You can buy almost anything online nowadays, including dental veneers. But are these affordable, clip-on, temporary veneers really worth the cost savings? Join our dental office in The Woodlands as we shed some light on this increasingly popular craze in this week’s blog.
What Are DIY Veneers?
DIY veneers are dental appliances that someone can temporarily glue or snap over their natural teeth. The goal is to give the user an improved appearance by covering up any imperfections that they don’t like in their smile. There are two main types of DIY veneers — one that requires molds of your teeth to make and one that does not. Anyone can order these veneers online without the need for a dental appointment.
The Problems With DIY Veneers
Even though DIY veneers may be attractive because of their relatively low cost, there are definite disadvantages with buying and using these appliances. Let’s take a look at some of the most concerning problems of DIY veneers.
Not Custom – Any dental treatment that does not require you to see your dentist in The Woodlands before undergoing treatment should raise a red flag. Every person’s mouth is unique, their teeth are unique, and their treatment should absolutely be unique as well. If it’s not, like DIY veneer appliances, there’s a good chance the treatment will not give patients the result they’re looking for. Additionally, many appliances that are worn in the mouth without oversight from a dentist can be very uncomfortable.
Unrealistic – Despite the fact that some brands of DIY veneers require molds of your teeth in order to produce the veneers, you still don’t know what you’re going to get. There have been many examples of patients getting DIY veneers only to have them look incredibly unrealistic. Either they’re way too white, the teeth are way too big, or the overall proportion is way off.
Bite Problems – One important thing that DIY veneers do not take into consideration is the bite and jaw position of the patient’s mouth. If the appliance doesn’t fit correctly, patients have a tendency to shift the way they move or rest their jaw. This can put abnormal stress on the jaw joint which can lead to pain and issues with the TMJ/TMD joint.
Temporary – As we mentioned above, DIY veneers are only designed to be a temporary fix. This means only a short-lived improved appearance. Sometimes maybe even for only a few hours.
If you’re looking to get a whiter, straighter, more beautiful smile, we highly recommend you start by scheduling an appointment at our dental office in The Woodlands. We offer a variety of cosmetic dentistry solutions to fix any concerns you may have, and all of our work takes your entire mouth and overall health into consideration before we begin treatment. If dental veneers turn out to be the ideal solution for you, we will design beautiful, permanent, custom veneers that will transform your smile, not only for a short time, but for every day of your life.
Dr. Alisa Reed is a seasoned dentist with over 25 years of experience in the dentistry field spanning preventive to cosmetic dentistry. She regularly attends continuing dental education classes and seminars on advanced dental procedures. Passionate about helping her patients achieve optimal oral health and well-being, she has recently started treating those with sleep apnea through effective sleep medicine treatments.
