Don’t Waste Money on Cheap Porcelain Veneers

High-quality porcelain veneers enhance your smile for many years to come, making them one of the best investments in cosmetic dentistry. Cheap veneers, on the other hand, may look fake and will likely need to be repaired or replaced within a few years.

The High Cost of Cheap Veneers

What if one of your veneers broke or fell off just before a big presentation or special event? Would the cost savings be worth it if your veneers started to stain or crack after just a few months?

You’re probably considering porcelain veneers because you want a million-dollar smile, so it just doesn’t make sense to sacrifice quality.

With some purchases, cost may be the most important factor. But veneers aren’t an item that you will use and discard. Cosmetic dentistry is something you live with all day, everyday.

Invest In Quality

Dentists who discount their work must find ways to reduce their costs, either through lower-quality materials or cutting corners on technique.

Quality of porcelain veneers varies depending on:

• Quality of the material. The technology used to manufacture porcelain veneers has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years. The lithium disilicate often used in today’s porcelain veneers is the strongest material (aside from metal) that is available in cosmetic dentistry. And unlike metal, porcelain is also the most natural-looking material.
• Skill of the ceramist. Each porcelain veneer is hand-made, and only a master ceramist will be able to craft your so that they perfectly match the shape, size and color of your existing teeth.
• Cosmetic skill of the dentist. Each veneer must be carefully fitted and bonded to the tooth. This labor-intensive and technique-sensitive practice is best performed by an accredited and experienced cosmetic dentist.

Financing Options

If you are considering veneers for a full smile makeover, there are some dental financing options you can consider to help make the costs more manageable.

• Our staff will help you work with your insurance company to find out if your dental insurance will cover a portion of your veneers procedure.
• Atlanta Dental Spa also offers credit options from two of the leading companies in health care credit: Springstone Financial and CareCredit.
• We also accept all major credit cards, allowing you to pay for your veneers on your own schedule.
• We will not begin your veneers procedure until you completely understand the costs involved.

High-quality porcelain veneers are an investment in your image. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by settling for a cheap imitation. If you’re in the Atlanta area, our top cosmetic dentists would love to help you review your veneers options and get you on the road to a stunning smile!

 

Veneers Buckhead: Top Cosmetic Dentists Answer Your Questions

Buckhead residents looking to create a radiant smile now have Atlanta’s top cosmetic dentists in their backyard! Dr. Peter Boulden and Dr. Susan Estep are bringing their meticulous veneers process to Buckhead with their new office opening in May.

Veneers are a popular way to make your smile whiter and more symmetrical. Buckhead residents considering this cosmetic dentistry option are in good hands with the dentists who won “Best in Show” and “1st Place for Smile Makeovers” in the Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics 2010 International Smile Gallery Competition.

Benefits of Veneers

Porcelain veneers have been used for decades to improve smiles, for a number of reasons:

• Natural-looking: Porcelain closely replicates human enamel because it has the same translucency, which means that light can enter and be reflected back out. Because of the skill required to match the porcelain to the surrounding teeth, only a master ceramist is qualified to create porcelain veneers.
• Strong: Generally made of lithium disilicate glass, porcelain is the strongest dental material available, other than metal. (However, it’s a myth that porcelain is stronger than enamel; any activity that would chip your natural teeth would also break enamel.)
• Long-lasting: With a life of 20 years or longer, porcelain veneers are one of the most durable ways to enhance your smile. Their durability is due in part to the chemical bonding process used to adhere these thin shells of porcelain to your teeth.

No-Prep Veneers

One of the potential downsides of traditional veneers is that they usually require some reduction of the underlying tooth, so that your smile doesn’t become overly bulky. However, newer technology has led to the creation of ultra-thin veneers that require no or minimal preparation of the teeth.

In addition to prepless veneers brands such as Lumineers, Buckhead cosmetic dentists Drs. Boulden and Estep have developed a special veneers option called UltraVeneers.

The benefits of no-prep or minimal prep veneers include:

• Minimally invasive: Typically, the dentist only needs to contour the teeth slightly, and usually no anesthetic is necessary.
• Cost: No-prep veneers typically are a less expensive option than traditional veneers or other cosmetic dental procedures.
• Turnaround: Most patients can have their no-prep veneers placed within 72 hours.

Buckhead residents have many options for perfecting their smiles, and cosmetic dentists Drs. Boulden and Estep would be happy to offer a complimentary smile consultation to determine whether veneers are right for you.

 

Pros and Cons of Porcelain Veneers

Veneers are, without a doubt, modern dentistry’s best way to replicate nature. That is always the goal of cosmetic dentistry- to replicate nature, not try to improve upon it.

Porcelain veneers are NOT the only option for changing one’s smile but are commonly used when a patient wants to gain a lot of control of their smile (change color, size, shape, etc).

The advantages (pros) to porcelain veneers are:

• Aesthetics: Porcelain is our most ‘natural’ looking enamel replacement material because it replicates a lot of the same properties as enamel. For example, enamel has a property called translucency (where light can enter and be reflected back out). Porcelain has that same characteristic and can be varied by the master ceramist to blend with the surrounding teeth.

• Strength: Besides using metal in your mouth, porcelain systems today are the strongest materials we have. Most ceramics used today are actually a lithium disilicate glass (again, very strong).

