Serving Encinitas
A veneer case and a filler plan shouldn't be designed by two people who never speak to each other. That's the problem we set out to solve when we built our studio: cosmetic dentistry and medical aesthetics under one roof, planned together, by a team that looks at your whole face before recommending anything. For Encinitas patients who have been piecing together their care — teeth here, injectables there — that coordination is usually the first thing they notice.
Encinitas patients tend to come to us with a clear sense of what bothers them and less certainty about what to do next. Sometimes it's worn, chipped front teeth after years of grinding. Sometimes it's a smile that photographs well but feels dated. Sometimes it's the way the lower face has changed and the teeth suddenly look shorter than they used to. We start by listening to the specific complaint, then widen the view — lip position, facial proportion, how the smile sits in the rest of the face.
That's where Digital Smile Design comes in. Rather than guessing at shape and length, we plan the case visually so you can see the direction before treatment begins. From there, the path might be porcelain veneers, composite veneers, clear aligners to reposition teeth first, or professional whitening that makes more invasive work unnecessary. We offer in-office whitening for patients who want results in a single visit and take-home whitening for those who prefer to go at their own pace.
The point isn't to sell a full smile makeover to everyone who walks in. Plenty of Encinitas patients need one conservative step, not ten. Restraint is part of the philosophy the practice was founded on.
Our office covers a broad scope of dental care — general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine, oral and maxillofacial pathology and radiology, orofacial pain, and dental public health. That range matters for families in Encinitas because it means a child's early visits, an adult's root canal, and a grandparent's full-arch restoration can all be discussed in the same place.
Tooth loss is one of the situations we see most often, and it rarely arrives on a convenient timeline. For patients missing most or all of the teeth in an arch, we offer All-on-4 and All-on-6 dental implants, along with bone grafting when the jaw needs additional support before implants can be placed. These are involved cases, and we talk through the sequence, the healing time, and what each stage requires before anything is scheduled.
On the aesthetics side, Sarah Garces, NP-C, our Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner and Facial Balancing Specialist, provides neurotoxins, dermal fillers, and microneedling. Darian Anderson, DDS, leads the cosmetic dentistry. Monica Kieu, D.O., FACS, serves as our Medical Director. When a patient's goals involve both the smile and the surrounding facial structures, that work gets planned in concert rather than in isolation.
Why Encinitas Families Choose Us
Encinitas is a community where people are outdoors, active, and photographed often — and where a lot of patients have had cosmetic work elsewhere that didn't quite land. What we hear repeatedly is that they wanted someone to look at the whole picture instead of one tooth or one syringe.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
- One coordinated plan across dentistry and facial aesthetics, instead of separate providers working blind to each other
- Visual planning through Digital Smile Design so you understand the proposed result before committing
- A conservative approach — we'll tell you when less treatment is the better answer
- Care for the whole household, from pediatric visits through complex restorative work
- A complimentary consultation to discuss goals with no obligation
Payment, Financing, and What It Costs
We're an out-of-network, fee-for-service office and we don't bill insurance. That decision keeps treatment planning between you and your provider rather than shaped by network restrictions or coverage limits. We welcome self-pay and cash patients.
For patients who'd rather spread payments out, we work with Cherry financing. Larger cases — full-arch implants, comprehensive smile makeovers — are often easier to move forward with when the cost is structured over time, and we're happy to walk through the options during your consultation so you have real numbers before deciding anything.
Getting Started
Begin with a complimentary consultation. Bring your questions, your photos, and any history of prior dental or aesthetic work. We'll examine, discuss what's realistic, and outline the options — including the option to wait.
Encinitas patients are welcome alongside those we see from Del Mar, Solana Beach, La Jolla, and greater San Diego. Contact our office to schedule, and we'll find a time that works.
Let's Plan Your Smile Together
Schedule your complimentary consultation with our team to talk through your goals, see how cosmetic dentistry and facial aesthetics can work together, and learn about flexible financing through Cherry.