- Grace Fewell is a marketing manager whose veneers fell off the night after they were installed.
- Veneers are bonded to real teeth and should last 15 to 20 years before needing replacement.
- Fewell said her dentist placed her veneers improperly, resulting in bacteria growth and a foul odor.
Veneers, the fake, perfect teeth that influencers can’t get enough of, are supposed to last 15 to 20 years. Grace Fewell’s it started falling the night he got them.
Fewell, a marketing executive based in Tampa, Florida, told Insider that she decided to get veneers last year for a whiter, brighter smile. But Fewell’s dentist misplaced the veneers, causing them to fall out of place while she ate and slept.
Veneers are a cosmetic dental procedure where dentists shave down a patient’s natural teeth and adhesive to a custom set of porcelain imitations. Once a person commits to veneers, there is no reversing the process – false teeth last about 15 to 20 years before needing replacement.
Social media may be behind the high demand for the perfect photo-ready smile, and many are flying abroad to get cheap veneers. Although they are particularly popular among celebrities and influencersmusicians like it Bad Bunny and Kehlani publicly stated that they regretted the procedure due to discomfort.
One of Grace Fewell’s veneers fell off the night she put them on.
Grace Fewell
Fewell, too, still regrets her expensive veneers. Along with the fallout, Fewell said her original set of veneers were more yellow than she wanted and started to smell bad after bacteria grew in the spaces between her real teeth and false teeth.
She stopped seeing friends for months until her veneers were completely replaced.
“If you’re trying to chase the new TikTok trend, you should really be grateful for what you’re given, because your body has so many functions that you don’t even realize are important,” he said.
The veneers were falling off one after the other after a bad process
After getting her braces out as a teenager, Fewell discovered she had them lateral incisors with pegs, a condition where the teeth on either side of the two upper front teeth are smaller than average. Although she couldn’t afford a permanent repair at the time, Fewell decided to look into veneers when she turned 25 and moved to Tampa for work.
The dentist, who she chose after days of research because of his high Yelp rating, recommended that she get veneers on her top six teeth for a natural-looking smile. “I was ambitious, just starting a new job,” Fewell said. “I was ready to achieve this look that I wanted, so I went ahead and gave him the thumbs up to go.”
But Fewell said things were wrong from the start. First, the doctor did not take dental impressions or photographs to determine the exact shape of her veneers. And during the 3.5-hour appointment to shave or “prep” her teeth, Fewell said the doctor often left the room to see other patients.
Fewell said she was disappointed with her final appearance, which she said was more yellow and less uniform than she expected. “I left the office and I wasn’t very happy,” she said.
Then, that night Fewell’s false teeth began to fall out.
First, the veneer on the right canine fell off while eating tofu. The next day, she woke up with another veneer that fell into her mouth during the night. And the next day, another broke.
Fewell’s said she rushed to her dentist, but he offered no explanation as to why her teeth were falling out.
Although the dentist re-glued her veneers, they continued to loosen and had to be read repeatedly.
“I thought to myself, ‘What have I done? I’m 25 years old, this shouldn’t be happening,” Fewell said. “I felt like I had no control because I had no idea how to fix it.”
Fewell stopped socializing after her bad job
For months after getting veneers, Fewell fretted before every meal, worried that the wrong bite would result in another false tooth falling out. She avoided talking to her colleagues at her new job and rejected company parties and social gatherings, fearing a veneer would come off.
“I basically just sat inside the couch,” he said. “It made me really sad and depressed and ugly and isolated because I didn’t want to see anyone.”
Fewell eventually sought the help of another doctor, who told her that her teeth had not been properly prepared the first time. The new doctor said too much of her natural tooth was removed, which is why her veneers kept falling off. The new dentist also noted gaps between her real teeth and her veneers, which allowed bacteria to grow that made her veneers taste and smell bad, Fewell said.
Grace Fewell’s first dentist improperly shaved her teeth, causing her veneers to fall out of place.
Grace Fewell
The new dentist suggested that Fewell start over. He took measurements and photos of Fewell’s teeth, consulted her on the size and color she wanted, and meticulously re-prepared her teeth for 4½ hours before giving her the smile she wanted.
“I was basically able to go home that day and eat chips for the first time in about five months,” Fewell said. “I was in awe that I was able to do that.”
Fewell said she still regrets her lifelong dental decision
Fewell ended up spending $9,403 on her latest set of veneers. The failed veneers cost her $8,950, but she recouped it in full after sending her original dentist a letter with guidance from legal counsel.
Although Fewell is happy with her second set of veneers, the experience took a toll on her mental health. She said she wishes she had appreciated her real teeth more or at least listened to her gut when she was uncomfortable with the first dentist.
Grace Fewell had to have her original veneers replaced by another dentist.
Grace Fewell
Fewell also said she wishes she had taken the lifetime financial commitment for veneers more seriously, as she will likely need to replace them several times over her lifetime.
Fewell advises people interested in veneers to get several quotes and advice before settling on a doctor. But if teeth aren’t a big insecurity for you, Fewell said you’ll probably be better off without veneers.
“If you have beautiful teeth, or if you have normal, problem-free teeth that are healthy, you don’t need this procedure,” he said.
