You might already have heard a thing or two about cosmetic dentistry in Costa Rica, such as that it can make your smile pretty, healthy-looking, and fully-functional.
You might already have also heard that Costa Rica has one of the best dentists in the world for any dental procedure, which is true by the way.
But; do you know what cosmetic dentistry entails? We want to help you understand what cosmetic dentistry in Costa Rica is all about, how much it might cost you, it’s risks, benefits and ultimately how to get a custom and free quote for your own cosmetic dentistry treatment.
What is Cosmetic Dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry, also known as esthetic dentistry is the application of several dental treatments and procedures on a patient’s teeth to improve their appearance and maintain their health and function.
Procedures in Cosmetic Dentistry
Because cosmetic dentistry is basically performing any dental procedures needed in order to improve your smile’s aesthetics, it basically includes all dental procedures that enhance your teeth’s appearance and health.
From teeth whitening to teeth reshaping, these are the most popular procedures included in cosmetic dentistry treatments:
1Teeth Whitening
Your teeth might get discolored or stained over time, especially if you are a regular consumer of tobacco, coffee, tea, wine, chocolate, etc.
Other causes of teeth discoloration or stains include taking certain medications, teeth trauma and even some genetic conditions.
There are two main types of teeth whitening: with trays and with laser. Your dentist will recommend which tooth whitening treatment type is the best option for you, depending on your teeth, gums and sensitivity levels, among others.
During teeth whitening, a chemical process is used to bleach your teeth, making them look whiter and brighter.
Depending on the type of teeth whitening treatment recommended, it can take 1 to 2 office visits or 1 to 2 weeks of in-house treatment.
To learn more about teeth whitening procedure in Costa Rica, check out our teeth whitening in Costa Rica guide.
2Bonding
Bonding is used by dentists to improve how teeth look, from correcting any excess space between them, to correcting any chipped, broken, stained or cracked teeth.
Just as well, dentists use bondings to fill small cavities and protect exposed roots.
The bonding procedure is basically the application of a resin to correct the imperfections of a tooth.
There are two types of bondings, direct composite bonding used to repair teeth, which includes chips, stains, cracks, and filling cavities; and adhesive bonding, used with crowns, bridges, veneers, inlays/onlays, etc.
If you’d like to read more about bondings in Costa Rica, visit our fillings and bonding in Costa Rica page.
3Veneers
Veneers are custom shell-like pieces that cover the front sides of the teeth. Veneers come in different materials, from plastic to porcelain, the latter being one of the most common materials in the market.
Veneers can be used to improve the appearance of a tooth, from teeth with spaces between them, to chipping, stained, crooked, misshapen, or broken.
Veneers get cemented onto the teeth, which makes them a long lasting solution.
There are three main types of veneers, porcelain veneers, composite veneers and lumineers. These procedures are all very similar, however, they differ in material, thickness, durability, results, cost and number of visits to the office needed.
In Costa Rica you can get any of these types of veneers, learn more about these teeth enhancing procedures in our veneers in Costa Rica guide.
4Crowns
Crowns, also known as dental caps, are used to cover a tooth completely to restore its shape, appearance and functionality.
The most common uses of crowns are to:
- Cover misshapen teeth
- Cover discolored teeth
- Cover teeth with a large filling
- Cover dental implants
- Cover teeth with root canal treatments
- Restore broken teeth
- Restore worn teeth
- Protect weak teeth
- Hold dental bridges
There are many materials used to make crowns such as metal, to porcelain fused to metal, resin, ceramic and even zirconia crowns.
Dental crowns are not the cheapest option in the market to repair a tooth, however, sometimes dentists find it necessary as they won’t be able to achieve the same results with any other procedures.
Crowns are custom made for each patient, and depending on the material used, some can replicate the natural teeth appearance.
Learn more about this procedure in our detailed page of dental crowns in Costa Rica.
5Dental Implants
Implants are the most long term, permanent and functional way of replacing missing teeth.
Dental implants are surgically placed in the patient’s jawbone, which makes them different from dental bridges or removable dentures.
Depending on how many teeth need to be replaced, the dentist might recommend single tooth implants or full mouth dental implants or also known as All on 4®, All on 6® or All on 8® procedures.
Both single tooth implant and mouth dental implant procedures are done differently but the results are the same: a dashing new smile, fully functional, fully healthy.
Dental implant costs can vary a great deal depending on what the patient needs.
If you’re looking to get cosmetic dentistry in Costa Rica, make sure to check out our dental implants in Costa Rica guide or our All on 4® dental implants page.
If you’re looking to improve the look of your smile at an affordable cost but with the best quality in the market, and also make a vacation out of it, fill in our form to get your custom dental vacation trip quote with Care Overseas.
If you have any questions, doubts or concerns about this or any other dental procedure and Costa Rica, reach out to us, we’re happy to help!