Porcelain Veneers: A Game-Changer for Influencers?

Introduction

Every day, you craft engaging posts, leverage your strong personality for engagement, and continue to build a dedicated follower base on Instagram. Perhaps you want to more fully commit yourself to your role as an influencer, to collaborate with brands for sponsored content, and to have a long and successful career on Instagram.

While Instagram influencers find success in a variety of niches–fashion, food, fitness, beauty, travel, among others–one factor connects them all: a captivating smile. In fact, according to a 2021 study published in the Journal of Interactive Advertising, Instagram users perceived smiling influencers as more genuine, boosting trustworthiness and brand authenticity.¹

Successful influencers often opt for porcelain veneers to enhance their smiles, choosing this life-changing option to achieve a radiant and confident smile. Per a review published in the International Journal of Dental Health Concerns, the use of porcelain veneers for an attractive smile has proven to boost self-confidence, enhance personal relationships, and contribute to professional success.²

However, many influencers can be discouraged by the price of porcelain veneers. A significant investment, porcelain veneers cost $20,000 or more for a full set. This cosmetic solution commands a high price because of the specialized skill and artistry required for their design and application, as well as because of their durability and ability to be highly customizable.

For influencers, investing in the cost of porcelain veneers can transform your personal brand for the better. Though the expense may seem significant, the long-term impact on your online presence and success as an influencer often makes it a strategic and worthwhile financial decision. This guide aims to clarify and demystify the cost of porcelain veneers to help you make an informed decision about whether they are right for you.

What are Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted from dental-grade porcelain. These restorations are meticulously designed to cover the front surface of teeth, addressing issues like discoloration, chipping, or misalignment. 

The process typically involves three dental visits. During the first visit, you'll have a consultation and diagnosis, where the dentist will assess whether veneers are right for you, take X-rays, and discuss the limitations of the procedure. The second visit involves preparing your teeth by reshaping the surfaces and creating impressions sent to a dental laboratory for veneer fabrication. Temporary veneers may be used during this period. 

During the final visit, the dentist will bond the veneer to your tooth surface using special cement, adjust its fit and color, and quickly harden the cement with a light beam. The dentist removes excess cement, checks your bite, and makes any necessary adjustments. A follow-up visit may be scheduled to assess your gum health and ensure proper veneer placement. The entire process takes approximately 2-4 weeks, including the time required for veneer fabrication.

Understanding the Cost of Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers cost more than other solutions, such as composite resin veneers, primarily due to the high quality of the material. Porcelain is renowned for its exceptional durability, natural aesthetics, and resistance to discoloration, factors that contribute to a long lifespan.

Additionally, porcelain veneers often demand higher costs in urban areas like Los Angeles, the hub of the influencer industry, for several reasons. Urban settings generally have a higher cost of living, impacting overhead expenses for dental practices. The demand for porcelain veneers is often greater in areas like Los Angeles, allowing highly-skilled practitioners to price their services accordingly.

Moreover, large urban clinics often invest in state-of-the-art technologies and employ experienced technicians to meet the expectations of their clientele. In addition, the expertise of the dentist is a key factor in the quality and cost of porcelain veneer procedures. Specialized training, experience, and an artistic eye are essential for optimal results, and cosmetic dentists with strong reputations are often able to charge more for their services.

Paying for Your Porcelain Veneers

Now that you better understand the underlying factors making up the cost of porcelain veneers, you may want to consider ways to save money without compromising quality. Firstly, always conduct thorough research on potential dentists. Evaluate online reviews and read patient testimonials. Opting for less expensive porcelain veneers from a less-skilled dentist can ultimately hurt your long-term investment.

In addition, conducting thorough research may lead you to discover seasonal discounts, group discounts, or attractive payment plans. Furthermore, you might consider the benefits of dental tourism, in which you travel abroad to destinations where porcelain veneers cost much less. Be aware, though, that this option requires especially careful research and planning, as international dental clinics might not adhere to the same quality and safety standards as your local dentists.

Like a car or a condo, porcelain veneers are a major life investment. Finding ways to responsibly save money on this investment requires that you conduct careful research and openly communicate with dental professionals about your needs and expectations. By doing so, you help to ensure a lasting, confident smile and further success on social media.

Will Porcelain Veneers Guarantee Instagram Success?

Let’s be honest. Porcelain veneers are not a magical solution that will turn 1,000 followers into 100,000 on their own. Being an influencer is hard work. If you’re not cultivating authenticity and making genuine connections with your audience, porcelain veneers aren’t going to grow your channel to miraculous new heights. If you’re not working to master the art of strong storytelling, porcelain veneers won’t transform you into a social media megastar. 

