Cosmetic Dentistry – Rochester, MN
Creating Your
Dream Smile
Achieving great oral health should be everyone’s top priority, but there are also many patients who want to enjoy a more beautiful smile as well. This is understandable – after all, studies have suggested that people with brighter, straighter teeth tend to be perceived as more successful, more attractive, and even younger than their unluckier counterparts. At Zumbro Family Dental, our cosmetic dentist, Dr. Nicholas Brong and the rest of our team are happy to offer several cosmetic dentistry in Rochester, MN that can erase aesthetic flaws and give you the dazzling, lifelike look you’ve been desiring. Contact our dental office today to schedule a cosmetic consultation!
Why Choose Zumbro Family Dental for Cosmetic Dentistry?
- Stain-Resistant, Long-Lasting Veneers
- Quick, Efficient Cosmetic Bonding
- Judgment Free Dental Environment
Porcelain Veneers
When your smile is suffering from multiple cosmetic flaws at once, the thought of arranging treatment can be a little overwhelming. Thankfully, porcelain veneers can create a gorgeous transformation all at once for patients! With these thin pieces of personalized dental porcelain, Dr. Brong is able to cover your natural teeth from sight behind a naturally flawless appearance, effectively erasing stains, gaps, chips, cracks, misalignments, and even minor gaps. Veneers are even more resistant to discoloration than your original enamel, which means you can maintain your new and improved look even longer.
Metal-Free Dental Crowns
When patients experience a weakened, broken, or lost tooth, a restoration can be used to rebuild the missing structure and return function to their smile. However, older patients may be hesitant about this, and understandably so. In the past, silver and gold materials were primarily used to create these restorations, which stood out noticeably in a patient’s natural smile and dealt a blow to their self-confidence. Thankfully, you won’t have to worry about this with Dr. Brong. He’s happy to offer all-ceramic restorations that will benefit both your appearance and your quality of life.
All-ceramic dental restorations are so lifelike that they give off the same translucent and reflective qualities as your original teeth. Patients with new crowns won’t even have to worry about a dark band forming over time. However, they aren’t just aesthetically pleasing – they offer multiple advantages when compared to traditional models. They’re much more biocompatible overall, making them perfect for patients with sensitivities. This also reduces the possibility of gum irritation and provides more comfort overall. Patients will find that these quality ceramic materials are more conservative too, helping to strengthen existing structure and restore biting strength.
Cosmetic Dental Bonding
A full smile makeover isn’t always necessary to bring out the best of your smile. Sometimes all it takes is a little sculpting. With cosmetic bonding, we take a small amount of naturally colored composite resin and carefully apply it to the enamel to cover up small imperfections, such as a dark spot that won’t go away or a minor chip that distracts you whenever you look in the mirror. Despite being completed in about an hour, cosmetic bonding can last for many years.
Teeth Whitening
Stains and discoloration can accumulate on teeth for a number of reasons, such as age, genetics, coffee, wine, certain foods, and even some medication. If you’re feeling unhappy about your lackluster smile, pay us a visit. Dr. Brong is happy to offer both in-house teeth whitening and take-home kits so that patients can choose the option that best fits their budget and schedule.
Do you have a big event coming up that you’d love to look great for, such as a graduation or a wedding? In-house teeth whitening sounds like the right choice for you. This procedure only takes around an hour, and you’ll be able to leave the very same day with a dramatically brighter smile. Alternatively, patients who’d rather achieve a more gradual change or who have hectic schedules may prefer our customized kits. It’s simple – just wear the high-grade bleaching gel and oral trays we provide together for a certain amount of time each day. This can be done whenever you have the time, and within just a few weeks, you should begin to see dazzling results.
Gum Recontouring
Sometimes, your teeth aren't the culprit when a smile doesn't look quite right. It's actually the gumline! Excessive or lopsided gum tissue can result in teeth looking overly short and stubby. Thankfully, gum recontouring can make all the difference in this situation. Our team will carefully reshape and resculpt your natural gumline, removing unnecessary tissue so that you can finally show off your pearly whites in their full glory.
Virtual Smile Design
Committing to cosmetic dentistry can feel a little scary in the early stages. After all, what if you end up not liking the final results after going through so much work and time? That's where our virtual smile design technology comes in. After learning more about the goals and priorities you have in mind for your revitalized smile, our team can take a current photo of you and adjust it to reflect the positive changes of certain services like veneers. You'll be able to see your future and feel confident about what's to come before you even start treatment!
Understanding the Cost of Cosmetic Dentistry
As great as cosmetic dentistry is, its price is often a major concern. The field’s services aren’t covered by dental insurance and can even get rather expensive. Still, the cost of cosmetic dentistry varies from patient to patient; only Dr. Brong can give you a precise estimate. Our team will also strive to make your care affordable, walking you through treatment pricing factors, payment options, and more. Reviewing these facts with us should make your dream smile budget-friendly!
Which Cosmetic Dental Service is Right for Me?
As you look into cosmetic dentistry, you likely want one (or more) of three things: whiter teeth, straighter teeth, or differently-shaped teeth. That said, don’t forget: the field’s treatments have varied prices and effects. To ensure you get cost-effective care, you should compare the procedures beforehand.
