Hundreds of Americans use veneer technicians to get their dream smile, but are left with rotten teeth and a high dental bill.
Veneers require dentists to clean and file the teeth before gluing together pearly white coverings on the front with super glue – at a cost of up to $4,000 per tooth, or $40,000 per smile.
The high price makes them out of reach for most.
But now a group of ‘technicians’ has emerged willing to install twenty wood veneers for as little as $1,500, often operating behind hair salons and with nothing more than a certificate and three days of training to their name.
The result? Many patients have seen veneers fall out just days later, while others have suffered from swollen mouths and are at risk of bacteria getting stuck behind their coverings – which can lead to tooth decay.
Above you see two patients who had veneer problems. One person’s teeth rotted away after getting veneers, while another had veneers come out shortly before graduation. It was not clear whether either had visited an illegal veneer technician
‘Veneer technicians’ have emerged in the US, applying veneers at a fraction of the cost of a dentist. Among them are the above people who go by the name theluckysevennn online
It is illegal for anyone without a state license to practice dentistry, including applying veneers.
The license can only be obtained after you complete dental school — which takes a minimum of four years — and then pass numerous exams to earn a degree.
But veneer technicians operate on people’s mouths with nothing more than a certificate after visiting schools in Atlanta, Georgia, often for just a week. Schools include the Dental Veneer Academy, run by Colombian entrepreneur Mauricio Soto.
Among the so-called veneer technicians is an individual who calls himself theluckysevennn and who brags online that he received a certificate after being trained by “Seven Figure Smiles.”
A second, named Tyreka Taylor – also known as Princess Kutz – and who operates out of a hair salon, was certified after just a week and a half of training before going on a US ‘tour’ to cities such as Austin and Biloxi, Mississippi.
Dr. Huzefa Kapadia, a dentist in Michigan who has made many videos warning people to avoid veneer technicians, said online: ‘These are composite veneers, extremely technique-sensitive to perform. Look at this accuracy!
“Only a certified dentist can do something like that, believe it or not.”
He added, “I know you guys like to go to illegal veneer technicians that are popping up all over the US of A, and in everyone’s basement. But that is illegal, you are not allowed to see illegal veneer technology.’
Among those visiting an illegal veneer technician was 36-year-old Tyrisha Ragin from Texas.
Mrs. Ragin told The cut she had to pay $1,500 through a cash app to get 20 veneers from Princess Kutz, well below the $80,000 it would cost for a dentist.
She left them on for two days before one fell out, then had to quickly have the rest removed by a dentist — which cost another $1,300.
These women also posted online that their veneers had unexpectedly fallen out
In another case, pictured here, the teeth also began to rot beneath the veneer, likely leading to further complications. It was unclear whether the above patients had used veneering techniques
Princess Kutz later paid back the money, but Mrs. Ragin’s dentist said she had a lucky escape; she said the veneers could have caused permanent damage to her teeth if something got stuck underneath.
Several people have also complained online about rotting teeth after veneers, where bacteria have eaten away at the enamel beneath the pearly white surface.
In one case, a patient also posted an image stating that his teeth had rotted into stubs after spending $50,000 on veneers over the years.
In another case, a woman revealed that a veneer technician – dubbed the ‘Feneer Fairy’ – left her with a swollen and sore mouth after having veneers inserted.
Online, many veneer technicians now have comments on their posts warning that it is not legal for them to offer veneers.
On theluckysevennn’s main post, a user commented: “Can we see the degree and what school you graduated from since you’re obviously a dentist, right?”
And a second said: ‘The fact that you are still making this up and want to go to jail for it is insane.’
And for Princess Kutz, several videos have appeared online stating that she too had to ‘go to jail’ for offering the treatments.
Veneers have become increasingly popular in recent years, amid the push to get a pearly white smile – with nearly 600,000 people getting them every year.
This is partly caused by celebrities getting them or rumored to have them, including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift.
The coverings are normally made of porcelain or resin and can last 10 to 15 years, according to some sources.
Another procedure that has become more popular is crowns, where the teeth are actually filed down before a new tooth is placed over them.
This has become more popular in locations such as Turkey.