Are you considering cosmetic dentistry to look your best at a special event? Most often, we get requests about cosmetic dentistry for weddings (their own, their child’s, or others). However, people also request cosmetic dentistry for reunions, public speaking events, even big business meetings.
If you’re looking to improve your smile for an event, you need to plan far enough ahead to make sure you can get it done on time. We’re giving you a rundown on how long all the cosmetic dentistry procedures take so you can be ready for your big day.
Note: For some procedures, we might want to have an initial consultation before starting your procedure. The times listed below don’t include the initial consultation.
Teeth Whitening: 1 Hour to 10 Days
Teeth whitening is one of the fastest cosmetic dentistry procedures. By breaking down the stain molecules trapped in your teeth, whitening can make your teeth dramatically brighter, and it can work relatively quickly. Wilmington cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael T. Rosen uses Opalescence whitening, which can be done either in an in-office procedure or as a take-home procedure. In-office whitening works in about an hour. At-home whitening achieves the best results after about 10 days. You can use both types together to maximize your whitening.
Dental Bonding and Tooth Contouring: Up to 1 Hour Per Tooth
Dental bonding lets us reshape your teeth with a formable putty that can harden to look and function like tooth enamel. It’s great for fixing chipped teeth, uneven teeth, or gaps between teeth. Dr. Rosen shapes the material by hand, then uses a curing light to harden it. This can take time to accomplish, so dental bonding is best when you’re looking to achieve small changes on a limited number of teeth.
Dr. Rosen can also perform tooth contouring, where he removes unattractive, uneven parts of your teeth.
Porcelain Veneers: Up to 2 Weeks
Porcelain veneers are one of the most powerful procedures in cosmetic dentistry. They can completely transform your smile by straightening, whitening, and reshaping your teeth. They can correct almost any concern you have short of missing teeth, and give you an entirely new smile in just one procedure. After your consultation, it takes two visits to complete a porcelain veneers procedure. In the first visit, we will design your veneers and prepare your teeth to receive the veneers. Then we take impressions of your prepared teeth. Before you leave, we fit you with temporary veneers, which are attractive, but not as durable as your final veneers.
We send the impressions and the design of your veneers to the dental lab, which creates your veneers. This can take up to two weeks to complete and get the veneers back to us. Then we schedule your second appointment where Dr. Rosen makes sure your veneers are just as designed, then bonds them to your teeth.
Dental Implants: Up to 6 Months
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that attach to your bones, very similar to your natural teeth. Dental implants can take up to 6 months to fully integrate with your bones.
However, often dental implants are stable and secure enough when placed that we can put a temporary crown or bridge on them that very day. This is often the case with All-on-4 implant bridges, which are engineered to give you a new smile in one day. However, we often can’t be sure of this until after we place the implants, so it’s best to count on the 3-6 months timeline if you want to make sure you’re ready for your special occasion.
Invisalign and SureSmile: 6 Months to a Year
Invisalign and SureSmile are both orthodontic treatments that use clear aligners to straighten your teeth. Orthodontic treatments work by putting steady pressure on your teeth. This pressure encourages your body to reshape the bone around your teeth, letting them move.
The speed of orthodontic treatments depends on your body’s ability to remove and replace bone cells. This is a slow process, and we can’t do much to rush it. That’s why the process usually takes at least six months to complete.
This is part of what makes clear aligners such a good choice for orthodontics. These aligners are practically invisible while you’re wearing them. No one needs to know you’re getting your teeth straightened, unlike traditional braces, which are highly visible. In addition, you don’t have to give up any of your favorite foods. You can eat anything you want, as long as you remove your aligners first. Plus, you won’t have to brush and floss around the brackets and wires.
Invisalign and SureSmile have a special benefit, too. Like all orthodontic treatments, the results can be permanent if you use retainers as recommended to keep your teeth from drifting.
Smile Makeover: Variable
A smile makeover is a custom procedure, so the length of time required depends on the treatments you choose in your makeover. Veneers, crowns, and other ceramic restorations can complete a smile makeover in just a couple of weeks. On the other hand, combining Invisalign and teeth whitening gives results in about six months.
During your consultation, Dr. Rosen can talk to you about which procedures will give you the results you’re looking for in the timeframe you need.
Get Cosmetic Dentistry Started Now in Wilmington, DE.
Do you have a special event where you want to debut your new, beautiful smile? If so, it’s best to start now so you know you will be ready on time. That way, we can make sure to fit in your initial consultation and can account for any shortages of materials that might be an issue in getting your final restorations.
Please call (302) 994-0979 or use our online form to contact the dental office of Dr. Michael T. Rosen in Wilmington, DE.
