5 Ways I Saved Thousands on Porcelain Veneers: Your Affordable Smile Makeover Guide
Thanks to social media access (and the provided filters), an expanding amount of people are investing in their smile. Porcelain veneers are becomingly increasingly popular especially among “influencers” who use their bright smile to promote their products, elevate their brand and gain attention of their audience. After all, a bright and clean smile is an invitation and 78% of people connect success to the quality of someone’s teeth. But you don’t have to be insta-famous to afford porcelain veneers. Just follow these 5 tips for an affordable smile makeover and save thousands!
If you were to search Emily Jackson of Ivory Lane or Amber Fillerup Clark of Barefoot Blonde, you would find they have admittedly all had smile makeovers.
However, whether you are an influencer or not, 57% of people feel insecure about their smile. So, what is the issue? Why don’t more people pay for smile makeovers?
The answer is simple: COST.
What is the average cost of a porcelain veneers smile makeover?
Most people just cannot afford to pay between $15,000 and $25,000 or $1700-$2,500 per tooth which is the average price for a new smile. Celebrities pay upward of $80,000 for a complete smile makeover.
My story
I was also insecure about my smile and would not even slightly consider myself a high class socialite or influencer. As a debt-free, money-saving enthusiast with an addiction to high quality, I was adamant to find a solution to this problem. Getting a smile I loved was on my bucket list for a long time!
After years of shopping, research and getting my own new smile, I came up with 5 ways to save thousands on real porcelain veneers.
At the end of the day, I paid $6400 for a high-quality smile makeover with real porcelain veneers (which also included a 5 year warranty). This price around 1/3 the regular amount for similar procedures.
Affordable Smile Makeover Tip #1: Shop around and get several opinions
Compare and contrast both cosmetic and general dentists
Many people these days want the perfect smile. You will find accounts on instagram or online of “before and after” work. Often, these accounts are cosmetic dental specialists promoting their makeovers. Due to exposure, they will gain more customers which creates demand and that will spark an uptick in price. Granted, most cosmetic specialists are highly skilled and deserve to be paid a lot. But this is why it is important to shop around and compare and contrast options if they are not in your budget. Checking out cosmetic dentist can give you an idea of what kind of work you’re looking for. For three years I went to several consults with cosmetic dental specialists and I asked to see their work. Some were great and others were not as impressive. However to my dismay, all of the cosmetic specialists were out of my price range.
Beautiful cosmetic work showcased on instagram
Why I opened up my search
I visited a popular cosmetic dentist who worked on a lot of local “influencers.” During my visit, he told me what my mouth needed. I was a teeth grinder so I needed to add a point to my canines. I had gaps so I needed to close them. I also had abnormally small teeth and they needed lengthening to 11mm long from 8 mm long.
Why I shopped around
This dentist then asked for payment in full so they could get going. He wanted $13,000 up front for 6 teeth or $16,000 for 8 teeth and that did not include a warranty/guarantee if they broke. When all was said and done my smile makeover would have been around between $17,000- $20,000. It just wasn’t in my budget. So, I had to explore different options to find a more affordable smile makeover.
Don’t immediately rule out visiting a general dentist
Many general dentists have experience and skill in cosmetic dentistry but charge less because it is not their primary “specialty.” I decided to visit my own dentist and get another opinion. He happened to be AACD certified but did not perform as many smile makeovers as the previously mentioned cosmetic specialist. However, he did have experience in cosmetic work and a before and after portfolio of veneer makeovers (after all, I did not want chiclets for teeth or exude a Ross Gellar bleached smile). I wanted to make sure in his work, he provided a natural looking aesthetic that was also functional. And he did it for me! Look at those results!
The process
My dentist took x-rays and examined the fact that I ground my teeth at night. He would not even let me proceed with veneers until I was in a mouth guard for 6 months to make sure I would not grind off veneers. My general dentist also took impressions of my bite. He mentioned that the suggested 11mm length the cosmetic dentist suggested would not work with my mouth. I would crunch them right off with the way my bite was set up. The longest my teeth could go was 10.5mm. He examined the strength of my teeth and enamel and whether they could handle veneers. After I had proven myself with everything, we proceeded with the wax up to test the length in my mouth and see my potential new smile. He quoted me $6400 for everything included a wax up, labs, pictures, temporary veneers, installation, bite refining, warranty etc.
