As a human, you’re programmed and wired to avoid pain as much as possible. In fact, even if you know the result of something will be good, you may hesitate to move forward because you anticipate pain on the way to your goal. For example, even though you would love to enhance your smile, you may wonder if cosmetic dentistry hurts.
Well, you can put those fears and questions to rest. Your dentist addresses multiple kinds of pain, including physical, financial, and emotional, and can make the entire experience enjoyable and rewarding.
How Your Dentist Eliminates Physical Pain
In some procedures, permanent changes to your teeth or oral structures are necessary. For example, getting veneers entails removing a sliver of enamel from the front surface of each tooth. Without anesthesia, this preparatory step would be painful to endure. However, your dentist will give you a local anesthetic before starting, numbing the area. As they take away this tiny portion of tooth structure, you shouldn’t feel pain.
In addition, some dentists take advantage of sedation dentistry to provide further comfort. Nitrous oxide, for example, not only creates a light, content feeling for those who might be anxious but also adds even more pain relief, improving the patient’s experience.
After the anesthetic wears off and while the lab fabricates your custom, natural-looking veneers, you may experience a little sensitivity wearing the temporary ones, but you can usually manage this discomfort by avoiding overly hot, cold, sugary, or acidic foods and beverages for a short time. Once you have your custom veneers, you should be able to return to a normal diet.
How Your Dentist Reduces the Financial Pain
When considering cosmetic dental improvements, you need to be prepared to handle the cost. Whether you have dental insurance benefits or not, these purely aesthetic procedures are usually not covered anyway, which means you’ll likely be responsible for paying the entire cost. However, your dentist may accept payment through a third-party financing company like CareCredit. Instead of having to hand over the whole amount upfront, you can do monthly installments to pay for treatment, making it easier to afford and less stressful on your budget.
How Your Dentist Eases Emotional Pain
Unfortunately, people can judge others based on their appearance and can even be unkind. If you’ve felt self-conscious about your smile, your confidence may have suffered, or in some cases, you may have experienced emotional pain as a result. Regardless of whether the physical changes to your teeth are small or extensive, cosmetic dental treatments can help you feel more self-assured, giving you confidence. As you smile more freely, you can have a boost in your mood and mental health, make connections with others more easily, and enjoy other priceless benefits.
Ultimately, cosmetic dentistry doesn’t cause pain—your dentist takes steps to make the process seamless and pain free. When you look back, you’ll probably just wish you had done it sooner!
About the Practice
As a judgment-free practice, Sparkling Smiles Fayetteville meets patients where they are and customizes treatment to their unique needs. Dr. Dave Lee and Dr. Lauren Lee Polito, a father-daughter team, have undergone years of training and experience and are passionate about changing lives for the better. If you are interested in learning about cosmetic treatment, contact our office online or call us at 770-679-2109 to schedule an appointment.