Cosmetic Dentistry in Milton Keynes
Many of us in the UK are unhappy with our smile. With advances in modern dentistry, it’s no longer just a case of filling and taking out teeth.
Cosmetic dentistry, or ‘aesthetic dentistry‘, is used as a means of improving the appearance of teeth and your smile.
Tooth whitening will not completely change the colour of your teeth, but it will make them a lighter shade.
We only use white (composite) fillings which are strong, durable and will last a long time if they are looked after.
A smile makeover involves one or more cosmetic dental or facial rejuvenation procedures to improve your smile.
Cosmetic Dentistry in Milton Keynes
Many of us in the UK are unhappy with our smile. With advances in modern dentistry, it’s no longer just a case of filling and taking out teeth.
Cosmetic dentistry, or ‘aesthetic dentistry‘, is used as a means of improving the appearance of teeth and your smile.
Tooth whitening will not completely change the colour of your teeth, but it will make them a lighter shade.
We only use white (composite) fillings which are strong, durable and will last a long time if they are looked after.
A smile makeover involves one or more cosmetic dental or facial rejuvenation procedures to improve your smile.
BOOKING A TREATMENT
Please use the form below for all of your dental treatments, check-ups and and dental hygiene appointments.
OPENING HOURS
Monday 8am – 7:30pm
Tuesday 8am – 7:30pm
Wednesday 8am – 7:30pm
Thursday 8am – 7:30pm
Friday 8am – 5pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
ADDRESS
Enquiry About Cosmetic Dentistry
Oakgrove Dental Practice
TEETH WHITENING
Boost your confidence with a brighter smile.
Teeth can easily become discoloured by tea, coffee, red wine or other foods and drinks with strong colourings. Tooth whitening will not completely change the colour of your teeth, but it will make them a lighter shade.
The benefits of tooth whitening could last up to three years, however, this will vary from person-to-person. The effect is less likely to last as long if you smoke or eat or drink products that can stain your teeth.
Tooth whitening is a simple procedure that can effectively lighten the natural colour of your teeth without removing any of the tooth surfaces. The whitening effects can last up to 12 months.
At Our Oakgrove Dental Practice in Milton Keynes we offer teeth whitening using the safe and easy to use Boutique Home Whitening Kits.
TEETH WHITENING
Boost your confidence with a brighter smile.
Teeth can easily become discoloured by tea, coffee, red wine or other foods and drinks with strong colourings. Tooth whitening will not completely change the colour of your teeth, but it will make them a lighter shade.
The benefits of tooth whitening could last up to three years, however, this will vary from person-to-person. The effect is less likely to last as long if you smoke or eat or drink products that can stain your teeth.
Tooth whitening is a simple procedure that can effectively lighten the natural colour of your teeth without removing any of the tooth surfaces. The whitening effects can last up to 12 months.
At Our Oakgrove Dental Practice in
Milton Keynes we offer teeth whitening using the safe and easy to use Boutique Home Whitening Kits.
WHITE FILLINGS
At Oakgrove Dental Practice, Milton Keynes we are a mercury-free practice, using only white (composite) fillings which are strong, durable and will last a long time if they are looked after.
They can also look extremely natural, so why not make them look as similar as possible to your natural tooth? If the filling is large, we may recommend that you have a porcelain inlay, onlay or dental crown constructed.
WHITE FILLINGS
At Oakgrove Dental Practice, Milton Keynes we are a mercury-free practice, using only white (composite) fillings which are strong, durable and will last a long time if they are looked after.
They can also look extremely natural, so why not make them look as similar as possible to your natural tooth? If the filling is large, we may recommend that you have a porcelain inlay, onlay or dental crown constructed.
SMILE DESIGN
Your smile the way you want it.
Your smile is often one of the first things that other people will notice about you so it’s crucial that you are happy with the first impression your smile makes, whether it’s at a job interview or on a first date.
A smile makeover involves one or more cosmetic dental or facial rejuvenation procedures to improve the aesthetics of your smile. It is a very individual process as it is dependent on what you want, but a makeover could range from a simple improvement, such as the replacement of silver fillings with more discreet white ones and teeth whitening, to teeth being straightened or missing teeth replaced.
Here are some of the ways Oakgrove Dental Practice,Milton Keynes can help improve your smile using modern cosmetic dentistry:
SMILE DESIGN
Your smile the way you want it.
