Preparing for Your Cosmetic Dentistry Consultation: What to Expect

Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you, and a bright and confident smile can help you make a great first impression. However, if you suffer from minor cosmetic flaws such as yellowed, chipped, cracked, or oddly spaced teeth, you may not feel comfortable showing off your smile. Fortunately, Dr. Thomas T. Teel and the experienced dentists at Family Dentistry and Aesthetics offer a variety of cosmetic services to help you achieve a smile you can feel confident sharing with everyone you meet. Dr. Teel has extensive knowledge and experience in cosmetic dentistry and can help you determine which cosmetic procedure, or combination of procedures, is right for you.

The first step to improving your smile is to contact our Fort Wayne, IN office at 260-432-0561 to schedule your cosmetic dentistry consultation.

Preparing for Your Cosmetic Dentistry Consultation

To prepare for your cosmetic dentistry consultation with Dr. Teel or one of our other cosmetic dentists, you may want to examine and evaluate the following areas of your smile.

• Are any of your teeth stained? Are there certain teeth that appear darker than the others? Does your overall smile seem yellowed or discolored in general?
• Do your teeth appear small and stubby? Do you feel you have an overly “gummy” smile? Is your gum line uneven?
• Do any of your teeth have chips or cracks in them? Do any of your teeth have sharp edges or just feel uneven or asymmetrical?
• Are you missing one or more teeth? Are there gaps between any of your teeth or are some of your teeth crooked?
• Are you experiencing pain in any of your teeth, in your gums, or in your jaw? Do your gums bleed when you brush and/or floss? Do you grind or clench your teeth at night?

If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, you can benefit from one or a combination of our cosmetic procedures. While answering these questions can give you an idea of the type of cosmetic treatments you may need, the best way to determine which procedure will work best for you is to schedule a cosmetic consultation. Although you may feel you only need teeth whitening to address minor discoloration, not all stains respond to professional whitening, and may require additional cosmetic treatments.

What to Expect During Your Cosmetic Consultation

When you meet with Dr. Teel, he will ask you many of the same questions above to understand what you like and dislike about your smile. He will also ask you questions about your budget and lifestyle, as these will factor into his treatment recommendations. After discussing your cosmetic goals (e.g. a whiter smile), he will then thoroughly examine your teeth and gums. Once he ensures you are a good candidate for cosmetic dental work, free from gum disease and other complications, he can recommend a treatment or combination of treatments to achieve your cosmetic goals. We offer a wide range of cosmetic procedures. Some of the treatments he may recommend include:

• In-office or take-home professional teeth whitening to lift extrinsic stains and create a brighter smile
• Porcelain veneers to address more deeply set stains and oddly shaped or spaced teeth
• Dental bonding to achieve many of the same results as porcelain veneers at a fraction of the cost
• Gum contouring to eliminate excess gum tissue that causes a gummy smile, creating more a proportionate and symmetrical smile
• Invisalign (or another orthodontic treatment option) to discreetly correct misalignment
• Restorative treatments with cosmetic benefits, such as tooth-colored fillings to repair a tooth after a cavity, ceramic crowns to repair damage, and dental implants to replace missing teeth

With our advanced technology, Dr. Teel can use digital images of your smile to manipulate your appearance based on the recommended treatments. This software allows you to see a preview of your final results before you commit to treatment.

Financing Considerations

In preparation for your cosmetic consultation, you should set a realistic budget for yourself. While certain restorative cosmetic procedures, such as a tooth-colored filling or ceramic crown are typically covered partially or fully by insurance, other procedures, such as teeth whitening, are elective and are not covered. The probability that your insurance will not cover all of the cosmetic procedures Dr. Teel recommends is high. Therefore, you should set a budget for yourself and prepare to seek out alternative financing options, such as a credit card or loan to pay for your cosmetic treatments.

It is best to have your budget set in advance so that Dr. Teel can avoid recommending treatments that are beyond the realm of your budget. For example, if you are on a tighter budget but need to repair and whiten damaged teeth, he can recommend dental bonding, which is a more cost-effective alternative to porcelain veneers. He can also recommend the procedure that will ensure you get the most bang for your buck.

Contact Us Today

If you have considered all of the above and are ready to schedule your cosmetic consultation, contact us today.