From Con­sul­ta­tion to Com­ple­tion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Cos­met­ic Den­tal Transformation

Cosmetic treatments can be incredibly quick and completed in just one visit, or they could take a little longer and require multiple visits. The first step to choose your treatment is to book a consultation with a cosmetic dentist. This will allow you to explore the options available to you and then decide which treatment plan is right for you.

In this guide, we’re exploring the typical treatment plan for cosmetic procedures and what to expect along the way. From the very first consultation to your follow up appointments, here’s what you can expect from a cosmetic dental treatment with us.

Exploring your options

The first step is to book a consultation with our team. Rather than arriving with a clear idea of what treatments you want, we recommend speaking to our team about your aesthetic concerns.

We can then provide recommendations that will work best for you. This can help to avoid disappointment if you learn that you aren’t a suitable candidate for certain treatments, as you won’t have your heart set on a particular outcome.

The initial consultation is your chance to ask questions about your treatment and to decide if you can handle the procedure and the aftercare. You should also consider the long-term implications of the treatment and whether you will need to “top up” in the future. Examples of this include veneers, which typically last for 10-12 years before they need to be replaced.

Preparing for treatment

Once you have selected the right treatments for your needs, you can start thinking about preparing for your treatment. Some treatments can get started straight away, others will need preparation in advance. For treatments like teeth whitening, it makes sense to start with a dental hygienist cleaning to remove surface stains and all traces of plaque.

You might also need to arrange to have time off work so you can rest after treatment. While most cosmetic procedures typically require very little downtime, you might want to take some time to adjust after your treatment.

For example, if you opt for a treatment like veneers, you might experience some increased sensitivity after the treatment. You might also want to get used to your new veneer before you go back to work.

Completing the treatment

When you arrive at the practice, you will be welcomed by our reception team. If there is any paperwork to complete before you start your treatment, this will be provided. We recommend arriving a little earlier so you can relax before your treatment begins.

We’ll start with a quick examination to make sure there aren’t any obvious issues. If you need to be numb throughout the treatment, we’ll deliver a local anaesthetic and wait for this to work. We’ll check your sensitivity before we get started to make sure you won’t experience any discomfort.

Procedure lengths will vary, and we’ll keep you informed every step of the way so you know how long things will take. Some treatments can be completed in one visit, like teeth whitening and composite bonding. Restorative treatments like crowns and bridges will require multiple visits, as the restoration will need to be created in a lab before it is fitted at a follow-up appointment.

Some cosmetic treatments will take much longer. For example, if you choose orthodontics, you will need to complete the treatment plan which could be as long as two years.

Aftercare advice

Before you leave the practice, we’ll make sure you know what you need to do in the hours, days and weeks following your appointment. Your teeth might be more sensitive after your treatment, so you should avoid very hot and very cold food and drink to help make things more comfortable.

If you have a treatment like teeth whitening, you’ll want to avoid staining foods after your treatment. This will help to prolong the results and keep your smile looking stunning for longer.

With treatments like veneers and bridges, you will need to be wary about what you eat following your treatment. Chewing ice will be completely off limits. You’ll also need to be careful with crunchy or hard food like sourdough and pizza crusts.

Follow-up care

You might need to attend a follow-up appointment after your treatment to make sure everything has gone to plan. For teeth whitening, you might want to top-up your treatment in the future. With crowns, you might want to adjust your bite to make it feel more natural. It’s also a good idea to commit to regular dental checkups to monitor your oral health so you can be confident your smile not only looks good, but that it is also healthy.