Your smile is often one of the first things that other people will notice about you so it’s crucial that you are happy with the first impression your smile makes, whether it’s at a job interview or on a first date.
A smile makeover involves one or more cosmetic dental or facial rejuvenation procedures to improve the aesthetics of your smile. It is a very individual process as it is dependent on what you want, but a makeover could range from a simple improvement, such as the replacement of silver fillings with more discreet white ones and teeth whitening, to teeth being straightened or missing teeth replaced.
Here are some of the ways Oakgrove Dental Practice,Milton Keynes can help improve your smile using modern cosmetic dentistry:
- Crooked teeth can be straightened with aligners or fixed brace work.
BENEFITS OF COSMETIC DENTISTRY
Enhanced Smile Appearance
Cosmetic dentistry improves the aesthetics of your teeth, giving you a brighter, straighter, and more symmetrical smile.
Improved Oral Health
Procedures like Invisalign® can address gaps, reducing the risk of future dental problems.
Increased Self-Confidence
With an improved smile, you feel more confident in social and professional settings, enhancing your overall self-esteem.
Minimally Invasive Options
Many cosmetic treatments, like whitening and Invisalign®, are non-invasive, requiring little to no downtime for recovery.
Customised Solutions
Cosmetic dentistry offers personalised treatment plans tailored to your unique dental needs and goals.
Time Saving Treatment
Treatments, like whitening and Invisalign® require fewer visits, with check-ins every 4–6 weeks compared to other treatments
GETTING STARTED
What is cosmetic dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry is dental treatment carried out mainly to change how your teeth look, rather than to treat pain or disease. In practice that usually means tooth whitening, composite bonding, veneers, ceramic crowns, or straightening teeth with Invisalign. Because all of these have to work with your existing bite and gum health, they start with an assessment rather than a booking. A new patient cosmetic consultation costs £130 and is where you find out which options suit your teeth, what each one would involve, and what it would not change.
Can I get teeth whitening or veneers on the NHS?
No. Tooth whitening, veneers and dental implants are the three treatments NHS guidance names as generally not available on the NHS, because NHS dentistry funds care you clinically need rather than work done to improve appearance. In practice all three are paid for privately. There are narrow exceptions: veneers can occasionally be provided where a clinical need is shown, and implants rarely, for people who cannot wear dentures because of mouth cancer or an accident. Fillings, crowns, root canal treatment and extractions are usually available on the NHS, even when they also improve how a tooth looks.
How much does cosmetic dentistry cost?
The cost of cosmetic dentistry depends entirely on which treatment you have. Boutique teeth whitening is £425, composite bonding starts from £350, a ceramic crown starts from £695 and Invisalign starts from £2,800. Veneer fees are confirmed after assessment, because the price depends on the material and how many teeth are treated. Every route begins with a new patient cosmetic consultation at £130. General Dental Council rules mean you must be given a written treatment plan with a realistic indication of the cost before treatment starts. Prices may vary depending on location.
Do my teeth need to be healthy before cosmetic treatment?
Yes. Healthy teeth and gums are a requirement before cosmetic treatment, not a formality. Whitening is not carried out on unhealthy teeth or gums, and bonding and veneers rely on a firm bond to sound enamel, so decay, failing fillings and active gum disease are dealt with first. That often means one or two appointments beforehand, and sometimes a hygienist visit, from £80 for 30 minutes. Cosmetic work placed over an untreated problem tends to fail early and has to be redone, which costs more than fixing the problem first.
YOUR TREATMENT OPTIONS
How long does teeth whitening take?
Teeth whitening takes either a single appointment or a few weeks, depending on which method is used. Whitening carried out at a dental surgery, where gel is applied and activated with a light, is usually one visit of 1 to 2 hours. Home whitening uses trays made to fit your own teeth, worn with the gel for 2 to 6 weeks so the shade lifts gradually. Both begin with an appointment to check your teeth and gums are healthy, and home whitening needs a short further visit to check the trays fit before you start.
How long does teeth whitening last, and are there any risks?
Whitening is not permanent. NHS guidance says that if you follow your dentist’s advice the effect may last around 3 years, and how long you keep it depends mainly on coffee, tea, red wine and smoking. The usual side effects are teeth becoming sensitive to cold or sweet food and drink, a sore gum or throat, and temporary white patches on the gums, which settle within a few days. Whitening is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and is not carried out on anyone aged 17 or under.
