The top row
“Technical veneers” have gone viral on social media after a self-proclaimed tech confused users by sharing its certificate of completion, and a separate TikTok user shared a horror story about her veneers falling out after two days, but dentists warn that these technicians perform dental work illegally, and put patients at risk for serious health problems down the line.
The dentist uses a palette tooth color sample to determine the shade of the patient’s male teeth.
Basic elements
Veneer technicians are people who illegally place veneers on patients after completing a two-day training course that usually costs about $2,000 to $3,000, after which these technicians receive certificates of completion that do not certify them to perform dental work, Jandra Korb, dental director of Healthcare company DentaQuest told Forbes.
Licensed dentists have National Provider IDs that they use at licensed dental supply stores where they can purchase products and instruments, but some veneers technicians use nail supplies like acrylic for their procedures, while others buy kits from websites like Amazon and Temu—which do not control NPIs, Ashley Brede Ciapciak, a dentist at Brede Ciapciak Dental, told Forbes.
Dentists are the only people legally allowed to carry out veneer work, so veneer technicians are “playing a dangerous game with patients’ health” as they may not have the proper knowledge of sterilization and dental health that formally trained dentists, Whitney White, a dentist at Aspen Dental in Nevada, told Forbes.
Ciapciak warned that these illegal technicians can be charged criminally for practicing medicine without a license, which is a felony in most states, and patients can also sue them for assault and battery if their dental work goes wrong.
She was a woman from Las Vegas who ran an illegal company called Veneer Experts charged on a felony charge of illegally practicing dentistry earlier this year after a patient’s teeth fell out, and the patient filed a complaint with the state.
Patients who seek out veneers technicians often do so because they are cheaper than traditional dentists—who may charge between $800 and $1,950 per tooth—but Ciapciak recommends going to a dental school to get this work done, since it’s “one-third to one-fourth the cost of a private practice,” but they still follow proper procedures with sterile instruments .
What are dental veneers?
Dental veneers are custom-made covers that fit over the surface of teeth and are commonly used for cosmetic purposes such as improving discolored teeth, according at the Cleveland Clinic. Although there are several types of veneers, there are five common types. Porcelain veneers, or traditional veneers, are the most common form and require the front of each tooth to be ground down before the shells are placed on top. Composite veneers are made from tooth-colored composite resin – which is also used for dental bonding – and usually last 10 years. No-prep veneers are less invasive and take less time since the dentist only removes a small portion of the enamel from the teeth. Although they can last up to 20 years, they are thin and do not cover tooth stains. Unlike other types of veneers, same-day veneers do not require multiple visits and are best for hiding minor visual imperfections. Palatial aspects they are usually made of gold or porcelain and are applied to the inside of the upper teeth and are used to treat decay and prevent further damage.
Key background
An Instagram Position of a veneer technician posing with his certificate of completion has gone viral on social media, leaving people wondering what exactly a veneer technician does. Some dentists like Ben “The BentistaWinters took to TikTok to convince people to make work from these technologies and warn their state’s licensing board. Ciapciak has made several TikToks Video about the dangers of veneer techniques after a tech—who has since made her account private, making her videos unviewable—went viral on the platform for doing shoddy work on a client. TikToker Tybabira88 – contacted by Forbes for comment – claimed in a video she drove over seven hours and paid $1,500 for an unlicensed veneers technician, who worked out of the back of a barber shop, to do her veneers, though they only took two days. These technologies can put people’s lives at risk because they typically aren’t trained to monitor a patient’s dental health, Korb said. If a technician seals a veneer over an infected tooth, “the only part [the infection]
it has to go is inwards’, which can enter the bloodstream and then go up to the brain since it’s so close to the mouth. The infection can be treated with antibiotics if caught early enough, but with tooth infections it can lead to in death.
Crucial passage
“[Veneer techs’] The work can lead to serious consequences such as tooth damage, infections and even hospitalization,” said White. “It is important that people seeking veneers prioritize their own safety by ensuring they receive treatment from qualified and licensed dental professionals.”
