I have a couple of defects with my smile. I went to my dentist in order to get it repaired and he recommended I get porcelain veneers. The cost he quoted me seemed astronomical so I did some calling around and that is about the average. Wow! So, I looked online and it looks like you can get some do it yourself veneers that just snap onto your teeth. I can get a complete set for around $700 dollars. Some were more, but that was about the most common price. Is this a decent way for me to go?

Duke

Dear Duke,

Getting snap-on veneers works for some people as long as they keep their expectations pretty low. It is not going to give you the gorgeous smile that you could get with porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are custom designed to give you a smile makeover that can change the shape, size, and color of your teeth. Because they are made of tiny wafers of porcelain they look just like natural teeth. They’re also permanently bonded to your teeth allowing you to just go about living your life.

Snap on veneers are going to be made of acrylic. They will not look as natural, especially up close. As they snap over the teeth, they can look bulky depending on the shape of your smile. The one benefit is that if you don’t like them, you’re not stuck with them. You can simply unsnap them from your teeth. Be aware that they will only last a few years and then you’ll have to replace them.

If you do decide to go this route, the best brand is Snap-on Smile. However, I would still do it through a dentist and not online. The companies who sell these directly to patients have no way of fitting them to your bite properly. If you want them to be comfortable, some adjustments have to be made to them.

This blog is brought to you by Marietta Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.