• Durability: Porcelain veneers are bonded to the underlying tooth structure. Because of this fact, their is a chemical adhesion to the tooth and the veneer on a microscopic level. Done correctly and precisely, this bonded procedure can last upwards of 2o years.

• Lack of staining: Unlike bonding or natural teeth, porcelain veneers do not really stain because of the material it is composed of (essentially a glass ceramic). Additionally, porcelain veneers are glazed in an oven as the final process in their fabrication so this prevents (or minimizes) staining.

Nothing in dentistry is PERFECT though. There are some cons associated with porcelain veneers:

• Cost: Porcelain veneers are expensive. Veneers range in quality across the board, just like most products we buy. For example, just like in automobiles, you may want to buy a sub-compact car or a high-end luxury sedan.

• Porcelain veneers are typically no different in that you get what you pay for. The price they can range from is $700 – $2000 per tooth. This doesn’t mean that you can’t get quality at $700 nor does it guarantee a $2000 veneer is going to be perfect. This is why it is VITAL to look at the “before and after” results of the dentist your are electing to perform the procedure to make sure they’re qualified to meet your expectations.

• Invasive: Porcelain veneers are typically more invasive to the enamel than, for example, tooth bonding would be. Even at a minimal thickness of 0.3mm, without a little tooth reduction, the tooth could appear bulky (which in our opinion is a DEAD GIVEAWAY that they’re ‘fake’). There are situations, though, that the tooth does not require any reduction (i.e. drilling).

• These are called No-prep veneers like Ultraveneers, Lumineers, and Durathins. At Atlanta Dental Spa, we pride ourselves on being very conservative cosmetic dentists. This means that we take great strides to do minimal tooth reduction to achieve MAXIMAL aesthetic results.

• Not stronger than enamel: It’s a myth that porcelain is good for people who have chipped or broken their teeth through grinding (or chewing ice, etc). Porcelain is NOT stronger than enamel. So basically anything that could chip or break a natural tooth, will surely do the same to porcelain. In many instances, we mandate a nightguard in our cases to ensure protection on your investment.

Porcelain veneers can be a great investment, if they are the right option for you. Visit our cosmetic dentistry practice in Atlanta to schedule your free consultation, and find out if porcelain veneers are right for you!

9 Tips for Choosing the Right Cosmetic Dentist

How do you choose a cosmetic dentist? It’s a very difficult and confusing process. Choosing a cosmetic dentist can be a great first step to creating that wonderful smile you’ve always wanted and dreamed of. In fact, 96% of Americans feel an attractive smile makes a person more appealing to a member of the opposite sex, according to a study done by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

With every dentist out there claiming he or she performs cosmetic dentistry, it’s difficult to determine who will deliver exactly what you’re looking for. Here are some things to think about when choosing your “cosmetic” dentist.

Is it his or her focus?

Look for a dentist who has tried to make cosmetic dentistry a focus in his or her practice. Obviously, the more cases a dentist has done, the more likely he or she can deliver consistent results.

Before and after photos

This one is big. Make sure the dentist you are selecting has copious photography of his/her work. Before and after pictures are essential for evaluating the level of performance you can expect from that dentist’s work. If a dentist cannot provide you with high quality before and after pictures, run the other way!

Level of post-graduate dental education

Minimal amounts of cosmetic dentistry are taught by dental schools. Make sure to view dentists’ post-graduate credentials when choosing your cosmetic dentist. Do they have credentials from post-graduate institutions? What membership affiliations do they have? What is the focus of their continuing education?

Other patients’ experiences

Testimonials on a website are great, but it’s even better for the dentist to have patients whom you could call to discuss their experiences. Other patients sometimes give you a better idea of what to expect before, during, and after treatment.

The dentist should be proud to give you a list of  “raving fans” to call who have gone through the particular procedure you’re seeking.

Technology and office standards

Have a look around the office. This is your opportunity to see the equipment, ask questions about available technology and procedures, and check out the sterilization areas. For instance, if the sterilization area doesn’t look up-to-date, do you think you’ll be happy with the results from that particular dentist?

Are you comfortable with the dentist?

It is important that you get a sense of honesty and have a high level of communication with the cosmetic dentist you choose. You will be spending some time with the dentist you pick, so if you get a bad feeling, it might be best to move on.

Inquire about their ceramist

The level of ceramics (or porcelain) will likely be a direct reflection of the quality of fit and aesthetic of your dental appliance. If you are seeking the best cosmetic dentistry possible, ask your dentist if he or she uses a “master ceramist.”

The level of training the ceramist has is EVERY BIT as important as the cosmetic dentist’s level of training. Together, they will work to create the smile you have always dreamed of.

Different treatment options

You should expect options when consulting with a cosmetic dentist. During that consultation, a dentist may explain to you an “ideal” treatment, as well as a variety of other options. Options are important because ultimately you are responsible for your own decisions.

Have they won any awards?

Advances in cosmetic dentistry, like most technology, move very fast. Make sure that the cosmetic dentists you are looking into are not ‘resting on their laurels’ from back in the ’90s. One way is to see if they’ve actually won awards for their cosmetic dentistry in competition with dentists nationally and internationally (these competitions are held by dental organizations typically).

These are a few crucial tips that you can use to find the cosmetic dentistry professional that is right for you! If you would like to schedule a consultation with Atlanta Dental Spa, simply call us at 770-998-3838 today!