We're now open on Saturdays 09:00-13:00 (pre-booked appointments only)
Call us: 0115 647 9990
Mapperley Dental Studio · 870 Woodborough Road · 0115 647 9990
Appearance, assessed properly first
Choosing the least invasive treatment that will actually achieve what you want, rather than the most expensive one.
Whitening, aligners, bonding and veneers solve different problems and remove different amounts of tooth. The assessment decides which is appropriate, and health always comes before appearance.
Teeth whitening£395
Fully private practice, no long waiting list
Early, late and weekend appointments available
Booked in advance, subject to availability
Membership plans from £14.10 a month
The straight answer
Cosmetic dentistry is treatment carried out primarily to improve the appearance of the teeth rather than to treat disease. It includes whitening, clear aligner tooth movement, composite bonding and veneers. Because it is elective, the assessment focuses on which option achieves the result with the least irreversible change to the teeth.
Decay and gum disease are treated first. Cosmetic work placed onto an unhealthy mouth fails early and can mask problems underneath. Where teeth are crooked and discoloured, moving them and whitening usually comes before considering bonding or veneers.
Whitening changes shade without touching the tooth. Aligners move teeth without removing any. Bonding adds material to the tooth surface and is reversible in most cases. Veneers and crowns need some tooth removal.
Cosmetic treatment changes appearance; it does not make teeth healthier or stronger, and in the case of veneers and crowns it makes them more dependent on the restoration. All of it needs maintaining.
Why patients come to us
Enamel thins with age and the darker dentine beneath shows through, while tea, coffee, red wine and tobacco add surface staining on top.
Practical outcome: professional cleaning removes surface staining, and whitening addresses the underlying shade. Neither requires removing tooth.
Crowding is a position problem. Covering crooked teeth with veneers treats the symptom and removes healthy enamel to do it.
Practical outcome: aligner treatment moves the teeth into position without removing any tooth structure, and often removes the need for veneers entirely.
Small chips, worn edges and modest gaps can often be rebuilt by adding tooth-coloured composite directly to the tooth in a single visit.
Practical outcome: an immediate improvement that adds material rather than removing it, and can be repaired or removed later.
What this treatment gives you, and the practicalities worth knowing before you book.
Suitability
Attend the examination and hygiene intervals your dentist recommends
Follow the home cleaning routine agreed with your dentist or hygienist
Tell us about medical conditions and medication, and about any changes
Your dentist will confirm whether this treatment is suitable after examining your teeth, gums, bite and wider oral health.
Step by step
A full examination establishes the condition of your teeth, gums, bite and existing restorations. Anything active is treated before cosmetic work is considered.
You are asked what specifically you would change and what result you are picturing, because different concerns point to very different treatments.
Photographs and digital scans, where relevant, are used to plan and to show you what is realistic.
You receive a plan setting out the reasonable options, what each involves, how much tooth structure each removes, what each costs, and what maintaining each requires.
Work is sequenced logically: position first where teeth need moving, then shade, then shape. Reversing that order usually means redoing work.
Retainers, top-up whitening or repair of bonding are arranged as part of the plan rather than left to chance.
The first appointment is an examination and a discussion. No treatment is carried out without your agreement, and you leave with a written plan and costs.
Each of these solves a different problem. The most important column is how much healthy tooth it removes.
| Teeth whitening | Clear aligners | Composite bonding | Veneers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Teeth that are the right shape and position but too dark | Crowded, spaced or rotated teeth | Small chips, worn edges and modest gaps | Teeth needing a change in shape, colour and surface together |
| Tooth removed | None | None | None in most cases | Some tooth removal needed |
| Reversible | Yes, shade relapses over time | Yes, though retainers are needed to hold the result | Usually, material can be removed | No |
| Typical treatment time | A few weeks of home wear | Months, depending on the movement required | Often a single visit | Two or more visits with laboratory work |
| Indicative cost | £395 | From £2,995 (single arch) | £395 per tooth | From £700 per tooth |
| Main advantage | Least invasive way to change appearance | Fixes the underlying position rather than covering it | Immediate result, additive, repairable | Greatest control over shape and colour |
| Main consideration | Does not change shape or position and needs periodic top-ups | Requires consistent wear and lifelong retention | Stains and chips over time, needs periodic repair | Irreversible, and the tooth depends on a restoration thereafter |
Scroll the table sideways to see every option.
Fees
Fees depend on what the examination finds, which is why the figures below are starting points rather than quotations.
One examination and one hygiene appointment a year, priority access and emergency support.
Two examinations and two hygiene appointments a year, priority access and emergency support.
Two examinations and four hygiene appointments a year, priority access and emergency support.
All three plans include priority appointment availability, a 10% discount on non-cosmetic treatment and eligibility for the Worldwide Dental Emergency Assistance Scheme.
Your personalised cost is confirmed in writing after your examination. The figures above are starting prices for guidance only. They are not a quotation and do not take account of your individual clinical needs. You will receive a written plan setting out the recommended treatment, sequence and cost. No treatment begins until you have agreed it.
Your dentist
Whether someone comes in for a check-up or a full cosmetic plan, the first appointment is the same: time to listen, a proper look, and a clear explanation of the options and what they cost. Everything else follows from that.
Dr Rupchhen Tamang, Principal Dentist
A general dental practitioner is not a specialist. The word "specialist" should not be used unless a clinician appears on the relevant GDC specialist list.
Comfort and aftercare
Common questions
With an examination. Cosmetic planning depends on the condition of your teeth, gums and bite, and on which specific thing you want to change. Shade, position and shape are three different problems with three different solutions, and starting with the wrong one usually means redoing work.
If the problem is position, aligners address the cause and remove no tooth structure. Veneers cover crooked teeth by permanently removing enamel, and once a tooth is prepared it will need a restoration for life. Veneers make more sense where shape and colour need changing as well as position. Your dentist will set out both.
No. Whitening changes the shade of natural tooth only. Crowns, veneers, bonding and white fillings stay exactly as they are, which can leave them looking darker or lighter than the surrounding teeth once whitening is complete. Where visible restorations exist, replacing them after whitening is often part of the plan.
It depends on the treatment and on you. Whitening fades over months to years and is topped up. Bonding typically needs repair or replacement periodically as it stains and chips. Veneers and crowns last longer but eventually need replacing. Grinding, diet and cleaning all shorten these timescales considerably.
Not until it is stabilised. Placing bonding, veneers or crowns onto inflamed gums produces a poor result that fails early, and moving teeth with active gum disease can accelerate bone loss. Gum treatment first is not a delaying tactic, it is what makes the result last.
Payment options for larger plans can be discussed with the team at your appointment.
Still unsure about something? Call the practice on 0115 647 9990 and ask.
Finding us
| Monday | 9am to 5pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8am to 8pm |
| Wednesday | 8am to 8pm |
| Thursday | 9am to 5pm |
| Friday | 9am to 5pm |
| Saturday | Pre-booked appointments only |
| Sunday | Closed |
Patient feedback
Your first appointment is an assessment and a conversation. You leave with a written plan setting out what is recommended, in what order, and what it costs, and you decide what happens next.
