Costa Mesa patients drive about 20 minutes to Safari Dentistry and Implants for cosmetic dentistry planned with a periodontist in the room. Veneers, bonding, whitening and gum reshaping are designed on a scan in the Huntington Beach office, previewed as a trial smile, and quoted in writing per tooth with the follow-up visits included.
Veneers, bonding or whitening: which one do I need?
Whitening fixes color on natural enamel, bonding fixes a single chip or small gap in one visit, and porcelain veneers change color and shape on several front teeth at once for 10 to 15 years. Most Costa Mesa patients who ask about veneers end up with a mix: whitening for the back teeth, bonding or veneers for the two to six teeth that show, and sometimes gum reshaping where the gum line is uneven.
- Whitening
- 1 visit, lasts 1 to 3 years with touch-ups
- Bonding
- 1 visit, lasts 3 to 7 years
- Veneers
- 2 visits, lasts 10 to 15 years
- Ceramic crown
- 2 visits, lasts 10 to 15 years
- Gum reshaping
- 1 visit, permanent
Why the gums come first
Veneers and crowns are bonded at the gum line, so if the gums are inflamed they bleed during the work and later recede, exposing a dark edge. A periodontist treats gum inflammation and recession before the cosmetic work and can lengthen or graft the gum so the finished smile is even. Very few cosmetic offices have that specialist in the building; this one does.
Why Costa Mesa patients choose Safari for cosmetic dentistry
Costa Mesa patients comparing veneer quotes notice two things about this office. The gum line is examined and treated first, which most cosmetic-only practices skip and which is why veneers show dark edges a few years later. And the written fee is per tooth with nothing added at the second visit. Patients who only need bonding on one tooth are told so rather than sold six veneers.
Cost and payment
Costa Mesa patients get the whole plan priced in writing at the first visit: each veneer, each bonded tooth, whitening, and any gum reshaping, with the follow-up visits included. Purely cosmetic treatment is not an insurance benefit, but a crown on a cracked tooth or gum treatment usually is, and the office bills those to your plan. Payment plans spread the balance over monthly installments.
What to bring to your first visit from Costa Mesa
- Photos of a smile you like, and one of your own smile from a few years ago.
- Any quote or plan from another cosmetic office, to compare line by line.
- Your insurance card; crowns and gum treatment are often covered, cosmetic work is not.
- Questions about longevity and upkeep; the answers are written into the plan.
Getting to the office from Costa Mesa
Safari Dentistry and Implants is at 16511 Goldenwest St, Unit 101, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, about 10 miles from Costa Mesa and usually about 20 minutes by car. From Costa Mesa take the 405 north to the Goldenwest St exit and head south about two and a half miles to Heil Ave. Without the freeway, Adams Ave or Talbert Ave west to Goldenwest St, then north, takes about the same time. The office is at the corner of Goldenwest and Heil with parking in front.
- Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10 AM to 4 PM. Same-day emergency time is held each open day.
- Parking: free, in the lot at the door, with a level entrance.
- Patients come from: Mesa Verde, the Eastside and Westside, the South Coast Plaza area and the neighborhoods around Orange Coast College and the fairgrounds.