A beautiful smile can transform anyone’s look, so it’s no wonder people are shelling out the big bucks on dental procedures to upgrade their pearly whites. However, as the trend grows, more and more people are cutting corners to get a Hollywood smile.
Now, there’s a new trend that has dental professionals both concerned and astounded.
For every person who does not want to drop thousands of dollars with their dental practitioner, there’s someone willing to perform the service out of their home for a far cheaper price. In fact, it is a growing trend that we are seeing on social media as the popularity of veneers grows.
These people claim to be Certified Veneer Technicians, having gone through training and received a certificate that allows them to apply composite veneers to their clients’ teeth. These makeshift “veneer technicians” promise better and whiter smiles with a set of veneers for a fraction of the price of an accredited dentist. Unfortunately, these people are not professionals, and the services they are providing are illegal.
A woman by the name of @spechellephases on Instagram is accusing a woman called “theeveneerfairy” of being unlicensed and giving her shoddy veneers that left her in so much pain that she almost landed in the emergency room.
“She said it would [be] $3500 for services due to me needing a partial. I paid half that day, and on Wednesday, I came to my appointment, she assured me that she could do that job requested,” she explained.
“When I first tried on my partial, I advised her that they was too thick and needed to be shaved down several times she stated that she didn’t have that tool that she needed for that but I should be able to adjust to it I trusted her judgment being that this was something that she was supposed to specialize in.”
Spechellephases says that hours after her procedure, she experienced unbearable pain and went back to “theeveneerfairy” to have the veneers removed.
“She agreed to meet at her shop. When I got there, she advised she didn’t have the proper tools to take them out. It took an hour of her drilling and me pulling them. At one point, she advised I may need to go to the emergency room because she and I were scared she was going to pull my real teeth out.”
Though empathetic, many of her followers believe she should have known better.
“Since then, did you find out there is no real profession as a veneer tech? Veneers are completed by dentists. This was a person who told herself, I can do this and order supplies off Amazon. She could do a lot of time cause she a fraud, and she could mess around and hurt someone really bad,” read one comment under the post.
The Veneer Tech saga is taking social media by storm, with influencers across platforms bragging about making upwards of $5,000 a week by offering dental services.
One particular influencer has even gone viral after receiving his Certificate of Completion from his Veneer Technician Class. Unfortunately, his celebrations have been short-lived and he’s been called out by dental professionals calling him a fraud.
One person in particular is Dr. Aier Davis, a dentist who has been very vocal on TikTok about illegal veneer techs and the viral trend.
“What he’s doing is illegal,” said Dr. Davis. “Friends, we’ve talked about this at nausea. A veneer tech is not a real job. That certificate that he’s holding is via Canva. There’s no certifiying board for veneer techs.”
The influencer’s photo was reposted on X. “He’s fine & they’ll love him in prison,” the caption read.
An Atlanta woman who claims to be a veneer tech was brave enough to be interviewed on TikTok and says that she isn’t afraid of the repercussions of her illegal activity because she’s protected by a piece of paper.
When asked if she was afraid of being sued, the woman, whose identity was not disclosed, said, “They can’t technically sue me because I have everybody sign a paper before they start, and basically, that protects me from any lawsuit or any action like that. I got that from one of my friends. She uses it for all of her things, so she sent me a copy of it, and I have them sign it.”
Those in the dental industry are swarming the internet to warn people about “these scammers” and advising everyone to report anyone claiming to be a veneer tech to the American Dental Association (ADA) because it’s illegal.
“This is 100% illegal, and we need to talk about it before you fall victim to spending $2,000 for a bright white smile,” TikTok user dani_bananni cautioned on the platform. “The only people that are licensed in the United States are dentists. And in order to become a dentist, you have to go to school for eight years.”
“This is so dangerous,” Dani adds. “When you start chipping away at your enamel and filing down the tooth’s structure, you are seriously risking tooth damage and nerve damage in your mouth.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, dental veneers are a cosmetic treatment that involves thin coverings that fit over your teeth. The coverings are usually made with tooth-colored composite or porcelain that hide imperfections, resulting in a better smile.
The procedure comes with some risks. It involves shaving down the natural teeth so the veneers can fit properly and proportionally inside the patient’s mouth, which means natural enamel is lost. Veneers can fall off easily, the procedure is irreversible, the lifespan is between 10 and 15 years, and there’s still a possibility of decay underneath the natural tooth structure.
Miami Perfect Smile quotes a set of porcelain veneers ranging between $10,000 and $30,000 for a full mouth. Some of the veneer technicians are quoting people half that and, in some cases, even lower.
According to Advance Dentistry of Walnut Creek, general dentists, cosmetic dentists, and on rare occasions, orthodontists are the only dental professionals who can administer veneers. On average, it takes at least eight years of school and anywhere between $200,000 and $300,000 to become a dentist.
Illegal Trend Sheds Light on Dental Care Expense
Aside from warning people of the dangers and risk they run from either posing as a veneer technician or receiving the cosmetic procedure is it’s shedding light on dental affordability for the average American.
“The veneer tech situation has some layers,” Tiktoker gojosrealbm added to the conversation. “Dental care is extremely unaffordable […] the way people make fun of teeth is insane. I always thought that was a nasty thing because teeth are something you can’t control.”
In 2019, a reported 68.5 million Americans lack dental insurance. According to the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, families with lower incomes reported cost as a reason for not going to the dentist regularly compared to families with higher incomes.
“I get it. Dentistry is expensive,” Dani adds. “But do not fall for this. It will compromise your tooth structure and will leave you with way more problems than what you started with.”
