Cosmetic Dentist – West Caldwell, NJ

Is Cosmetic Dentistry Covered by Insurance?

Typically, cosmetic dentistry is concerned with improving the aesthetics of your smile, as opposed to its health. As a consequence, it’s unlikely for your dental plan to cover your cosmetic treatments.

However, there are some exceptions. For one, dental crowns are used often for cosmetic purposes, and if they’re incidentally also dealing with an oral health problem, you may be able to get your dental plan to pay for some of your care. Depending on your plan, the same may be true for Invisalign. In these cases, you may get as much as 50-80% of your care covered.

Does Cosmetic Dentistry Hurt?

Even the people most gung-ho about the prospect of transforming their smile tend to be a little bit concerned about the idea of pain. Thankfully, in the case of cosmetic dentistry, there’s very little to be worried about.

The most common cosmetic treatments, like teeth whitening and direct bonding, don’t penetrate any deeper than the surface of the tooth to get their results. Even in the case of more invasive treatments, like veneers, we’ll numb your mouth completely before doing anything. That means that you’ll be completely comfortable for the duration of the treatment.

The most you’re likely to feel is a little bit of sensitivity after the treatment. This should fade fairly quickly, and be mild to begin with.

Is Cosmetic Dentistry Expensive?

Cosmetic dentistry has a reputation for being expensive, but this perception largely comes from the fact that insurance doesn’t typically pay for this type of care. As a consequence, people are regularly a little bit more nervous about how they’re going to afford their treatment.

It’s worth pointing out that there are a variety of treatments at different price points, some much more affordable than others. Direct bonding and teeth whitening, for example, are on the affordable side. Even these treatments on their own can make a massive difference in how your smile looks, so you should be able to improve your appearance on a budget.

How Can Cosmetic Dentistry Improve My Oral Heath?

Cosmetic dentistry is primarily concerned with making your smile look good—any oral health benefits tend to be incidental. However, in the case of some treatments, there are noticeable boons to your health that may not be immediately obvious.

For example, Invisalign is arguably a cosmetic treatment. However, straighter teeth are also easy to clean, which means that you’re likely to see fewer oral health problems as a consequence. This also evens out your bite, which puts significantly less pressure on your jaw. This makes it less likely that you’ll develop chronic jaw pain or TMJ disorders.

Finally, there’s evidence smiling more has all kinds of benefits to your health in general, from boosting mood to decreasing blood pressure. By making it easier to smile with confidence, cosmetic dentistry can give you a serious boost to your health!

Is Cosmetic Dentistry Safe?

Cosmetic dentistry is completely safe as long as you are under the care of a qualified professional such as Dr. Magid. However, no treatment is right for every patient, so your cosmetic dental process will begin with a consultation at our office in Caldwell. During this meeting, our dentist will discuss your needs and preferences and thoroughly examine your mouth to determine the best ways to enhance your smile. If he finds that you have oral heath issues that disqualify you from cosmetic treatments, we may be able to address them with restorative procedures such as gum disease therapy, dental fillings, or root canal treatments.

Why Is Cosmetic Dentistry So Popular?

While the field of dentistry has historically focused on preventing and addressing oral health problems such as gum disease and tooth decay, the last few decades have seen the rise of a wide variety of treatments that can address cosmetic issues such as chips, cracks, gaps, stains, and even misshapen teeth. Proper oral hygiene has also become much more accessible, and many people with healthy teeth are quite interested in finding ways to improve the appearance of their grins. Cosmetic dentistry has also become much more affordable than it was when it was first introduced, and flexible financing options allow many people to fit aesthetic treatments into their budgets. We offer financing plans through CareCredit, and we also offer an in-house savings plan that incudes your routine dental checkups as well as discounts on many of our other services.

The rise of smartphones and social media have also made people more image-conscious, and many want to correct the flaws in their smiles so they can maintain a pleasing appearance online. Since people who grin frequently are generally seen as more confident, friendly, and likeable, a beautiful smile that you can be proud of can also open a wide range of opportunities in the professional world and the social scene.

What Causes Dental Discoloration?

Teeth can develop stains and discoloration due to:

• Exposure to dyes and pigments: Many foods and beverages are heavy with dyes and pigments that can become imbedded in your enamel, resulting in unsightly dental stains. A few common culprits include red wine, tea, coffee, chocolate, dark sauces, and colorful candies. Frequent acid exposure may also make your teeth more vulnerable to stains.
• Tobacco: Tobacco use is horrible for your smile’s health and appearance, and chewing or smoking can lead to stains as well as nasty brown buildups. Some research has found that smokers are more likely to be displeased with their smiles.
• Age: Older teeth are often more vulnerable to staining due to enamel loss or years of exposure to discoloring agents or bad habits like smoking or excessive alcohol consumption.
• Injury: A severely damaged tooth may darken.
• Antibiotics: Taking tetracycline antibiotics as a child may lead to permanent dental discoloration.