants. These small titanium implants are incredibly durable and offer fast and effective results!
Enhance Your Smile’s Appearance at Sonora Dentist
Don’t let your insecurities about your smile hold you back from living life confidently any longer. When you book an appointment at Sonora Dentist, Dr. Berger will create a custom treatment plan to hide your smile’s imperfections and provide you with a smile you can be proud of! Whether you need veneers, crowns, or mini dental implants, he has a solution for you.
Book a consultation today to start your journey towards a beautiful smile!
Frequently Asked Questions
The cost of veneers depends largely on the number of teeth you’re perfecting, as each veneer has its own cost.
At Sonora Dentist, we only do full veneers, so your price will depend on how many teeth are visible in your smile line, as well as the material we use. In general, porcelain veneers are usually more expensive than ceramic veneers. However, porcelain is more durable than ceramic, which can improve the longevity of your veneer smile.
At your consultation, we’ll discuss pricing with you as well as materials, so you know what to expect.
While each individual patient has different needs and goals for their smile, one of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures is dental veneers. Because these thin shells of porcelain or ceramic are customizable, you can completely transform your smile!
The size, shape, and color of your veneers are totally up to you, and we consider your input throughout the veneer process. Additionally, veneers are a minimally invasive procedure that many patients prefer over dental crowns. While crowns require your entire tooth to be shaved down, veneers only need the top layer of your enamel, preserving most of the tooth’s natural structure.
If you’re looking to enhance your smile’s appearance with a minimally invasive procedure, veneers may be the right option for you!
Unfortunately, insurance companies typically don’t offer coverage for cosmetic procedures. Because cosmetic procedures usually aren’t “medically necessary,” patients often have to pay out of pocket.
While some procedures that are both restorative and cosmetic have coverage, like dental crowns, others, like dental implants, usually aren’t covered.
Fortunately, at Sonora Dentist, we partner with flexible financing companies that help split your costs up into manageable monthly payments!