- Veneers have become popular on social media, and many are turning to veneer technicians for their dental work.
- The American Dental Association (ADA) issued a statement warning patients that dental work performed by unlicensed dental technicians could lead to serious complications.
- PEOPLE spoke to two dental experts, who invite patients to visit an authorized dentist for the needs of cosmetic dentistry
Is a perfect smile worth years of potential pain?
Veneers have become increasingly popular in recent years for those who want white, perfectly proportioned teeth. According to the Cleveland Clinic, veneers are shells made of porcelain or composite material that fit over teeth and hide cosmetic imperfections. They are usually made by a board certified dentist to fit the individual’s tooth.
Veneers have gone viral on TikTok as more and more celebrities opt for the procedure to perfect their smile. However, the other side of TikTok has shown how bad it can be when sourcing flakes goes wrong.
Spechelle Overton, a makeup artist from Tampa, Florida, spoke with PEOPLE about her experience with the veneer technique she saw in April.
Overton tells PEOPLE she wanted to get her teeth fixed as a birthday present for herself and found “Thee Veneer Fairy” (who has changed her name to Enhanced Smiles) on Instagram through her initial research. Overton initially planned to get her veneers done out of the country at a lower cost, but when she spoke with Enhanced Smiles, she recalls that they assured Overton that “this would be the same quality of service that I would get if I went out of the country,” and that made her feel “comfortable”.
Overton then scheduled an initial consultation and the technician performed a basic check of her teeth and recommended partial implants on her upper and lower teeth. However, Overton says she did not receive any X-rays or was told about any possible complications that could arise with the veneers.
“I thought I was doing the right thing by going to someone and getting a consultation,” she says. “[The complications are] something that I should have been told but was not told at all during the consultation.”
After getting her teeth done, Overton says she experienced “intense burning” and pain in her gums after the procedure. She went back to the technician and had parts of her upper teeth removed, and later confirmed with the dentist that the veneers had caused abrasions on her gums, leading to an infection.
After going back and forth with the technician, Overton posted her frustrations and experience on Instagram on April 19, which eventually went viral. Overton also tells PEOPLE that she still has veneers from her original appointment, which have not yet been removed.
Enhanced Smiles did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Winter Blanco, ex Bad Girls Club star and presenter Behind the likes podcast, she also shared her experience on TikTok posted on May 29 after having her veneers redone “two years ago.”
Blanco, 31, spoke to PEOPLE and said she initially got her veneers done a decade ago in Beverly Hills, Calif., without any problems. “A lot of people don’t realize that you have to have your teeth redone and you can’t always have the same veneers,” she says.
Then, as she shared on TikTok, she went to another dental center to have her teeth repaired about eight years later and developed severe temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. According to the Mayo Clinic, a TMJ disorder “can cause pain in the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement.”
This caused severe discomfort in the jaw and joints of the reality star. She also said on TikTok that she had previously seen three “TMJ doctors” for problems with her teeth and had spent “$80,000, quite a lot” over the past two years to try to fix them and deal with the complications that developed.
“I just didn’t realize that complications could be such a problem because I had been doing dental work for so long without any complications,” Blanco tells PEOPLE.
Photo of a woman getting flakes.
Zinkevych/Getty
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This is not the only risk posed by flakes. Now more and more people claiming to be veneer technicians have popped up online, saying they can provide patients with veneers for a fraction of the cost. However, many of these technicians are not qualified and can potentially cause more damage to the patient’s teeth and lead to various complications.
The ADA released a statement on May 14 urging patients to be “cautious about these services” provided by veneers technicians since “dental lab technicians and companies generally are not licensed” by states.
“Dentistry is a regulated health profession that requires formal education and licensure,” the ADA said. “Each state has regulations that require dentists and hygienists to be licensed to provide care to patients. The level of supervision of dental assistants varies from state to state and, although dental assistants may or may not be licensed or registered by the state, they are required to perform his duties under the supervision of an authorized dentist.”
The ADA also warned that “unsupervised dental treatment by unlicensed individuals can cause harmful complications for patients, and any dental procedure that can alter the physical structure of an individual’s teeth, gums, or jaw, without the supervision of a dentist, has the potential to cause irreparable harm.”
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Jandra Korb, director of dental medicine at DentaQuest, part of Sun Life US, tells PEOPLE that it’s illegal for anyone to practice dentistry without a license and that in her experience, veneer technicians often only have “a two-day course that teaches someone who has no formal training in dentistry.” She claims that these courses are usually “not accredited by any educational or licensing body.”
One of the main motivators for patients to see veneer technicians over a licensed dentist is cost. Korb explains that the cost of veneers can vary by region, but “on average across the country, it can cost about $1,500 per tooth.”
“In this case, that means the cost of veneers for the six front teeth would total $9,000,” says Korb. However, she advises that the potential risks outweigh the benefits of paying less.
dr. Natasha Flake, president of the American Association of Endodontists and director of Predoctoral Endodontics at the University of Washington, also tells PEOPLE that “our [biggest] the concern when unlicensed and untrained people provide these services is the risk of damage they may cause to the tooth and then the subsequent problems that may arise afterwards.”
“The [veneer] technicians may not be able to diagnose if there is a dental problem, such as cavities or gum disease, that makes the patient not a good candidate for veneers,” continues Flake. “So without using the proper techniques and without the proper training, it could actually cause a problem with the tooth and after the procedure.”
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Photo of a dentist cleaning a patient’s teeth.
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Before deciding to get veneers, Korb encourages patients to visit a licensed dentist who will “evaluate your oral health and create a plan that works for you.”
“Flakes are not a one-size-fits-all procedure even with a board-certified dentist,” Korb tells PEOPLE. “Sometimes that plan may include veneers, or they may advise braces and whitening instead of a more invasive procedure like veneers.”
The dentist adds, “There are many ways to achieve a beautiful smile, but it starts with visiting the dentist for a comprehensive exam and addressing any oral health needs before you tackle your [aesthetic] concerns.”
The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now! Blanco, meanwhile, says she shared her story online because “a lot of people have problems with their veneers [and] they don’t talk about it because it’s embarrassing to go through.”
“A lot of people don’t even have the platform or the resources to talk about the problems they have or they don’t even pay [to get them fixed],” he continues, while offering some advice to those looking to get the flakes: “Be more careful, do a lot of research. And I would really just say don’t do it in general, because it’s really not worth it in the long run if something goes wrong.”
Despite her experience with the veneer technique, Overton says she would consider getting veneers done again. She says she doesn’t want people to “feel bad about wanting to get veneers at an affordable price,” but she encourages anyone considering it to do their research.
“I want to make sure of that [the dentist] knows what they’re doing,” Overton says. “Don’t trade a lower price for your life.”
“I didn’t educate myself, I didn’t do a lot of research and I didn’t dig as deep as I should have,” she continued. So take the time to do your own research.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education