Is teeth whitening from a beauty salon or an online kit safe?
Whitening by anyone who is not a registered dental professional is illegal in the UK, so a beauty salon cannot lawfully do it. The High Court confirmed in 2013 that tooth whitening is the practice of dentistry, whatever product is used. Online kits sold to the public are a different case: they are legal, but capped at 0.1% hydrogen peroxide or less, which whitens very little. The 6% strength a dentist may use can only be supplied to dental practitioners, so anything stronger on sale to the public is being supplied illegally. Reported injuries from unregistered whitening include burns to the gums and lips.
What is composite bonding, and what does it cost?
Composite bonding is tooth-coloured resin shaped directly onto your existing teeth to close small gaps, rebuild a chipped corner or even up uneven edges. It starts from £350 and is usually completed in one appointment, normally without an injection and with little or no drilling of healthy tooth. It is not permanent: studies of composite veneers report roughly 9 in 10 still in place over follow-ups averaging two to eight years. It ages by staining at the edges, dulling and small chips, and most of that can be polished or patched in a single visit.
How long do veneers last, and are they reversible?
Porcelain veneers last well, but they are not reversible. Research pooling 25 studies and 6,500 veneers found around 95% still in place after 10 years. The part worth understanding is what happens first: a thin layer of enamel is drilled from the front of each tooth to make room, and enamel does not grow back, so those teeth will need a veneer or a crown on them from then on. Veneers also survive better bonded to enamel than to exposed dentine, which is why they suit some heavily filled teeth poorly.
Should I choose composite bonding or veneers?
The main difference between composite bonding and porcelain veneers is whether tooth is removed. Bonding is added onto your teeth and can be polished off again, so it keeps your options open. Veneers need a layer of enamel drilled away first, which commits those teeth to being covered permanently. Bonding is cheaper, from £350, and usually done in one visit, but it stains and chips sooner. Veneers hold their colour and shape far longer, and the fee is confirmed after a cosmetic consultation at £130. Broadly: bonding for small changes, veneers for bigger changes in shape or colour.
Should I straighten my teeth or cover them with veneers?
Straightening moves the teeth you already have; veneers change how they look without moving the roots. If the problem is position – crowding, gaps, a twisted tooth – straightening treats the cause, and Invisalign starts from £2,800. It is not quite tooth-free: a little enamel is often shaved between crowded teeth to make space, needed in roughly 7 in 10 aligner cases, but that is a fraction of what a veneer removes. If the problem is colour, shape or worn edges, moving teeth will not fix it and bonding or veneers will. Many cases are both, and straightening usually comes first.
Can cosmetic dentistry improve worn or short teeth?
Yes. Worn teeth are usually rebuilt with composite bonding, from £350, or with a ceramic crown, from £695, where a tooth is badly broken down. What matters more is why they wore down, because wear is nearly always a mix of grinding, acid from fizzy drinks, citrus or reflux, and heavy brushing. Rebuild without changing the cause and the new edges wear too. Worn teeth also look yellower, because thinning enamel lets the darker dentine underneath show through, so whitening alone rarely fixes their appearance.
What is a smile makeover?
A smile makeover is not one treatment. It is several treatments planned together and carried out in a set order so the results match. A typical sequence is: settle any decay or gum problems, whiten the natural teeth, then bond, veneer or crown whatever still needs it so the new work can be matched to the lighter shade. Planning normally uses photographs and X-rays at £15 each, and the treatment itself is staged across several appointments over weeks rather than done in one sitting. It starts with a cosmetic consultation at £130, where the order and the total are agreed.
Should I whiten my teeth before having veneers, crowns or bonding?
Yes, whitening comes first. Whitening gel only lightens natural enamel. Porcelain, ceramic and composite keep the shade they were made in, so a crown, veneer or bonded edge cannot be bleached later. Whiten after the work is fitted and your natural teeth get lighter while the restoration stays put, leaving it looking dark beside them, and the only fix then is to replace it. Whitening first sets the target shade for everything else. Dentists usually leave a week or two after whitening before bonding, because fresh bleaching weakens the bond.
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Will cosmetic dental treatment hurt or damage my teeth?
