Seal Beach patients drive 15 to 20 minutes to Safari Dentistry and Implants for cosmetic dentistry that suits teeth that have been worked on for decades: replacing old bonding and mismatched crowns, whitening around existing restorations, and lengthening or grafting gums that have receded. A periodontist and a cosmetic plan on a scan are in the same Huntington Beach office.
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 Seal Beach 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 Seal Beach patients choose Safari for cosmetic dentistry
For Seal Beach and Leisure World patients the cosmetic question is usually how to make forty years of dental work look like one set of teeth. Old crowns that no longer match are replaced in ceramic, worn edges are rebuilt, and receded gums that make teeth look long are grafted by the periodontist. Whitening is planned first so the new restorations are matched to the lighter shade.
Cost and payment
Seal Beach 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 Seal Beach
- 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 Seal Beach
Safari Dentistry and Implants is at 16511 Goldenwest St, Unit 101, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, about 7 miles from Seal Beach and usually 15 to 20 minutes by car. From Seal Beach take Westminster Blvd east to Goldenwest St and turn south; the office is at Heil Ave, about two miles down. From Old Town, Pacific Coast Highway south to Warner Ave, then east to Goldenwest and a short hop north to Heil, is the coastal route. From Leisure World, Seal Beach Blvd to Westminster Blvd is the quickest.
- 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: Leisure World, Old Town and the pier, College Park East and West, the Rossmoor border and Sunset Beach and Surfside to the south.