Dentists in South Mississippi are warning of a new and viral trend of “veneer technicians” — unlicensed providers who travel from town to town charging thousands of dollars for cosmetic surgery.
The trend recently hit Biloxi: a business with millions of likes on the social media platform TikTok stopped in South Mississippi last month and advertised veneers for prices between $1,250 and $1,500.
The practice, which has gone viral and sparked a controversial debate on social media and across the country, prompted the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners to issue a consumer notice this month it said the practice is illegal and warned of the dangers of treatment by unlicensed providers.
The notice warns patients to be aware of unlicensed people in Mississippi offering composite veneers — tooth-colored resin that is specially made to cover broken or discolored teeth for cosmetic purposes. Unlicensed technicians also provide replacement of missing teeth and repairs of broken teeth, the notice states.
It also warns unlicensed providers usually only advertise on social media and sometimes require payment before telling clients where to meet for dental service.
“Mississippi law requires that these services be performed only by a licensed dentist,” the state board said. The board “needs to ensure that all licensed dentists in Mississippi meet rigorous training and examination requirements,” it said. “Those safeguards don’t exist for unlicensed people.”
All dentists in Mississippi must be licensed.
Patients can face major risks if an unqualified person places veneers on their teeth, said Wade Bishop, a dentist who serves as the Mississippi Coast Dental Council’s representative.
Untrained providers who operate on people’s teeth likely won’t diagnose underlying conditions and diseases — or how they affect a patient’s health history, Bishop said. Conditions as simple as an oral infection can pose health risks if left untreated.
If unlicensed providers apply veneers to teeth that have decay, the veneers will accelerate wear and make the problem worse, Bishop said. This could also mean that patients end up paying more to fix the problems down the road.
Bishop also said that poor veneer work can also mean veneers don’t stick to teeth or don’t fit well.
“Veneer technicians” across the country recently started working after completing a two-day training program, Jandra Korb, dental director of healthcare company DentaQuest, he told Forbes.
Unlicensed technicians sometimes buy equipment from Amazon, use nail supplies like acrylic for their dental procedures, and can face criminal charges for practicing medicine without a license. the dentists told the news agency.
The trend has gone viral on sites like TikTok. Customers have garnered thousands of likes for videos of veneer work gone wrong, and dentists across the country have posted expressing shock that unlicensed providers perform procedures.
The unlicensed technician who traveled to Biloxi Last month she went viral on the platform earlier this year, but has since made her account private, meaning her videos are not visible.
