By MATTHEW PERRONE

WASHINGTON (AP) — If you have stained or chipped teeth, you might be considering veneers, customized teeth coverings that can restore a photogenic smile without more extensive dental work.

But dentists warn that these pricey cosmetic enhancements are at the center of a worrisome online trend: unlicensed practitioners without proper training or supervision offering low-cost veneers.

These self-described “veneer techs” often promote themselves on Instagram and TikTok, promising a full set of veneers for less than half of what dentists typically charge. Some also market their own training courses and certifications for people looking to get into the business.

It’s misleading, health professionals warn — and illegal. All states require dental work, including veneers, to be performed under the supervision of a licensed dentist.

On Thursday, Georgia law enforcement officials arrested Brandon Diller, who promoted himself to 158,000 Instagram followers as “Atlanta’s top veneer specialist and trainer.” Diller practiced dentistry without a license and sold “training and certificates, which were worthless” and “provided no legitimate or legal credentials,” according to an arrest warrant from Fulton County’s District Attorney’s office.

Here’s what to know about veneers and how to avoid bogus providers and services:

What are dental veneers?

Veneers are thin, custom-made dental coverings used to hide minor imperfections or to fill in gaps between teeth. Unlike crowns or more invasive dental implants, veneers are almost always considered cosmetic dentistry and generally aren’t covered by insurance.

Dentists usually charge between $1,000 and $2,000 per tooth for veneers, with higher prices for those made from porcelain compared with lower-grade materials.

Placing veneers involves stripping some of the natural enamel from the tooth and bonding the new covering into place. Because of that process, getting veneers is considered an irreversible procedure, according to the American Dental Association. They are not permanent, and can be expected to last between 5 to 15 years before they degrade and need to be replaced.

In recent months the ADA has been stepping up warnings about the risks of veneer procedures done by unlicensed individuals.

“Quality control is lost without the involvement of a licensed dentist,” said Dr. Ada Cooper, a New York-based dentist and ADA spokesperson. “We undergo years of education and training and need to be licensed by various regulatory bodies before we can practice.”

What are the risks of getting veneers from someone who isn’t licensed?

Improper veneer procedures can cause a range of health problems, including severe pain, nerve damage and tooth loss.

Patients need to be anesthetized before the enamel is removed from their teeth.

“It could be incredibly painful if they’re not anesthetized correctly,” said Dr. Zach Truman, who runs an orthodontics practice in Las Vegas. “You can also go too deep into the tooth and penetrate what’s called the pulp chamber, which contains blood vessels and nerves.”

One of the biggest problems Truman sees with unregulated veneer work is that customers aren’t getting screened for existing dental problems, such as gum disease and cavities.

“If you put a veneer on a tooth that has an active cavity, you’re just going to seal it in there and eventually it’s going to progress to tooth loss,” Truman said.

Dental veneers aren’t the only option for improving the appearance of teeth. Over-the-counter whitening kits can help with minor stains and discoloration. And dentists can sometimes use composite materials to reshape chipped or uneven teeth. But Truman says those fillings are prone to crack and won’t last as long as veneers.

How can I spot bogus veneer providers online?

One clue: Many individuals performing unlicensed dental work promote themselves on social media as “veneer technicians.”

Instead of working out of a dental office they often perform treatments at beauty salons, hotel rooms or private homes. Some advertise multi-city tours and encourage clients to message them to book an appointment in advance.

Much of the appeal of the services is in their pricing, with some offering a full set of veneers for a flat fee of $4,000 or $5,000. That’s less than half of what patients can generally expect to pay at a dental office.

Performing dental work without an appropriate license is illegal, the ADA notes.

Dentists and hygienists are licensed by state governments, who also define the work dental assistants can perform. But in all cases, veneers and other dental procedures must be supervised by a licensed dentist.

