Graduation photos. Career fair headshots. Wedding season the year after senior year. If you are a student, faculty member, or staff at Kennesaw State University, the timeline for cosmetic dentistry is rarely about "someday." It is about a specific date with a camera in front of it. Dr. Alan N. Parnes, DDS sees KSU students, recent graduates, and faculty regularly: for whitening before graduation, Invisalign for adults finishing their degrees, bonding for chipped front teeth from dorm-room mishaps, and veneers for students moving into competitive job markets.
Our office is at 6199 GA-92, Suite 132, Acworth, GA 30102, a short drive from main campus at Chastain Road and Frey Road. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We accept students and faculty as new patients year-round and book consultations around the academic calendar.
Cosmetic Dentistry on a Student Calendar
Student cosmetic dentistry is different from typical adult cosmetic dentistry, and an honest dentist will say so. The timelines are tight (graduation does not move). The budgets are real (most students do not have a thousand dollars sitting around). The dental insurance situation is messy (university student plans rarely cover cosmetic work, and most students are still on a parent's plan that may or may not include them). What works for student patients is straightforward: clear pricing up front, financing options that fit a student income, and case timelines that map to the academic year.
Most student cases we see fall into one of four buckets. Whitening before graduation. Invisalign for an adult who skipped braces in middle school or wants refinement after a previous round of orthodontics. Cosmetic bonding for a chipped front tooth. Or veneers for a student about to enter a job market where image matters: business school, broadcast, performing arts, healthcare. Each of these has a clear path. We will tell you which one fits your situation, and which ones do not.
How to Get Here from Kennesaw State University
From the main KSU campus (Chastain Road and Frey Road area), the route to our office is short. Take Chastain Road west toward GA-92, then turn south on GA-92. Continue to the 6199 plaza on your right. Our office is in Suite 132. The drive is typically 10 to 15 minutes from the main campus parking decks, depending on time of day.
From the Marietta campus, take GA-41 / Cobb Parkway north to GA-92, then west on GA-92 to the office. The trip is typically 20 to 25 minutes.
If you do not have a car, the practical options are CobbLinc bus service, rideshare (Uber and Lyft both serve the GA-92 corridor reliably), or carpooling with a classmate. Free parking is available directly in front of the office. Most students with daytime class flexibility book between morning classes or early afternoon.
Cosmetic Services KSU Students and Faculty Use Most
Whitening Before Graduation, Photos, and Interviews
In-office whitening produces visible results in a single appointment, which matters when you have three weeks before graduation and you wish you had started six months ago. We pair the in-office session with a one-week at-home maintenance phase to lock in the shade. For most KSU students, the right time to start whitening is the beginning of the semester they will graduate in, not the week before commencement.
Invisalign for Adult Students and Recent Graduates
Invisalign cases for adult students typically fall into two groups. Group one: students who never had braces and want their teeth straightened before they enter the workforce. Group two: students who had braces in middle school but stopped wearing their retainers and now have visible relapse. Both are common. Most aesthetic Invisalign cases finish in six to nine months, which fits a typical academic year. We will tell you the realistic timeline at the consultation.
Cosmetic Bonding for Chipped Front Teeth
Dorm-room accidents. Sports. Biting on a fork. Falls during intramurals. Chipped front teeth are common on a college campus and easy to fix in a single 30- to 60-minute appointment. Bonding uses tooth-colored composite to rebuild the chipped edge, and the result looks finished the same day. Same-day emergency slots are usually available.
Porcelain Veneers
Veneers are a fuller cosmetic step and a real financial commitment. We do not push veneers on students who do not need them. For students entering image-sensitive careers (broadcast, performing arts, business school, healthcare), veneers can make sense as part of the transition into professional life. We walk through cost, timeline, and financing options at the consultation, and we are honest about whether bonding or whitening would meet your needs at a fraction of the price.
Why KSU Students and Faculty Choose Our Practice
- Daytime appointments through 5 PM Monday through Friday.This works around most student class schedules. Most students book between morning classes or in the early afternoon.
- Single-doctor continuity.The same dentist sees you from consultation to placement. This matters when your timeline is tight, like whitening before May graduation or Invisalign before fall student teaching.
- Honest pricing conversations.Cosmetic dentistry is rarely covered by insurance. We talk through cost up front. CareCredit financing is available, and the Friends and Family Membership Plan is built for patients without dental insurance.
- 40+ years of experienceunder one dentist who has seen the full range of campus-life dental concerns.
- Same-day emergency appointmentsfor chipped front teeth and other issues that cannot wait until next week.
