Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry is elective work, which means the timeline is yours. The categories differ in one way that matters more than appearance: how much of the tooth is altered. Whitening does not remove tooth structure. Bonding adds material to a tooth. Veneers generally involve preparing the tooth surface, which is not reversible. Ask which of those a proposed treatment is, and ask what maintenance or replacement looks like down the line.

It is also worth asking whether any restorative work should happen first, because active decay or gum problems usually come before elective work. And one boundary: cosmetic treatments that are not dental — injectables, skin and laser work — are handled by habitmedspa.com, and makeup and styling by habitimage.com. Same phone number, different service.

What this usually involves

• Whitening as a category, in office and take home
• Bonding to reshape or repair a tooth
• Veneers, and what preparing a tooth actually means
• Ask what is reversible and what is not
• Ask whether other work should be done first

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