Case study · Veneers + Invisalign
S.K. came in after nine years of avoiding the dentist. The fear was real, the dental work needed was substantial, and the timeline was long. Below is the actual sequence we ran, including the two visits where we paused to re-evaluate.
Before
AfterVisit 1-2 · Month 0
New-patient exam, full digital X-rays, oral cancer screening. Deep cleaning (scaling + root planing in two quadrants, not all four — gums weren't bad enough to justify all four). Nitrous oxide both visits for comfort.
Visit 3-4 · Month 1-2
Safe-removal (SMART protocol) of two failing amalgam fillings, replaced with bonded composite. Patient comfortable enough at this point that we dropped to oral sedation only on visit 4.
Visit 5-13 · Month 2-16
26 trays (24 planned + 2 refinement). Check-ins every 6-8 weeks. Two attachments needed mid-treatment for a stubborn lower canine. Total Invisalign treatment: 14 months. Patient wore retainers nightly throughout from month 12 onward.
Visit 14-17 · Month 16-17
Eight upper porcelain veneers (#5-#12). Smile-design mockup, prep visit, temporary placement, lab fabrication at Dental Arts Lab Phoenix, final cementation. Color matched to a Vita Bleach BL2 shade.
Visit 18 · Month 17
In-office Zoom whitening on the lower arch to match the new upper veneers. One 90-minute session. Take-home tray for touch-ups.
17 months of treatment, eight upper veneers, 14 months of Invisalign, and a Zoom whitening session. Total out-of-pocket cost after insurance was $13,800 — financed through CareCredit at 12 months 0% APR. S.K. is now on a 4-month recall (slightly more frequent than standard due to her veneer maintenance) and has been to every appointment for two years running. Two-year clinical photos show all veneers intact, lower alignment holding, no relapse.
I avoided the dentist for nine years because of one bad experience as a teenager. Dr. Patel walked me through every step before she touched a tooth. The Invisalign part was the slowest, but the team checked in every six weeks and adjusted when something wasn't working. Two years later I still look forward to cleanings.
The visit experience
We surveyed 600 patients on what makes dental visits stressful and designed the office around fixing each one. No fluorescent lights. No clipboards in the waiting room. No surprise charges at checkout. Just a calm, transparent visit.
Nitrous oxide on request
Laughing gas at no extra cost during cleanings, fillings, or any longer procedure. Wears off in five minutes — you can drive home.
Noise-cancel headphones
Bose QC over-ear headphones at every chair. Bring your phone or stream from our library. The drill becomes a distant hum.
Netflix on the ceiling
Every chair has a ceiling-mounted screen with Netflix, YouTube, and HBO. Patient picks the show. Time goes faster.
Kid play corner
Toys, books, and a small slide so kids stay calm before their visit — and so parents can have their own cleaning without juggling.
Book a new-patient visit
Book a no-pressure consult. We'll walk through similar cases in our gallery, do a full exam, and give you an itemized estimate before anything is committed to.