At Zumbro Family Dental, we offer cosmetic procedures like:
- Gum Recontouring – If you suffer from a “gummy smile,” our team can remove your grin’s excess gum tissue. This “recontouring” would reveal more of your tooth enamel and help your teeth look nicer.
- Cosmetic Dental Bonding – Dental bonding uses tooth-colored resin to hide your smile’s minor flaws. Not only is this process effective, but it costs little and has seamless results.
- Metal-Free Dental Crowns – Compared to metal amalgam ones, our metal-free crowns both protect teeth and improve their looks. They’ll improve your smile even as they bolster your oral health.Teeth Whitening – Thanks to a special bleaching gel, teeth whitening can brighten your grin by six to eight shades. It also comes in two types: in-office treatment and take-home kits. Both methods have their own ways of lightening your smile’s color.
- Veneers – Veneers are small, tooth-sized shells placed on the fronts of teeth. Once set, they can hide stains, chips, and cracks behind a shiny white porcelain surface.
Cosmetic Dentistry Is An Investment Worth Making
Cosmetic dentistry truly is a great long-term investment, even if it looks costly upfront. Its treatments provide perks and savings that justify their price.
You see, a gorgeous grin raises your quality of life. It’s often enough to make you feel self-assured, confident, and stress-free in your day-to-day tasks. In turn, those effects would help you socialize with friends and family and keep you from worrying.
Perhaps more crucially, cosmetic dentistry can usually pay for itself. The stunning smile it gives you will often cause better first impressions and career success. From there, you might get a higher income that “pays off” the initial treatment cost.
How to Make Cosmetic Dentistry Affordable
While dental insurance won’t often cover cosmetic dentistry, your treatment can be affordable without it. Just take a look at Zumbro Family Dental’s practical payment options! With the right one, your ideal smile won’t have to “break the bank.”
For example, consider our flexible financing program. This option lets you work with CareCredit (a reputable 3rd party financier) and pay for treatment in monthly installments. By adopting it, you could meet the cost of cosmetic dentistry without falling into debt.
Our office doesn’t want pretty teeth to come at an enormous cost. With that said, attend a consultation soon – we’ll help you finance your treatment!
Cosmetic Dentistry FAQs
Is Cosmetic Dentistry Covered by Insurance?
Most dental insurance plans don’t cover elective procedures, and cosmetic dental treatments usually fall under this category. However, a treatment may be partially covered if it provides benefits for your oral health, such as when a veneer or crown is necessary to protect or reinforce a damaged tooth. Similarly, gum recontouring may receive some coverage if it is used to rebuild damaged gums. ClearCorrect clear braces may also be covered as an orthodontic treatment to some degree. In these cases, insurance may cover a treatment by about 50-80%, but the actual amount depends on the particular policy. Our team will be more than happy to go over the details of your plan and help you file your claims so you can maximize your benefits.
Is Cosmetic Dentistry Safe?
Cosmetic dental procedures are perfectly safe for most patients as long as they are administered by a qualified professional. However, not every treatment is suitable for every patient, so Dr. Brong will need to evaluate you during your consultation before he can recommend any cosmetic procedures. In some cases, it can be dangerous to perform a cosmetic dental procedure if underlying oral health problems are present, such as how placing a veneer over a decayed tooth can protect the infection from treatment. However, Dr. Brong will be sure to address any such issues before beginning any cosmetic procedures. While over-the-counter teeth whitening products can lead to injuries due to poor quality or user error, professional whitening treatments are administered by a trained dentist using materials that have been clinically proven safe.
How Long Does Cosmetic Dentistry Last?
How long the results of your cosmetic dental procedure can last depends mostly on the type of treatment received and how well you take care of your teeth. Some treatments are longer-lasting than others, and the results of quick and simple treatments such as teeth whitening and cosmetic bonding tend to fade faster than those of more extensive treatments like veneers. However, gum recontouring almost always produces permanent results since gum tissue does not grow back, and the results of ClearCorrect treatment may last for a lifetime if you diligently wear your retainer afterward. Practicing excellent oral care is one of the best things you can do to preserve your cosmetic dental results, so make sure to brush, floss, and use antibacterial mouthwash daily, see us at our Rochester office at least twice a year for exams and cleanings, refrain from using your teeth to open packages, and limit your intake of potentially harmful substances like sugar and alcohol.
How Can Cosmetic Dentistry Change Your Life?
While some might think that investing in cosmetic dentistry to address aesthetic defects is vain or frivolous, having a beautiful smile can provide significant benefits for your quality of life. If you are proud of your smile, you may be more incentivized to practice excellent oral hygiene and kick harmful habits like smoking and excessive soda consumption or alcohol use. Straightening your smile with ClearCorrect can reduce the wear and tear your teeth experience as well as the strain on your jaw joints, which can prevent issues like backaches, headaches, and neck pain. People who are proud of their grins are also more likely to smile frequently, which is associated with health benefits such as increasing endorphin production and bolstering the immune system.