Insurance, Financing, and Student Considerations
Most cosmetic dentistry is not covered by dental insurance regardless of the practice. For students, that fact is often the first surprise. The second surprise is that university student health plans almost never include cosmetic dental coverage, even when they do include some basic dental services. The third surprise is that financing options designed for cosmetic dentistry actually exist and work well for most student budgets.
We work with most major PPO plans and will verify your specific benefits before your appointment. If you are still on a parent's insurance, we will check coverage before the consultation. If you are uninsured, our Friends and Family Membership Plan is a flat annual fee that covers preventive care and discounts cosmetic and restorative work. For students who want to spread cosmetic case costs into monthly payments, CareCredit offers financing with terms we can run through at the consultation.
If a student-specific arrangement is available, this is the place to mention it.
About Kennesaw State University and the Surrounding Area
KSU is one of the largest universities in Georgia by enrollment, with the main campus core sitting between Chastain Road and Frey Road. The athletic facilities, including the football stadium, are part of the campus footprint, and student housing has expanded steadily across the Chastain Road corridor. The Town Center at Cobb shopping mall is minutes east of campus, and the GA-92 retail and dining corridor runs through Acworth and into Kennesaw.
For cosmetic dentistry, the KSU population has a few characteristics that matter. Tight academic and career calendars. Frequent self-photography for social media, professional networking sites, and program-specific portfolio work in theater, broadcast, and design. A meaningful share of out-of-state and international students who want cosmetic work finished while they are based in Georgia. We schedule case timelines around those realities.
Oure Knnesaw State UniversityDental Services Include:
Dental Implants Provider
Acworth Family & Preventive Dentistry
Acworth Cosmetic Dentist
Frequently Asked Questions
I am a KSU student without dental insurance. How does whitening or Invisalign work financially?
Most cosmetic dentistry is not covered by dental insurance even for insured patients, so the practical question is the same either way: how do you spread the cost. Two options work well for students: the Friends and Family Membership Plan, which is a flat annual membership fee with discounted services, and CareCredit financing, which spreads cost into monthly payments. We can quote your specific case at the consultation and walk through the math both ways.
Can I finish whitening or Invisalign before graduation if I start now?
Whitening: usually yes. In-office whitening produces visible results in a single appointment, and a full course typically completes in two to three weeks. Invisalign: it depends on the case. Mild cases (minor crowding, post-orthodontic relapse) can finish in six to eight months. More involved cases run longer. We assess realistic timelines at the consultation, not optimistic ones.
I broke a front tooth during a dorm-room accident last night. Can you fix it before my class on Monday?
We hold same-day emergency slots most weekdays. Cosmetic bonding for a chipped front tooth typically takes 30 to 60 minutes in the chair and looks finished the same day. Call us first thing in the morning. If you call before 9 AM, we can usually fit you in by lunch.
Is your office reachable without a car?
Most students who do not have a car use rideshare or carpool with a classmate for cosmetic appointments. The drive from the main KSU campus is short.
I am a faculty member, not a student. Is the practice oriented toward students, or does it work for working adults too?
Both. Dr. Parnes has been a Cobb County dentist for more than 40 years. The KSU population is one segment of the practice, not the whole of it. Faculty patients often have schedules that benefit from a long-tenured private practice rather than a corporate group, with daytime appointment availability that fits between teaching blocks or office hours.
I am graduating in May and moving out of state. Can my cosmetic work be finished before I leave?
It depends on the case and the start date. Whitening: yes, even with two months. Bonding: yes, even with one month. Invisalign: depends on case complexity, but most aesthetic refinements need at least six months from start to finish, so a January start works for May. Veneers: three to six weeks from preparation to placement, which works comfortably within a single semester. Tell us your move date at the consultation and we will plan backward from it.
Book Your Cosmetic Consultation
Whether you are graduating in six months and want whitening that holds, or you are a faculty member who has been thinking about Invisalign for years, the consultation is the right place to start. Dr. Parnes will examine your teeth, listen to what you are looking for, and walk through realistic options, costs, and timelines. There is no commitment to treatment. The goal is to give you the information you need to decide.
Call (770) 928-4434 to book a consultation, or use the online scheduler. We are 10 to 15 minutes from KSU main campus, on GA-92 in Acworth.
New Patient Specials
New Patient Exams
$125
No insurance? We offer a $125 Comprehensive New Patient Exam and X-Rays.
New patients only. Cannot be combined with insurance.
New Patient Exam & Healthy Mouth Cleaning
$199
No insurance? We offer a $199 Comprehensive New Patient Exam, X-Rays, and a Healthy Mouth Cleaning.
New patients only. Cannot be combined with insurance. Includes a Healthy Mouth Cleaning in the absence of periodontal disease.
Our Acworth Dental Practice Location
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed