Westminster patients are a 10 minute drive down Goldenwest St from a cosmetic dentist who plans veneers, bonding and whitening on a digital scan and has a board-certified periodontist check the gum line first. Safari Dentistry and Implants in Huntington Beach shows you the result on screen and in your mouth before any tooth is prepared, and puts the fee in writing.
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 Westminster 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 Westminster patients choose Safari for cosmetic dentistry
Westminster patients often start with one tooth: a front tooth that chipped, a crown that has darkened, a gap that opened. The office fixes the one tooth if that is all it needs, and only proposes more if you ask. Because the periodontist is on site, uneven gums or recession that would spoil the result are treated in the same plan rather than discovered afterward.
Cost and payment
Westminster 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 Westminster
- 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 Westminster
Safari Dentistry and Implants is at 16511 Goldenwest St, Unit 101, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, about 3 miles from Westminster and usually about 10 minutes by car. Goldenwest St runs straight south out of Westminster into Huntington Beach. Stay on it past Bolsa Ave, Westminster Blvd, McFadden and Edinger; the office is on the right at Heil Ave, just before Warner. From the east side of the city, Heil Ave or Edinger Ave west to Goldenwest works too.
- 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: Little Saigon along Bolsa Ave, the Westminster Mall area at the 405, the Civic Center district and Midway City on the Huntington Beach border.