Cosmetic Dentistry in Bastrop, TX

Most people who come to me about their smile can describe exactly what bothers them. A front tooth that chipped years ago. Teeth that have gone darker than they used to be. An old filling that never quite matched. You do not need to arrive with a plan. The thing you notice in photos is enough to start from.

What I want to do first is look at whether your teeth and gums are healthy enough to build on. That is not a delay tactic. Cosmetic work sits on top of whatever is underneath it, so a veneer bonded over decay, or a crown placed at an inflamed gum line, is work that will not last. If something needs treating first, we treat it, and we go at whatever pace you are comfortable with.

Then we talk about options. I will tell you what I would do and what I would leave alone. Plenty of the time the honest answer is that one tooth needs attention and the rest are fine, and I would rather tell you that than sell you a plan you did not need.

Some of these change how a tooth looks in a single visit. Others take a few months, so it is worth starting well ahead of a wedding, a reunion, or anything else with a date on it.

Tooth-colored fillings and bonding. The same material does both. It fills a cavity without the dark line an old silver filling leaves, and it rebuilds a chipped corner or closes a narrow gap, usually in one appointment.

Porcelain veneers. A thin custom facing bonded to the front of a tooth. Useful when a tooth is discolored in a way whitening will not fix, or is worn, or is shaped differently from the ones next to it.

Dental crowns. A crown covers the whole tooth, so it does the cosmetic work and the structural work at once. This is usually the answer when a tooth is cracked or heavily filled rather than just marked.

Custom take-home whitening. Trays made to fit your teeth, used at home. More on how this works below.

Dental implants. Replacing a missing tooth is restorative work, but the visible result is cosmetic. I place the implant and make the final crown myself, so you are not sent between offices.

Clear aligners. For teeth that are crowded, gapped, or rotated, moving them is often a better answer than covering them up.

We whiten with custom take-home kits, and that is the only way we do it here. It is a deliberate choice rather than something we are missing.

Whitening works on contact time. The longer the gel stays against your enamel, the more stain it lifts. A single appointment in the chair is limited by how long you can reasonably sit there. A tray made to fit your teeth keeps working at home for as long as your treatment calls for, and that is where the better result comes from.

The fit is the part that matters most, and it is what separates this from a kit off the shelf. We take records of your teeth and have trays made just for you, so the gel sits on your enamel and stays off your gums. Generic trays and strips leak, which is a common reason people end up with sore gums, sensitivity, and a patchy result.

Before you start, I want to see that your teeth and gums are healthy and get you in for a routine cleaning. Whitening over tartar gives you an uneven result. This is the real reason to whiten under a dentist's direction rather than out of a box.

One more thing worth planning around. If crowns, veneers, or tooth-colored fillings are anywhere in your thinking, say so before we start, because we usually want to whiten first and match the new work to your final shade.

The first visit is a conversation. You tell me what bothers you, I look at your teeth and gums and take the records I need, and we go through what is possible and what I would actually recommend. Nothing gets scheduled that day unless you want it scheduled.

If cost is part of what is holding you back, say so early rather than at the end. We can walk through how payment works, including our in-house Penny Plan and Cherry financing, before you decide anything.

Call or text the Bastrop office at (512) 321-2188 and we will find a time.