Dangerous rise of cut-price veneers that are leaving Americans with rotten and missing teeth

Hundreds of Americans are using veneer technicians to get their dream smile — only to be left with rotten teeth and a big dental bill.

For veneers, dentists must clean and file down teeth before supergluing pearl-white coverings to the front — at a cost of up to $4,000 per tooth, or $40,000 per smile.

The high price makes them unattainable for most. 

But now a group of 'technicians' has sprung up offering to fit 20 veneers for just $1,500, often operating out the back of 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 run the risk of gtting bacteria stuck behind their covering — which can lead to teeth rotting. 

Above show two patients who had veneer trouble. One individual had their teeth rot away after getting veneers while another had a veneer pop out shortly before graduation. It was not clear whether either had visited an illegal veneer technician

'Veneer technicians' have popped up in the US offering to fit veneers for the fraction of the cost of a dentist. They include the above who goes by the name theluckysevennn online

It is illegal for anyone without a license from their state to operate in dentistry, including the fitting of veneers.

The license can only be obtained after attending dental school — which takes at least four years — and then passing numerous exams to get a degree.

But veneer technicians are operating on people's mouths with nothing more than a certificate after attending schools in Atlanta, Georgia, often for just a week. Schools include the Dental Veneers Academy run by Colombian entrepreneur Mauricio Soto.

Among so-called veneer technicians is an individual who calls himself theluckysevennn who brags online that he received a certificate after being trained by 'Seven Figure Smiles'.

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A second, called Tyreka Taylor — also known as Princess Kutz — and who operates out of a hair salon, got certified after just a week-and-a-half's training before going on a 'tour' of the US hitting cities including Austin and Biloxi, in 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 do. Look at this accuracy!

'Only a certified dentist can do something like this, believe it or not.'

He added: 'I know you guys love to go to illegal veneer techs that are popping up all over the US of A, and in everyone's basement. But that is illegal, you are not supposed to see an illegal veneer tech.'

Among those to visit an illegal veneer technician was 36-year-old Tyrisha Ragin from Texas.

Ms Ragin told The Cut she had to pay $1,500 via a cash app to get 20 veneers from Princess Kutz, well below the $80,000 cost from a dentist.

She had them in for two days before one fell out, and then quickly had to have the rest removed by a dentist — which cost another $1,300.

These women also posted online saying their veneers had fallen out unexpectedly

In another case, shown here, teeth have also started to rot underneath veneers - likely leading to further complications. It was unclear whether the above patients had used veneer techs

Princess Kutz later refunded the money, but Ms Ragin's dentist said she had had a lucky escape — saying the veneers could have led to permanent damage to her teeth if anything became trapped beneath them.

Several people have also posted online complaining about rotten teeth after having veneers, where bacteria has eaten away at the enamel beneath the pearly white surface.

In one case, a patient also posted an image saying their teeth had rotted down to stubs after spending $50,000 on veneers over the years.

In another case, a woman revealed that a veneer technician — called the 'Veneer Fairy' — left her with a swollen and hurting mouth after inserting veneers.

Online, many veneer techs now have comments on their posts warning that it is not legal for them to be offering veneers.

On theluckysevennn's main post, one user has commented: 'Can we see the degree and what school did you graduate from since you obviously are a dentist right?'

And a second said: 'The fact you still got this up and bout to go to prison for it is crazy.'

And for Princess Kutz, several videos have emerged online saying that she should also 'got to jail' for offering the treatments.

Veneers have become more popular in recent years, amid a drive to get a pearly white smile — with nearly 600,000 people getting them every year.

This is in part driven by celebrities getting or being rumored to have got them, including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift.

The coverings are normally made from porcelain or resin, and can last for 10 to 15 years — according to some sources.

Another procedure which has become more popular is crowns, where the teeth are actually filed down before a new tooth is placed over the top.

This has become more popular in locations such as Turkey.