In early June, I traveled to Cali, Colombia to get porcelain veneers. While I didn’t have bad teeth or a bad smile, I was just no longer happy with it and wanted to change it. So I did just that! In this blog post, I will share the things I learned from my experience that could be of help to you.
Know the Difference Between Porcelain or Composite Veneers
The first step in considering if you are interested in getting your teeth done, is to think of whether or not you want porcelain or composite veneers. Porcelain veneers are 100% glass, which is a stronger and longer-lasting material. On the other hand, composite veneers are just as the name implies, a mixture of resin. Porcelain veneers, with proper care, should last up to twenty years. On the other hand, composite veneers tend to last up to seven years. The biggest difference between the two is price. Depending on where you get your teeth done, you will be spending more on porcelain than on composite.
Why I Choose Porcelain over Composite
Since I was traveling out of the country, my logic was to go hard or go home! In my mind, it didn’t make sense to travel that far to get composite veneers that would not last. Therefore, I decided on getting porcelain. I also watched many Youtube videos which showed how people with composite veneers were breaking and losing their teeth in a very short amount of time. Additionally, with composite veneers, there are chances of discoloration so you have to be mindful of your eating habits.
Do Extensive Research
Be sure you do a thorough search of different doctors and their work. There are a countless number of dentists doing both composite and porcelain veneers in Colombia, as well as in the U.S. I decided to use Dr. Gonzaga Tabares because of his work with some popular influencers. I also made sure to look over his work with non-celebrities. He seemed to have the most natural looking work within my price point.
My Trip To Colombia
I took a solo trip to get my teeth done. My reasoning for traveling out of the country for this procedure was for the price. It was much cheaper to get porcelain veneers in another country in comparison to getting the same thing done here in America. After a consultation with Dr. Gonzaga, I decided to get 12 top teeth and 10 bottom teeth. Below, you can watch my experience.
Stay An Extra Day
As you may have seen in the above video, they had to correct two veneers. Those two veneers are misshapen and do not truly match the rest. I would have been able to fix this error had I stayed an extra day. My advice would be to stay just an extra day after your procedure just in case you notice something that you want fixing.
Would I Do It Again?
This is a nuanced question. While I love the appearance, I am not completely satisfied with the result. I will be returning to Dr. Gonzaga in March to make the corrections. I also have had tooth sensitivity and gum issues since having the procedure. Traveling abroad for procedures is a catch 22 because you get exactly what you pay for. I know that I will get my teeth redone completely in the US but just did not want to spend that amount of money right now.
If you are considering getting your teeth done be very certain that it is something that you want. In my case, I can never return to my previous smile because I had to get my teeth shaven down. So fake teeth forever!