However, if you’re already putting in the work to captivate followers with compelling narratives and to nurture your communication skills, porcelain veneers can help propel your online presence to new heights. Recent scholarship on both porcelain veneers and the burgeoning influencer industry supports this:

• A 2022 review article published in Dental Clinics of North America concluded that people often shy away from displaying their teeth when dissatisfied with the aesthetics of their smile. This is evident when someone exhibits dental issues like misalignment, discoloration, or staining. The article confirms that a smile improved by dental veneers correlates with increased self-confidence and overall satisfaction.³
• In the 2023 book Veneers: Fantasy, Risk, Success, the author–also a practicing dentist–noted that patients frequently see major lifestyle changes following veneer placement, including smiling more broadly, communicating more freely, and feeling more motivated to improve their appearance in other ways.⁴
• A 2020 study published in Res Rhetorica found that a photograph of a smiling influencer not only created a sense of intimacy between the influencer and their audience but also increased the likelihood that users would leave a comment, generally considered to be a higher form of engagement than a like.⁵
• According to a 2024 article published in Journal of Business Research, influencers’ posts featuring a broad smile elicited a more positive response about a featured product or brand than posts featuring only a slight smile.⁶

This research addresses two key factors that might play into your decision on whether to get porcelain veneers:

1. Porcelain veneers have proven to dramatically improve the confidence and self-esteem of patients in ways that lead them to reveal broader, brighter smiles.
2. A social media influencer’s broad, confident smile leads to improved engagement with users and more positive feelings towards the products or brands the influencer is promoting.

While porcelain veneers can’t replace the hard work it takes to build an audience and craft engaging narratives, they can play a major role in helping you secure and sustain lasting success as an influencer.

Why Choose Porcelain Veneers?

Porcelain veneers offer unparalleled aesthetic benefits, concealing stains and imperfections with a natural appearance. As opposed to treatments like teeth whitening, which must be redone every year or less, porcelain veneers provide a long-lasting solution, often lasting for 15 years or more. They also surpass composite bonding in durability and effectiveness, resisting stains and maintaining their luster for an extended period.

Moreover, porcelain veneers address various cosmetic concerns simultaneously, from uneven spacing to chipped teeth. Unlike orthodontic treatments, which can be time-consuming, veneers provide a quick, transformative solution for a confident smile.

Furthermore, the versatility of porcelain veneers allows for precise customization, ensuring a seamless fit and personalized aesthetics. Veneers also require minimal tooth alteration compared to crowns, preserving more of the natural tooth structure while delivering a stunning, long-lasting smile. Overall, the comprehensive and enduring benefits of porcelain veneers make them an exceptional choice for influencers seeking a radiant and long-lasting smile transformation.

Sources:

1. Yang, Jing, Camilla Teran, Ava Francesca Battocchio, Ebbe Bertellotti, and Shannon Wrzesinski. 2021. “Building Brand Authenticity on Social Media: The Impact of Instagram Ad Model Genuineness and Trustworthiness on Perceived Brand Authenticity and Consumer Responses.” Journal of Interactive Advertising 21 (1): 1–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2020.1860168.
   
   
2. Sowmya, S., S. Sunitha, M. R. Dhakshaini, and K. N. Raghavendraswamy. 2015. “Esthetics with Veneers: A Review.” International Journal of Dental Health Concerns 1: 46–50. https://doi.org/10.15713/ins.ijdhc.11.
   
   
3. Alikhasi, Marzieh, Parisa Yousefi, and Kelvin I. Afrashtehfar. 2022. “Smile Design.” Dental Clinics of North America 66 (3): 477–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cden.2022.02.008.
   
   
4. Zarow, Maciej, Walter Devoto, Margarida Henrique, Louis Hardan, Marco Nicastro, and Daniele Rondoni. 2023. Veneers: Fantasy | Risk | Success. Google Books. Quintessenz Verlag. https://books.google.com/books?id=IO-mEAAAQBAJ&lpg=PT35&ots=J0R13tgDJy&dq=porcelain%20veneers%20confidence%20psychological%20&lr&pg=PT39#v=onepage&q&f=false.
   
   
5. Karimova, Gulnara. 2020. “Exploring Visual Framing Strategies, Sentiment, and Product Presentation Modality in Instagram Posts of Fashion Influencers.” “Res Rhetorica” 7 (1). https://doi.org/10.29107/rr2020.1.6
   
   
6. Shuqair, Saleh, Raffaele Filieri, Giampaolo Viglia, Anna S. Mattila, and Diego Costa Pinto. 2024. “Leveraging Online Selling through Social Media Influencers.” Journal of Business Research 171 (January): 114391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114391.