Earlier this year, Illinois law enforcement officials arrested a woman running a business called the Veneer Experts after she posted videos of herself fitting braces, veneers and other dental products without a license. She was previously arrested in Nevada on similar allegations of practicing dentistry without a license.

What are the best ways to find legitimate dental providers?

The ADA maintains a website detailing the training and licensing requirements for dentists across the U.S. Most states also maintain websites where you can lookup and verify licensure information and find any past disciplinary actions for dentists and other health professionals.

“It’s really critical to understand that dentistry is a regulated health care profession that requires formal educations and licensure,” Cooper said.

 

By Kimberly Palmer | NerdWallet

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

Rahkim Sabree, a financial therapist and accredited financial counselor based in the Hartford, Connecticut area, worked hard in his 20s to achieve his dream of buying a house. At age 26, he finally did.

But soon afterward, he second-guessed himself after he came across a financial expert online who declared that buying a home was a bad move for young people. This particular expert encouraged renting instead.

Sabree felt crushed.

“Buying a home was an emotionally charged and scary decision for someone who didn’t grow up in a house and aspired for homeownership,” says Sabree, now 34. “To have it pooh-poohed was disheartening.”

Now, Sabree, along with a new wave of financial experts — many of whom have backgrounds in financial therapy and trauma-informed training — want to put a stop to online “financial shaming.”

Some self-declared money experts frequently make people feel embarrassed about their choices or financial situations, even using words like “stupid” or “idiot.”

That kind of inflammatory language can make people feel badly about themselves or even push them to avoid thinking about their finances altogether, which doesn’t help anyone improve their money situation, says Shannah Game, host of the “Everyone’s Talkin’ Money” podcast.

Traditional financial advice “often overlooks the systemic issues that can contribute to people’s difficulties, and instead places blame on individuals,” says Game, who is also a certified financial planner based in Asheville, North Carolina. “Language needs to be more inclusive and come from a softer, gentler approach because everyone’s situation is so different.”

Here are some ways to find financial advice that won’t make you feel ashamed.

Take a customized approach

Some financial planning advice is too rigid, says David Peters, a tax practitioner and financial advisor in Richmond, Virginia. It can be discouraging for those unable to follow along.

Peters points to one budgeting hallmark, the 50/30/20 approach, which suggests people allocate 50% of their after-tax income to needs (including any minimum loan payments), 30% to wants and 20% to savings and debt payments beyond the minimum.

That formula might be impossible for some people, especially anyone living in an expensive city on a modest income, Peters says.

Instead of struggling to follow a strict system that doesn’t make sense for your situation, Peters suggests designing a budget that works for you. Similarly, other common rules of thumb, such as paying off all debt before starting to save money, or maxing out retirement savings, might not be realistic or even a good idea for people on limited budgets.

Peters suggests picking a goal that makes sense for your unique circumstances. That might mean putting some money into an emergency savings account while continuing to pay off outstanding credit card debt, or saving just 2% of income into a retirement account, then slowly raising that percentage over time.

“Don’t be too worried about a specific number,” Peters suggests. “Just be constantly making progress toward your goal.”

Ask people to share their mistakes

Sometimes, asking people to share mistakes they’ve made can spark more inclusive conversations about money, Game says.

“There is this perception that there should be a level of perfectionism when it comes to money,” she says, such as being debt-free or having a perfect credit score.

People can feel like there’s something wrong with them when they don’t achieve that.

“Let’s encourage conversations around money not just about the successes, but about the challenges and things that are really hard for us,” Game says. That way, people can connect and feel supported, since no one is perfect.

Celebrate progress, not just big milestones

Taking note of little wins, such as saving even a small amount, making one extra debt payment or sticking to a budget for two months in a row, can build confidence and chip away at the shame.

That’s what worked for Olivia Lima, a CFP for Abundo Wealth in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

“When I was trying to right my ship financially, I would keep a list and write down all my financial wins, even if they were tiny,” she says.

The list could include paying an extra $20 on a credit card bill or being able to handle an unexpected expense.