Whether cosmetic treatment hurts or removes tooth depends entirely on which treatment it is, and the honest answer differs sharply between them. Whitening and composite bonding remove little or no healthy tooth, and bonding is usually done without an injection. Veneers and crowns do remove tooth permanently: enamel is drilled from the front of the tooth for a veneer, and a crown needs the whole tooth shaped, both under local anaesthetic. Sensitivity to cold for a few days afterwards is common with all of them. Worth asking before you agree: how much tooth is coming off, and can it be avoided?
Can I have cosmetic treatment if I grind my teeth?
Usually yes, but the grinding has to be managed or it will shorten the life of the work. Around 1 in 10 adults grind their teeth in their sleep and up to 1 in 5 clench while awake, and most have no idea they do it. The signs are worn or chipped edges, morning jaw ache and headaches. A biteguard made to fit your own teeth, £200, is worn at night so it takes the force instead of your teeth or your new veneers. Shop-bought guards fit poorly and are not a substitute.
Will dental insurance cover cosmetic treatment?
Almost certainly not. UK dental insurance and practice payment plans pay for treatment that is clinically necessary, and cosmetic work is normally a named exclusion. Bupa’s own plan terms, for example, list veneers, cosmetic bonding and teeth whitening among treatments not covered, and adult orthodontics such as Invisalign is usually excluded too. A crown can be covered where the tooth is broken or decayed, because that is a clinical need. Check your policy’s exclusions list for the word cosmetic before you assume anything, and ask for the cost in writing.
How do I look after my teeth after cosmetic treatment?
Treat new cosmetic work as slightly more fragile than your own enamel. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, clean between the teeth daily, and keep up check-ups and hygienist visits, from £80 for 30 minutes, because plaque gathers along the edges of bonding and veneers and that margin is where they usually start to fail. Limit red wine, coffee, tea and curry, which stain composite faster than natural enamel. Stop using your teeth as tools: nail-biting, chewing ice and opening packaging are the commonest ways an edge gets chipped.
Am I too old for cosmetic dentistry?
Age itself is not a barrier to cosmetic dentistry, but two things change over time and affect what is realistic. Gums tend to recede, so the margin of a veneer or crown has to be planned with that in mind or a dark line can show later. And enamel thins with the years, letting the yellower dentine beneath show through, which means an older tooth often lightens less than expected. Existing crowns, bridges and fillings will not lighten at all. A cosmetic consultation at £130 is where those limits get set out before you commit.
Is it worth having veneers done abroad?
Treatment abroad costs less up front, and the risk is what happens afterwards. A British Dental Association survey of 1,000 UK dentists found 94% had examined patients who had gone abroad, and 86% of those had gone on to treat problems arising from it, most often failing work, pain and infection. Crowns and implants were most likely to need putting right. Dentists also report patients discovering that what was sold as veneers was actually crowns, which remove far more tooth. If you have already had work done abroad, a new patient examination from £60 plus X-rays at £15 establishes what is really on your teeth.
WHY CHOOSE OAKGROVE DENTAL PRACTICE?
Complimentary consultation & smile simulation
Enjoy a free Invisalign consultation, complete with a 3D Itero scan to visualize your smile transformation before committing.
Comprehensive treatment package for the perfect smile
Benefit from included X-rays, photographs, free removable retainers, and teeth whitening for a complete smile makeover.
Flexible payment options available
Choose from 0% dentist finance for up to 12 months or in-house payment plans to suit your budget.
Trusted local experts in Invisalign®
As the only MiSmile member in Milton Keynes, we’ve helped create over 10,000 stunning Invisalign smiles.
WHY CHOOSE OAKGROVE DENTAL PRACTICE?
Complimentary consultation & smile simulation
Enjoy a free Invisalign consultation, complete with a 3D Itero scan to visualize your smile transformation before committing.
Comprehensive treatment package for the perfect smile
Benefit from included X-rays, photographs, free removable retainers, and teeth whitening for a complete smile makeover.
Flexible payment options available
Choose from 0% dentist finance for up to 12 months or in-house payment plans to suit your budget.
Trusted local experts in Invisalign®
As the only MiSmile member in Milton Keynes, we’ve helped create over 10,000 stunning Invisalign smiles.
OTHER TREATMENTS AT OAKGROVE DENTAL PRACTICE
