CASE STUDY: Ashley Age 28 from Perth – Veneers Overseas
Getting veneers done is a huge financial commitment and being a student, I made the decision to go overseas for the procedure, as I wanted to cosmetically improve my smile.
I had been told it was far cheaper and did a lot of research into where I would go. I had many recommendations that Indonesia was a good option and after seeing plenty of photos, cases and personal referrals, I made my booking. This was made via email and photos, spaced over 3 appointments.
When I arrived for my first appointment, we went through a smile design. The second appointment should have been a red flag, as the dentist seemed rushed. They prepped my teeth for the veneers, without first chatting to me again about the design or commenting on my oral health. I assumed this meant it was fine. I was then given temporary veneers until my following appointment, which came off before I even left the clinic.
The final appointment I had the veneers inserted. These were placed on my teeth to see if I liked them, which made me feel very pressured to quickly making a very big decision. I did not think this would be the case going into the process and it was impossible to clearly see how they would look by resting them over my teeth anyway. I told the dentist I was unhappy and that they looked fake, bulky and whiter than I wanted. The dentist then told me this could be corrected and drilled the veneers finer before putting them on. I was not involved in the design process at all. I then saw them and told him they were still awful, feeling very overwhelmed that these teeth were now cemented down. He then suggested he file them down and drilled them while on me. This was extremely scary and VERY painful. I told him to stop, paid and left the clinic as quickly as possible.
When I got back to my hotel I was beyond heartbroken and overwhelmed with panic, both by how they looked and how I was going to afford fixing these awful teeth.
The dentist insisted I come so he could fix them after I emailed the clinic for a refund, but after the pain and clear lack of experience he had, I didn’t. The staff were also very rude via email and did not refund me the $3800 it cost.
I suffered from extreme sensitivity and the teeth looked like dentures. I could not eat or smile.
As soon as I landed in Perth, I was lucky enough Dr Sarah Varma was willing to help me, as I was experiencing a lot of pain from how poorly the veneers had been cemented.
This experience ruined my holiday, my smile, and my well-being.
I did a lot of research and unfortunately, most people do not post the bad stories, feeling as ashamed and embarrassed as I did. (Which I now know having had people message me in the same position).
To anyone considering going overseas, I would say please consider how you would feel if this happened to you!!!!
Veneers are a very permanent decision, and the process was very scary in the wrong hands. Please wait, spend the money, and see a doctor that has the knowledge, experience and patience needed to ensure you are happy with your smile.
The process at The Smile Clinique included.
1: Comprehensive Consultation discussing what I liked and didn’t like about my smile
2: Smile Design Viewing and a discussion about what I wanted to achieve. Together with scans of my teeth
3: Veneer Preparation & Try in of the design of the Veneers – Few minor changes made
4: Veneer Try in (1 day later) – I got to make a few more minor changes with Dr Sarah otherwise I was happy
5: Veneer Insert (1 day after Try in) – Dr Sarah first tried them in my mouth so I could see them before cementing them on.
Dr Sarah and her team are all so kind, professional and gentle. They transformed my smile with 8 beautiful veneers. I cannot recommend them enough.