“You’ll hit a day when you feel discouraged and like you’re getting everything wrong, so you can look back on that list. It’s so valuable,” she says.

Embrace positive budgeting

Lima says a budgeting approach that focuses on what you can’t or shouldn’t have can invoke feelings of shame.

She suggests a more positive take: “It’s not about setting restrictions, but making conscious decisions. How do you want to use the dollars you have?”

For some people, the answer might be travel; others might focus on home improvements.

Using visual charts or graphics with color or pictograms to track your spending and saving can make budgeting feel fun and motivating instead of a drag that induces negative feelings, she says.

Follow shame-free experts

Today, many financial therapists create content that removes shame and guilt from personal finance, Sabree says.

“I am inspired by a lot of my peers who take a trauma-informed approach to personal finance,” he says. Following those kinds of financial experts on social media can help filter out shame-promoting posts.

“They reframe the thought process,” Sabree says, and offer support and guidance without resorting to making someone feel bad for previous decisions or situations.

That kind of supportive environment can make it easier to make smart decisions going forward without stirring up negative feelings about the past.

Kimberly Palmer writes for NerdWallet. Email: kpalmer@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kimberlypalmer.

The article How to Get Money Advice Without a Side of Shame originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By Beth Dooley, The Minnesota Star Tribune

I adore beets of all kinds: the earthy sweet, the lurid magenta, the striped pink and the goldens. Sure, they’re not to everyone’s taste, but their strong character stands up to a range of intense flavors — vinegar, horseradish, mustard, piquant dairy sauces, vinaigrettes, smoked fish.

I like them best either steamed or roasted. Cooking mitigates the effects of geosmin, the natural earthy compound that beets contain that is associated with the vegetable’s smell of “fresh rain” and “forest soil.” Early in the season, beets are mild and sweet; as they mature, they become more assertive, more themselves.

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Beets are like sponges and absorb flavors quickly, especially if dressed while still warm and left to cool before so the flavors are fully absorbed and then re-dressed before serving to give them a boost. The same applies to other root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, rutabagas and turnips.

It’s hard to beat the beet-goat cheese salad combo, but there’s plenty more to love. Toss beets with your favorite lemon or lime vinaigrette, curried yogurt and horseradish sauce. Beets pair nicely with salty cured meats and smoked fish. Cooked beets will keep at least five days in the refrigerator in a covered container, ready for last minute side dishes, salads and grain bowls.

Red beets “bleed” and stain ferociously, so roast them wrapped in foil until just tender; cooking times will vary depending on the size and age of the beet. Leave the skins intact until the beet is cooked, then peel them in the skink (ditch the white shirt). Those pink and white striped Chioggia and golden beets hardly bleed at all, but a red-stained cutting board is the mark of a trusty home cook.

Roast Beet Salad With Horseradish-Yogurt Cream

Serves 4 to 6

Succulent chunks of roast beets are drizzled with a robust horseradish-spiked yogurt cream. You can prepare the beets and the dressing ahead and hold them in a covered container in the refrigerator for four days then assemble the salad right before serving. From Beth Dooley.

2 small bunches (about 2 lb.) beets, washed, leaves removed
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ c. plain whole milk Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. prepared horseradish sauce, or more to taste
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. minced parsley, plus more for garnish
3 scallions, trimmed and sliced into ⅛ in.-sized pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle the beets with the oil, season with salt and pepper, and wrap in aluminum foil. Set on a baking sheet and roast until the beets are tender (a skewer should easily slide through), about 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets.
While the beets are roasting, whisk together the yogurt, horseradish, lemon juice and parsley. Set aside.
Remove beets from oven and allow to cool. Once cooled, peel the beets over the sink. Cut into ½-inch size chunks and arrange on a large serving plate or individual plates. Drizzle the dressing over, garnish with scallions and additional chopped parsley.

Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.

©2024 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.