Los Alamitos and Rossmoor patients drive 15 to 20 minutes to Safari Dentistry and Implants in Huntington Beach for porcelain veneers planned on a digital scan. A board-certified periodontist in the same office checks the gum line first, and the fee per tooth is quoted in writing with the trial smile included.
Veneers, bonding or crowns: which does the tooth need?
Veneers suit front teeth that are healthy but the wrong color, shape or length. Bonding suits a single small chip or gap and costs less. A crown suits a tooth that is cracked, heavily filled or root canal treated, because it needs full coverage rather than a front shell. Los Alamitos patients are told which of the three each tooth needs, and a plan often mixes them.
- Porcelain veneer
- 2 visits, 10 to 15 years, resists stain
- Composite veneer
- 1 visit, 4 to 8 years, repairable
- Bonding
- 1 visit, 3 to 7 years, single chips and gaps
- Ceramic crown
- 2 visits, 10 to 15 years, for broken or filled teeth
- Enamel removed
- 0.3 to 0.7 mm for most veneers
Who is not a good candidate for veneers?
Veneers are not the right choice on teeth with untreated decay or gum disease, on teeth with very little enamel left, or for heavy grinders who will not wear a night guard. Crowded teeth are usually better straightened first with Invisalign, which means less enamel removed and sometimes fewer veneers. You will be told this at the consultation rather than sold a full set.
Why Los Alamitos patients choose Safari for veneers
Patients from Los Alamitos often already have a family dentist they like and come here only for the cosmetic plan. That works: the veneers are designed, bonded and checked here, the records are sent back, and routine cleanings stay where they are. What brings them over is the trial smile and having a gum specialist look at the edges before the ceramic is made.
How much are porcelain veneers near Los Alamitos?
Per-tooth veneer fees vary across Orange County with the ceramic used, the lab and how much planning is included. Safari quotes porcelain and composite side by side in writing so the two can be compared, and a plan can mix them: porcelain on the front teeth that show most, composite or bonding further back. Veneers are not an insurance benefit; monthly payment plans are available.
What to bring to your first visit from Los Alamitos
- Photos of a smile you like, and one of your own smile from a few years ago.
- Any veneer quote or plan from another office, to compare tooth by tooth.
- A note of whether you grind or clench; it decides the ceramic and whether a night guard is part of the plan.
- Your insurance card; veneers are not covered, but a crown or gum treatment in the same plan often is.
Getting to the office from Los Alamitos
Safari Dentistry and Implants is at 16511 Goldenwest St, Unit 101, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, about 9 miles from Los Alamitos and usually 15 to 20 minutes by car. From Los Alamitos take Katella Ave east to Valley View St, then south; Valley View becomes Bolsa Chica St in Huntington Beach. Turn east on Heil Ave and the office is at the corner of Goldenwest. From Rossmoor, Seal Beach Blvd south to Westminster Blvd, then east to Goldenwest, is about the same time.
- 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: Rossmoor, the neighborhoods near Los Alamitos Medical Center, the Joint Forces Training Base side of town and the Katella and Los Alamitos Blvd district.