Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi everyone,

I am a longtime lurker and was finally prompted to post by this article I read today about veneers.

This quote particularly irritated me. If I'd read it before getting it braces, I swear I might have reconsidered! After almost a year of having them, I'm totally fine with them, but when I was making the decision, something like this might have scared me away.

Dental veneers are the latest way to get that straight newscaster smile, and while the price tag may seem steep, consider the alternative: years of plastic or metal braces. Try dating or climbing the corporate ladder with braces.

I just want to write him and say dating and working have been FINE with braces, in fact better than ever. So shut up!

Here's the full story. (Also this doctor's name is Rock. Is he a soap opera character or a dentist?)

http://www.nypost.com/seven/11282006/en ... sitano.htm

Anyway, just venting. Love the board, it's been amazingly helpful during this ordeal.

Yea, its amusing how he has left out the pain people go through with veneers. I was watching a programme about them once and witnessed the blood and the screams from the patient in the chair. These things not only being expensive, have to be changed after ten years so footing a bill of 20 grand for them isn't a one off!Braces, in my opinion, are more practical and produce a more natural looking result at the end of it.

Newmetal

I considered veneers before braces but they told me I should try braces since I already had healthy teeth and veneers usually involve shaving down or altering the teeth in some way. Funny thing was I never considered braces except at that moment. I got braces about 4 years after that. However, I have seen people with veneers and while some look good, some do not produce a natural look. Looking at celebrities, some of them look like they have had cosmetic dentistry and some look fake - and these are people with some serious cash flow!

A friend of mine got veneers instead of the braces route and he is VERY happy, I will admit his teeth look great. However, after the next few weeks, I will have a smile that I won't need to update in 10 years. It's a matter or personal preference and practicality as well. We don't need a dentist deciding which is better.

I've got a friend with veneers and they look great.

But 10 years durability only at $1500 a pop? I hope I've still got plenty more years in me than that!

I have no idea what a cheeze doodle is, but suspect I'd have no trouble eating one.

And as for pain and suffering....I've not had much of that in 10 months of braces.

The article is unashamedly a promo for veneers, so not worth getting steamed up about.

And in case anyone was wondering what qualifies this guy to give people dental "advice"...

Dr. Rock is the director of the NonSurgical Foot and Ankle Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

I personally cannot understand why anyone would get veneers (as on Extreme Makeover). Give me braces any day. I prefer real teeth!

Braced: July 19, 2006
Estimated tx time: 18 - 24 months

Veneers are constantly marketed in my area as "INSTANT ORTHODONTICS".

I believe it should read "INSTANT MONEY IN THE DENTIST'S POCKET" !

I am laughing so hard at this right now. I was just shrugging it off and not really thinking much of the article until I got to the end.

Dr. Rock is the director of the NonSurgical Foot and Ankle Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. His column appears every Tuesday. Ask him questions at rock@nypost.com.

He is so qualified to give information about this kind of procedure being a foot and ankle doctor. He is basically a podiatrist. Could you get any farther away from the mouth? Maybe he should insert his foot in his mouth... he might have a point about how much of an expert he is then.

Sure he has some "expert" testimonial from a dentist or two but he only quotes once in the article. Granted he went through Medical school, but did he go to dental school? I wouldn't even go to him about any medical advice not pertaining to my foot or ankle and he is a doctor, so why would I get advice about dentistry from a guy that didn't even go to dental school.

I want the long term medical studies on the affects of vaneers on a person's overall dental health... oh wait there is none because they haven't been out that long. Hence why I haven't gotten Lasik because the procedure hasn't been out that long. Once some long term studies about the Lasik procedure have been published, then I will consider. Before I spend a ton of money on something I want to know what the long term affects are.

Of course this is just me. I guess this is the mind point you have when your family is a bunch of scientists and engineers

veneers are good if you have straight teeth. I was going to get veneers I thought but my dentist said my one tooth was to crooked to straighten it out. The braces are also fixing my bight something the veneers don't do.
After my braces are off I may still consider veneers. My teeth are very thin and do have cracks (not noticeable unless your looking in a 8x mirror) on them.
The veneers will look like movie star teeth on straightened out teeth.
I hope I have the choice after the braces come off hoping I don't chip my teeth on this braced journey.
Veneers are very nice IOF you have a dentist that knows what they are doing, it is a art.
They are expensive to say the least, it just depends on how far and what kind of perfection you want and of corse what shape your teth are in even if they are straight.

My former dentist wanted to BOND all of my visible teeth. I asked how long would it last. I was told with the way I grind my teeth about three years before I needed repairs. Cost..... $4800. Braces...cost $6200. The braces should fix my bite and reduce my TMJ. Seems like a much better investment.

Mike

I'd rather have the braces, actually.

No appreciable difference in my business-related interactions. I'm a professional, and don't notice anyone noticing.So....whatever!