Overall savings: $13,600
Tip: Whether you choose a cosmetic, prosthodontist or general dentist, ask for before and after galleries when you shop around. Some might have to be emailed and are not showcased on websites. Other websites may be misleading and contain only stock photos.
2. Purchase a wax up before you decide to proceed with a permanent smile makeover
Just like you test drive a car before you buy it, it is essential to pay the average $200 for a wax up to make sure your smile makeover investment is being put to good use. Do this before you pay all the upfront costs for lab work to a dentist.
What is a dental wax up?
You have probably heard the quote: “Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” A wax up is a plan or blueprint for your restoration. In summary, dentists take impressions of your bite, make a wax model and put them on your teeth so you can get an idea what your permanent porcelain veneers will look like inside your mouth.
Why pay for the wax up before finalizing a dentist?
Paying for a wax up helps you get an idea of the quality provided by the lab and the dentist who puts it in your mouth before your dedicate your time, money and resources to a mouth full of veneers for the rest of your life. If you do not like the result, you can try another dentist. So many people are uneducated in the fact you can do this before committing to the process of a smile makeover or a specific dental provider. Therefore, they will lose thousands of dollars because they dedicate to a dentist before a wax up, are often contractually obligated to get veneers with that dentist, lose money mid-process and then have to fix their teeth later in life if they hate them.
Tip: If you grind your teeth, try a mouthguard first. This will help you save on your initial investment.
3. Negotiate prices for your Affordable Smile Makeover by researching the labs prospective dentists use
If you want to save money on a makeover, it is important to scout out the quality of the lab that will be making the porcelain veneers for your mouth so you are happy the first (and hopefully the last) around. Call several dentists and ask them which lab they use and then look at Google reviews. Some dentists will hike their prices because the lab they use is popular. Other dentists will use similar high-quality labs but still keep prices down.
Tour the lab
You can even call the lab and ask to tour it or view their work. If you decide to proceed with a makeover, make sure you go to the lab and visit with the lab technician who will be making, shaping and shading your veneers. By researching the lab I went through for my veneers, I was able to be competitive between dentists with price comparisons and even got price matched. I was able to be a part of the creative process and communicate exactly what I wanted to technicians so there were no mishaps.
Tip: When you visit a lab, bring pictures of examples or celebrities whose teeth you like. I wanted elongated teeth with feminine and soft edges so I brought a picture of Blake Lively
What shade should I choose for my veneers?
Remember to look at shades in a mirror to get the most natural look. A pro tip is do not let you veneers be whiter than the whites of your eyes. Most people are safe with a BL2 or a BL3 shade.
4. Pay for your smile makeover in cash to save hundreds more
Due to credit processing fees, many dentists are happy to provide around a 3% cash discount. So, if you’re like me for example and paying $6400 for a more affordable smile makeover then that is another $192 in savings. Or in the case you choose a highly skilled cosmetic dentist (like one out of my price range), that can be savings around $600. I am a huge proponent of living within a budget and staying out of debt which means you avoid financing a smile makeover.
Tip: In the end, don’t be afraid to ask the benefits or perks of paying with cash. Many dentists are happy to oblige and may throw in a mouth guard, x-rays or smile design. Compare and contrast perks to get the best bang for your buck.
5. Get a kickback on your Affordable Smile Makeover with a good credit card
If you prefer to pay with a credit card instead of cash, just make sure to use a card that offers a good signup bonus or cash back. It is important to give this full disclaimer that I only promote credit cards if you have great credit and can pay off the statement balance in full right away, as if you were paying with cash. With that said, there are many amazing credit cards out there offering massive deals, sign up bonuses, cash back and gift cards on qualifying purchases in the first couple of months. Likely, even an affordable smile makeover will meet most spending minimums for the signup bonus.
How did I pay for my porcelain veneers?
I decided to pay for my porcelain veneers on a credit card all up front. I used the Chase Sapphire card and because of the sign up bonus, I hit the minimum and received an $1200 credit towards travel because that is what we love to do. Ultimately for $6400, I was able to buy flights for a Caribbean cruise and brought my new, bright and confident smile with me.
Credit Cards to consider
Thanks for reading and happy shopping! Feel free to to share this post to help someone out in their search for a budget friendly smile makeover.
XOXO
Brittany