Cosmetic Treatments

Complete Dentistry of Santa Barbara is a leader in Cosmetic dentistry. We offer state of the art technology and decades of experience in providing the smile of your dreams. For crooked teeth click here. For whiter and brighter teeth click here. And, for cosmetic bonding click here.

Porcelain Veneers

 

Porcelain Veneers


What are Veneers?? 

Dental Veneers in Santa Barbara are a popular option to correct cosmetic as well as some functional problems with teeth. With the advent in bonding technology, as well as newer porcelain materials, they are now more conservative and stronger than ever. 

Porcelain veneers can be described as a thin porcelain jacket that covers the front of a natural tooth. They are usually less than a millimieter thick and bonded in with a resin cement. Veneers can be used to alter the shade and shape of a tooth and even give strength to compromised teeth. 

Veneer procedure: 

There are usually 2 appointments in the veneer process after your consultation:

Appointment One :

The teeth are prepared, where a thin layer of the tooth enamel is removed to make room for the veneer.  A digital scan ( its a picture of your teeth, not an X-ray ) is taken of the prepared teeth. This along with your records will be sent to our  southern California lab to custom make your veneers.

You will be given a temporary smile the same day, some times referred to as “Temps”.  Your temporary smile will be based on the smile you and Dr Etue have discussed and modeled at your consultation. It will remain in 24/7 until you return for your try in , which is usually 10-14 days. Your temporary smile provides both you and Dr Etue information on how your new teeth look, if you like the shade and shape, and how comfortable the bite is. The trail phase allows for corrections and feedback and is very popular among cosmetic patients.

** Veneer “tempories “ or the temporary smile are not like crown temporaries if you have had one or heard of them. They are made of a special material that mimics natural teeth**

Appointment Two:

We will now try in the new veneers and  observe them in different lighting settings. We’ll make sure the margins are sealed and that you’re happy with the results. Once you love your new smile, we permanently bond the restorations in place.

You as the patient will have ample opportunity to ensure you are completely happy with them prior to the final bond. Once set and after about 10 minutes,  they are actually very strong. They will be substantially  more resistant to staining than composite or bonded restorations. 

 


Bonding

Complete Dentistry offers composite bonding or sometimes called just “bonding” . Bonding is a process where Dr Etue will place a tooth colored composite resin on your tooth. Bonding is applicable if you chip a front tooth or if you want to close small spaces between the teeth. 

Bonding is safe and economical way to repair our smiles and Dr Etue has advanced training in bonding as well the “BioClear “ method of closing back triangles by the the gum line . Black triangles are spaces between our teeth that at one time had gum tissue occupying the area. As we age or if we have had any form of gum disease, this spacing can develop and give way to open space , which appears like a dark spot or “black triangle”. 

Fear not, bonding can save the day. Please contact our office for more information on all our cosmetic procedures.

Teeth Whitening

Complete Dentistry is Santa Barbara’s Premier teeth whitening center, click here for a full description.

FAQs


The process of preparing your teeth for veneers is not difficult. The reason for this, the veneer preparation is very conservative. There can be some mild soreness after for about a day, and some people report some mild cold sensitivity. The majority of people report that it was easier than they thought.

Visit one ranges from 2-4 hours based on the condition of your teeth, while visit two can range from 90 minutes to 2 hours based on the amount of veneers you are completing.

 

In a very small amount of insurance plans there can be coverage. The great news is that, YES, we offer payment plans CLICK HERE as well as a dental membership plan that can reduce costs CLICK HERE.

 

You sure can, whatever we can do to help, we certainly will. Click here for information on sedation and nitrous oxide.

 

Veneers are covered under Dr. Etue’s warranty plan, click here to see.

 

Veneers can last decades if taken care of with regular dental cleanings. In terms of eating, veneers are incredibly strong and a regular diet will be no problem. Dr Etue will advise against things like chewing ice or extremely hard candies, but these damage natural teeth equally

 

You certainly can and Dr. Etue will advise and help you in the decision making process. Many people like to just do top teeth only, while some may do specific teeth.

 

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