Coral Gables, FL
Whitening, veneers, and night guards — with a straight account of what each one can and cannot do.
Starting at$350
Best forGrinding or clenching — often discovered here rather than reported.
A custom guard worn at night so your teeth grind against acrylic instead of each other. Not cosmetic exactly, but it is what protects crowns, veneers, and implants from the force that broke the tooth in the first place.
Nothing else in dentistry alters how a smile reads for so little. If you are considering something bigger, whitening first is usually the sensible order — it may be all you wanted.
Chips, gaps, worn edges, and teeth that whitening will not lift all get addressed in the same treatment, because the surface people see is being replaced rather than treated.
Grinding is what cracks teeth, wears down edges, and shortens the life of crowns and veneers. A guard costs a fraction of the work it saves, and most people who need one do not know they grind.
The aim is a result nobody can name the cause of — not a shade that announces itself across a room. We will talk you out of going too bright if that is where the conversation is heading.
No one tells you this part in an advertisement, so we will. None of it is a reason not to go ahead — it is simply what to expect.
Only natural tooth lightens. Any existing work stays exactly the shade it was, which means whitening around a front crown can leave it looking darker than the teeth beside it. If you have visible work, say so before starting — the order of treatment matters.
Enamel is removed to make room for the porcelain, and enamel does not grow back. From then on those teeth need a veneer or a crown permanently. It is a genuinely good treatment and a genuinely permanent decision — worth sitting with before booking.
Short sharp twinges with cold, during treatment and for a day or two after, happen to a lot of people and settle on their own. If you already have sensitive teeth, tell us — take-home at a lower strength over longer is usually the better route.
Coffee, tea, red wine, and tobacco all pull the shade back, so this is maintenance rather than a one-off. Keeping the take-home trays makes topping up cheap; expecting a single treatment to last for years does not.
Most of the worry comes from not knowing what actually happens. Here is the whole process.
One visit
Whitening over untreated decay or inflamed gums hurts and does not work properly, and veneers on an unstable bite fail. We check before, not because it is a rule but because the result depends on it.
Same visit
We record where your teeth are now and talk about where they can realistically get to. If you have existing crowns or fillings in the smile line, this is when the order of treatment gets decided.
About a week to make
We take impressions, the lab makes trays that fit only you, and we show you how much gel to use and for how long. Too much gel is the usual cause of sore gums, not too little time.
Around an hour
Your gums and lips are isolated, the gel is applied in cycles, and you leave with the change already visible. Expect the shade to settle back slightly over the first few days.
Two or three visits
The teeth are shaped, impressions taken, and temporaries fitted. You see and approve the finished veneers before they are bonded — if the shape or shade is not right, that is the moment to say so.
Ongoing
Top-up gel for the trays you already own, a night guard if you grind, and the same cleanings as everyone else. Cosmetic work lasts as long as the mouth around it is looked after.
Timings are the usual range. We will give you the schedule for your own treatment at the first visit.
Every price below is what you pay. There is nothing added afterward.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Night GuardFor grinding and clenching. Protects your teeth and any crowns or implants. | $350 |
Prices are for the procedure as described and may vary based on individual clinical needs. A full exam is required to confirm your treatment plan and final cost.
We are on the fourth floor, Suite 411.
We speak English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Most people lift several shades, but nobody can promise a specific one — it depends on what is staining them and what your teeth started as. Yellowish staining responds well; grey tones from tetracycline or from an injury respond poorly. We will give you an honest expectation at the exam rather than a number in an advertisement.
No. Porcelain and composite hold whatever shade they were made in. If you have a crown or a white filling in the front of your mouth and you whiten around it, it will start to look darker by comparison. Sometimes the right plan is to whiten first and replace that one piece afterwards to match — we will tell you if that applies.
Used as directed, professional whitening is not considered to harm enamel. What does cause trouble is overuse — running gel far longer or more often than instructed — and ill-fitting trays letting gel sit on the gums. That is most of the reason we make trays to your mouth rather than selling a one-size kit.
Usually months rather than years, and it depends almost entirely on coffee, tea, red wine, and tobacco. If you keep the take-home trays, a short top-up once or twice a year holds it, and the gel costs far less than starting over.
How much of the tooth is covered. A veneer is a facing on the front only, and suits a tooth that is basically sound but the wrong shape or colour. A crown covers the whole tooth and is what a weak or heavily filled tooth needs. Cosmetic goals do not change that — if a tooth needs a crown, a veneer on it will not hold.
Most people who do have no idea, because it happens while they sleep. The signs we look for are flattened edges, hairline cracks, gum recession in particular spots, and a jaw that aches in the morning. If any of that shows up at your exam we will mention it, whether or not you came in about it.
Not on this site. Publishing a recognisable patient photograph needs their written consent, and we would rather not put anyone in the position of being asked. Come in and Dr. Cabral will talk you through what is realistic for your teeth specifically, which is more use than someone else's result anyway.
We do not work with insurance at all — and cosmetic treatment is rarely covered by it in any case. We are fee-for-service, and the price you see is the price you pay.
Come in for an exam and you will leave with a written plan and the full cost. No obligation, and nothing gets booked until you say so.