The internet has been abuzz with tooth talk after presenter and X Factor alum Rylan Clark shared he was going to get a ‘new smile’.
His iconic veneers have been sparkling on our screens since 2013, so news that he’s swapped things up has spread far and wide.
It’s also caused us to wonder: what’s the deal with replacing veneers? And can you ever decide to go back to your old teeth?
We’ve all seen those pictures of Katie Price’s ‘real’ teeth, so you might think it wouldn’t be possible to go back to life before veneers, but Dr Aneka Khaira, cosmetic dentist at Harley Street Dental Studio says different.
As long as you’ve been to a skilled dentist, taking your veneers out for good should leave you with no long-term issues – as she puts it, ‘no damage to tooth tissue or sensitivity.’
She tells us that actually, what Pricey’s had aren’t technically veneers at all, and warns that having a procedure like this can actually make it harder to replace them when the need arises.
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‘There has been a rise in millennials travelling abroad to get so-called “veneers”,’ she tells Metro.co.uk, ‘showing off small stumps or shark teeth.
‘Katie Price also famously had a similar treatment and has resulted in a lot of negative press.
‘The truth is these are not veneers – they’ve had a mouth full of full-coverage crowns. Veneers and crowns are totally different.
‘Some of the reasons why young patients are travelling abroad for their new smile is reduced cost and having them carried out quickly.
‘However, they’re not aware that they will pay even more for further remedial work, but even more damaging, is the biological cost to their teeth. This irreversible damage can lead to further pain, infections and possible future extractions resulting in dentures or implants.
‘This can be avoided and prevented if you go to the right dentist.’
‘Furthermore,’ she adds, ‘there is no way a dentist in the UK would inflict such irreversible damage to a person’s teeth just for a cosmetic outcome.’
Yikes – so it’s crucial that we don’t opt for a speedy bargain when looking into getting veneers.
Dr Aneka tells us that the average cost for a premium porcelain veneer – for a replacement or a new set – can be £1,000-1,200 on average, but drives home the point that it’s better to bite the bullet and pay for better treatment.
‘When paying less for a veneer, this will be at a compromise to the aesthetics’, she says. ‘Instead of looking toothlike and having lots of beautiful detail, they will appear fake, dull and white.’
She adds: ‘There are various types of porcelain which can be manufactured one of two ways; machined made, which is cheaper, or with each one individually crafted by a skilled lab technician.’
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When it comes to replacing or removing them, you’ll find that your experience will be largely based on the quality of work that was done when they were first put in.
‘When undergoing this transformation,’ explains Dr Aneka, ‘porcelain veneers can be carefully and easily removed with an experienced dentist and correct magnification to avoid any damage to the underlying enamel.
‘The tricky part comes when another dentist may have carried out the first set at a cost to the enamel.’
She goes on to tell us that, when getting veneers, most of your underlying teeth should remain intact with just a thin layer of porcelain on top.
‘However,’ she says, ‘not all dentists have the same approach.’
If a dentist takes off more enamel than what’s needed (so more than 0.5mm), Dr Aneka explains that replacing the veneers when needed – as they tend to have a lifespan of 10-15 years – can become tricky.
This is because ‘the bonding interface between tooth and veneers’ becomes compromised when there’s not enough enamel, so it’s really important to ‘conserve’ it, as she puts it.
‘As long as this is preserved, then replacing veneers is a safe and easy process’, she says.
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