Reviewed by Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS — South Florida Smile Spa, Pompano Beach, FL
Choosing a cosmetic dentist in Pompano Beach is less about a catalogue of treatments than about deciding which of them you actually need. Most people who come in asking for veneers do not need veneers.
Quick answer
Cosmetic dentistry covers treatments chosen mainly to change how teeth look: porcelain veneers, composite bonding, tooth-coloured fillings, crowns, bridges, professional whitening and full smile makeovers. At South Florida Smile Spa in Pompano Beach, Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS plans these from photographs, the bite and the condition of the gums, and treats health problems before appearance. Treatment can almost always be staged rather than done all at once, and the right starting point is a consultation rather than a procedure.
Where to Start
Choosing between the options
The treatments below overlap heavily. Whitening, bonding and veneers can all address a discoloured front tooth, and they differ enormously in cost, in how much tooth is removed, and in how long they last.
The order of preference is usually simplest first: change the colour before changing the shape, change the shape with bonding before removing enamel for porcelain, and keep irreversible options for problems that reversible ones cannot solve.
That sequence is not what sells the most dentistry. It is what leaves you with the most tooth.
What we do, and what each one is for
| Treatment | Best for | How invasive |
|---|---|---|
| Teeth whitening | Yellowing and staining on otherwise sound teeth | Reversible; removes nothing |
| Composite bonding | Chips, small gaps, minor shape changes | Little or no enamel removed |
| Porcelain veneers | Shape, colour and alignment across several front teeth | Irreversible; enamel is removed |
| Crowns | Teeth that are cracked, heavily filled or root-treated | Substantial tooth reduction |
| Bridges | Replacing a missing tooth using the teeth either side | The neighbouring teeth are crowned |
| Composite fillings | Decay repair without metal showing | Only the damaged tissue |
| Smile makeover | Several concerns at once, planned as one result | Depends on the plan |
| Full mouth reconstruction | Worn, broken or missing teeth across both arches | Extensive, staged over months |
We also offer Botox and Juvéderm facial fillers, and replace missing teeth with dental implants where a bridge is not the better answer.
How a cosmetic consultation actually runs
- What bothers you. In your words, pointing at your own photographs. This matters more than it sounds: patients and dentists often notice completely different things.
- Health first. Decay, cracked teeth and a periodontal exam. Cosmetic work built over untreated disease fails, and gum inflammation changes the shape of the frame around every tooth.
- The bite. How your teeth meet decides what will survive. Porcelain on a heavy grinder without a plan for the grinding is porcelain that chips.
- Options, with trade-offs. Usually two or three routes at different levels of cost and irreversibility, with the downsides of each stated rather than glossed.
- A written plan. Sequence, timeline and figures in writing before anything starts.
What cosmetic dentistry cannot do
- Whitening does not change the colour of crowns, veneers, bonding or fillings. Existing work is matched or replaced, not bleached.
- Veneers do not fix a bite problem. They can disguise mild crowding, but teeth that are significantly out of position are better moved with Invisalign first.
- No restoration is stronger than a healthy natural tooth. Every one is a compromise chosen because the natural version is already damaged.
- Nothing is permanent. Everything placed in a mouth eventually needs maintenance or replacement.
If grinding is part of the picture, read our piece on how bruxism wears teeth down before committing to porcelain. And if you are weighing cosmetic treatment generally, this article covers why more South Florida patients are asking about it.
Care in Pompano Beach
Why patients choose South Florida Smile Spa
Dr. Nicole M. Berger has practiced in Pompano Beach for more than twenty years. She plans cosmetic cases from photographs and the bite rather than from a shade guide, and she will talk you out of treatment you do not need.
- Digital scanning with the iTero scanner instead of impression trays
- CEREC same-day restorations where a single visit is possible
- IV and oral sedation available for longer appointments or dental anxiety
- A written plan with the sequence and the figures before anything starts
- English and Spanish spoken
- One location on E McNab Rd, serving Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coconut Creek
New here? See what to expect on your first visit, or meet the team.
If you are not sure what you need
That is the normal starting point, not a problem. Bring photographs of what bothers you and we will tell you which options are realistic and which are not worth your money.
South Florida Smile Spa · Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS · 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 · (954) 785-1100
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as cosmetic dentistry?
Anything done primarily to change how teeth look rather than to treat disease: veneers, bonding, tooth-coloured fillings, crowns chosen for appearance, whitening, and the reshaping of gums. In practice the line blurs, because a cracked tooth that needs a crown is both a health problem and an appearance problem.
Where should I start if I do not know what I need?
With a consultation rather than a procedure. We photograph the smile, look at the bite and the gum health, and talk through what actually bothers you. Most people arrive asking for one treatment and leave with a different plan, usually a simpler one.
Do I have to fix everything at once?
No. Almost every plan can be staged, and it is common to do the health work first, live with it, then decide about the cosmetic layer later. What matters is that the sequence is planned from the start so early work does not have to be redone.
Will cosmetic work look obviously fake?
It should not. Shade, translucency, edge shape and the way the gum frames the tooth all get chosen deliberately, and a natural result usually means less uniformity rather than more. If you want brighter and more even than nature, that is a valid choice too, but it should be a choice rather than a default.
Does gum health matter for cosmetic treatment?
A great deal. Gum tissue frames every tooth, and inflamed gums bleed, recede and change shape, which will undermine otherwise good work. Active periodontal disease is treated before cosmetic treatment starts.
How long does cosmetic dental work last?
It depends on what was done and how you look after it. Bonding is the shortest-lived, typically a few years before it needs repolishing or replacing. Porcelain restorations generally last much longer. Nothing is permanent, and anyone promising a lifetime result is overselling.
Can you fix one tooth so it matches the others?
Sometimes, and it is one of the harder things in dentistry. Matching a single front tooth to its neighbours means matching colour, translucency, surface texture and the way light passes through it. We will tell you honestly whether one tooth is realistic or whether two will look better.
Is cosmetic dentistry covered by insurance?
Usually not when the reason is purely appearance. Where a treatment also restores function or repairs damage, such as a crown on a cracked tooth, it often is. Our front desk checks your benefits and gives you the figures in writing before anything is scheduled.
I am nervous about dental treatment. Can that be managed?
Yes. IV and oral sedation are available in house, and longer cosmetic appointments are a common reason patients use them. Say so when you book so the visit is planned around it.
Do you offer payment plans?
Financing options are available and the front desk will go through them with you. We do not publish prices online because the figure depends entirely on what your mouth needs, and a number without a diagnosis behind it is not useful to you.