"They Smell Terrible" — Woman Spends $8,000 On Veneers, Now Her Teeth Are Rotting

A woman who spent $8,000 on veneers says her teeth are rotting. TikTok user @soluckyou uploaded a video of herself pouting into the camera with tears in her eyes. She writes in a text overlay that she spent all of the money she had saved up in order to get the shells placed over her existing teeth.

In a text overlay of her video, the TikTok user writes: "I drained my entire savings ... spent $8,000 on these veneers just for my teeth to rot underneath." Furthermore, she details that the degradation of her teeth wasn't the only drawback. There was also the stench.

"They smell terrible and the dentist wants more money," she added. Unsure of how she's going to rectify the situation, she lamented to others on social media, saying that she doesn't have a clue what she's going to do to fix her mouth moving forward.

"I don't even know what to do at this point," she writes as she moves her fingers across her face and her tears glisten into the lens. Judging from the comments others left in response to her video, @soluckyou isn't the only one who's experienced this issue with veneers.

One person said that after getting their veneers, they cover their mouth whenever they speak to other people. That's because the wretched stank of her real, decaying teeth underneath the veneer caps emit from her mouth when she opens it.

"The smell is the absolute worst part. I stopped dating and literally cover my mouth when I laugh around coworkers because I can constantly taste the rot under mine. You feel so dirty even when you brush 5 times a day," she wrote.

The Cleveland Clinic defines veneers as "custom-made shells that fit over the front surfaces of your teeth." They were originally designed in order to cover up any imperfections, cracks, chips, or "other cosmetic imperfections" as per the medical center.

Ultimately, this procedure is a cosmetic one, meant to give a more uniform facsimile of a perfect smile. Folks who have smaller or non-uniform teeth, gaps or spaces between their teeth, or stains that can't be cleaned with whitening procedures often opt for this procedure.

They also became a popular fixture of the standardized "TikTok Face" aesthetic. High cheekbones, a standardized row of similarly shaped, white, straight teeth, a slim but pronounced jaw-line, all contribute to a homogenized look where everyone tries to look like the human version of a new Apple product lineup launch.

Several popular actresses are said to have gotten veneers, such as Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, Millie Bobby Brown, Demi Lovato, Gwen Stefani, and Doja Cat, among others. However, because veneers cover up one's natural teeth, there are several things that can go wrong with them.

Other folks who responded to @soluckyou's video explained why and how veneers can go bad. Like this one person who stated that due to the fundamental nature of how they work, that natural teeth are prone to getting ruined in the process.

Their advice to anyone thinking of getting veneers: don't. They argued that doing everything in your power to keep your natural teeth as health as possible for as long as possible is the best course of action.

"Veneers wreck your natural enamel for good. And that leaves your teeth open to rot. Skip the veneers for whitening, keep your real teeth, and strengthen your enamel with a hydroxyapatite toothpaste," they said.

A different person who said that they work in a dentist's office echoed the aforementioned sentiments. They also provided a further breakdown of why veneers go bad. "I work in dental, so please hear me out: if your veneers aren't bonded 100% flush, plaque and food get trapped right along the micromargins. That buildup causes constant sulfur breath, inflamed bleeding gums, and deep decay underneath. Zinc citrate can help neutralize the sulfur odor temporarily, but NO toothpaste on earth will fix a loose or ill-fitting veneer. If yours are loose and smell bad, please get a second opinion before handing another $8,000 to the same clinic," they recommended.

This dental office does acknowledge that veneer rot can indeed occur. Although, they state that it only occurs in about 1% of all procedures. "Veneers bonded to enamel had about 99 percent survival in a 2025 review. The tooth can still decay at the veneer's edges, but new decay showed up in only about 1 percent of porcelain veneers," the facility penned.

Moreover, the same office says that once a person places veneers over their teeth, then there's no going back. So if you're thinking about getting them, make sure you go to a facility with a stellar track record of successfully performing the procedure. Otherwise you're going to end up paying a heck of a lot of money just to live out Ren's toothache.