If you’ve ever seen someone with blindingly-white, too-straight teeth, it’s more than likely that they’ve got a set of veneers.


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Veneers are becoming more and more popular, with an increasing amount of social media “stars” on Instagram and TikTok getting them and promoting them to their followers. The problem, however, is that veneers are expensive, with porcelain veneers costing anywhere from $925 to $2,500 per tooth.


But what if there was a cheaper way?


Well, if you want shiny white teeth on the cheap, you could always just go to some guy’s basement in Atlanta.



According to Forbes, there’s been a recent rise in “veneer techs” — people who take a two-day training course and begin giving people veneers. These courses cost anywhere from $2,000 to $6,000, and upon their completion, attendees are given a slip of paper that they seem to believe gives them the right to grind peoples’ teeth down to stumps.


It doesn’t, to be clear. Giving people veneers without a license is both stupid and illegal. But hey, that hasn’t stopped some from doing it anyway.



You may be wondering where these people get the materials to perform such procedures. You may also be wondering how these people have the balls to actually try to get away with this.


While we can’t offer a response for the latter, the former has a concerning answer: “Some veneer techs use nail supplies like acrylic for their procedures, while others buy kits off sites like Amazon and Temu,” per Forbes.



And people seem to be actually getting veneers from these veneer techs. One person interviewed by The Cut said she ended up getting her veneers in the back of a barbershop, only to have them fall out of her mouth several hours later.



Although becoming an unlicensed veneer tech may seem like an… idea, it’s definitely not a career path you should be exploring. People have been arrested for practicing dentistry without a license after setting up shops with fake “veneer tech” credentials, and if you’re not careful, improper veneer work can lead to tooth damage, infections and hospitalization.


If you really want veneers, go to a professional — or just wait until this trend dies down and cigarette-stained yellow chompers are back in style.