A gruesome new trend is emerging on TikTok, with self-proclaimed “veneer technicians” performing illegal dental procedures on unsuspecting customers.
The practice was met with horror and outrage by the dental community, with experts warning of significant risk.
Even worse, fraudsters give fake certificates that have completed only two days of “training” – a woefully inadequate amount compared to the eight years of training that US dental surgeons go through.
“These people literally go out there and destroy mouths,” restorative and cosmetic dentist Kishen Godhia said in a recent video. “There’s no way on Earth you can learn everything there is to know about veneers in two days.”
“This is 100 percent illegal and we need to talk about it,” TikTok user dani_bananni noted in a response video which has since gone viral and been viewed over 7.1 million times, bringing significant exposure to the phenomenon. “There is not a single person other than a dentist who can legally do veneers.”
The trend, first spotted by Daily Dot, highlights some glaring disparities in access to dental care in the US. Poor oral health is a huge problem, with low income, the uninsured, and members of a racial or ethnic minority they are much more likely to have poor oral health in the country.
Instead of referring them to affordable care through official channels, such as university residency clinics, which offer high-quality services for a fraction of the price of private care, scammers prey on the less fortunate by touting cheap and dangerous back-office treatments.
The process of implanting dental veneers involves placing caps on the front surfaces of the teeth using high-quality dental materials, such as porcelain. It’s a cosmetic treatment designed to hide imperfections, including chips and blemishes, which is not without its critics even from expert experts.
But when done incorrectly, enamel removal in a non-professional setting is extremely dangerous, especially when root causes for pre-existing conditions like cavities and tooth decay are not addressed properly and are simply hidden—or worse, trapped in place—with veneers, which could easily lead to contamination.
“When you start removing enamel and filing down tooth structure, you run the risk of seriously damaging the teeth and nerves in your mouth,” warned dani_bananni in her video.
“And this is not like a fingernail or an eyelash or an eyebrow, something that grows back,” he added. “Those are your teeth and you can expose nerves and stuff when you file wrong. That’s so dangerous.”
The trend is wrapped up in a malicious get-rich-quick scheme, taking advantage of those who need to make some extra money on the side. Videos circulating on the video-sharing platform claim that “veneer technicians” earn up to $5,000 a week offering such a treatment.
A video from an account called “Atlanta Veneer Specialists” goes through a purported $6,000 veneer course taught by Mauricio Soto, a Colombian businessman who runs a YouTube channel called “Academy of Dental Veneers.”
A digital creator who goes by the name theluckysevenn he boasted on Instagram that he had obtained a “veneer technology” certificate from a company called “Seven Figure Smiles” which advertises teeth whitening treatments and “resin composite veneers”.
“There is no veneer technology,” he explained in one recent video. “Not only are they hurting patients, but they’re making $5,000 a week, that’s crazy.”
“Are you a dentist?” reads a top rating comment on a promotional video which has not yet received a response. Seven Figure Smiles also does not have a working website and is not officially listed in the American Dental Association’s Find-a-Dentist tool.
Practicing dentistry without a license is a misdemeanor in some US stateswith penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment.
In short, these clinics appear to be completely illegal businesses offering potentially dangerous dental procedures. Even worse, they charge thousands of dollars for the privilege.
According to Godhia, correcting any problems that may arise from improperly implanted veneers can cost much more.
“While it’s fun to have a beautiful smile — it can certainly contribute to your overall confidence as a person — the most important thing is a healthy smile,” Godhia said, stressing that it’s a “luxury,” not a necessity.
“You don’t need veneers to have a healthy mouth,” he concluded.
And it’s not just veneers. Last year, a trend called “basement links” or “DIY Braces” made the rounds on social mediaa dangerous practice that could easily lead to enamel damage and tooth loss.
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