Cosmetic Dentist in Carlsbad, NM

A porcelain veneer is a thin custom restoration placed over the front of a tooth to change its shape, color, or proportion — often for chips, wear, uneven lengths, small spaces, or discoloration that whitening can’t correct. Planning requires assessing enamel, tooth position, bite, gum health, and any grinding or clenching. Veneers require permanent changes to the tooth surface. Unlike a crown, which covers more of the tooth for structural protection, a veneer covers just the front surface.

Prescription take-home whitening uses custom trays and professional-grade material to lighten your natural tooth color gradually at home. Dr. Felt examines your teeth and gums, takes impressions, and has trays made specifically for you, then monitors your progress as you follow individualized wear instructions. Whitening can help with general darkening and stains from food, beverages, tobacco, or age — but it won’t change the color of crowns, veneers, bonding, fillings, or bridges. The practice does not offer in-office whitening; results depend on how closely you follow the schedule Dr. Felt sets for you.

A smile makeover combines selected cosmetic and restorative treatments to address more than one concern at once — whitening, bonding, veneers, recontouring, Six Month Smiles, or a restorative crown where structural damage is present. Dr. Felt weighs tooth color, position, shape, gum contours, bite, and how many teeth show when you smile, along with your priorities. Treatment may happen in one visit or across several phases.

Gum recontouring reshapes selected gum tissue to create a more even, proportionate gumline — worth considering when tissue covers teeth unevenly or excess gum makes certain teeth look shorter than they are. It isn’t the same as crown lengthening and isn’t a fit for every gum concern. Dr. Felt assesses gum health, tooth position, bone relationship, and how much tissue is present before confirming the change can be made safely.

Tooth recontouring — also called enamel recontouring — makes small changes to enamel to improve tooth edges, shape, or proportions, typically for slightly uneven edges, minor length differences, small rough areas, or subtle refinement after bonding or alignment treatment. Only a limited amount of enamel can be safely adjusted this way, so Dr. Felt checks enamel thickness, sensitivity, bite, and tooth structure first. It isn’t a solution for major crowding or large fractures — those need a different approach, such as [internal link: ].

Six Month Smiles is a short-term cosmetic orthodontic option that may improve selected visible spacing or crowding for suitable adults, particularly when the main concern is the teeth that show when you smile. It’s the practice’s only aligner offering — Invisalign, SureSmile, ClearCorrect, and traditional or clear braces aren’t provided. Dr. Felt reviews tooth position, gum health, bite, and roots before recommending it, and treatment length varies by patient rather than following a fixed six-month timeline.