Veneers - Temporary Veneer fitting at The Harley Street Smile Clinic

I have just returned home after having my temporary veneers fitted at The Harley Street Smile Clinic (139, Harley Street) and as I have received so many tweets asking about my experience I thought I would do this summary post now. The full write up and vlog in HD will be coming after the 5th October, which is when I am having the permanent porcelain veneers fitted, but I hope this summary answers any immediate questions that you have. I know some people prefer reading a blog post and others prefer a video thus I have done both - scroll down to see the video or just keep reading!

The main question I have been asked is about pain! I can honestly tell you that there was absolutely no pain involved. If you watch the video below I explain how the numbness of the gums and lips does feel very strange and makes it difficult to talk (it's not a good look!) but at no point did I ever experience any pain. A numbing cream was applied before any injections and although I was actually warned I would 'probably feel the first one' - I didn't. I had eight injections in total (one injection for every veneer!) and I did not feel anything. Having my teeth filed down and my gums shaped did make a loud noise (a whirring sound then a beeping sound) and it smelt like burning, but I was warned by the dentist about each of these things so I wasn't alarmed and it did not last for a long time - and again, there was no pain.

The temporary veneer mixture was placed into the mould and into my mouth. It takes about five minutes to set and although not comfortable - it's not painful. The main thing to do is remember to BREATHE THROUGH YOUR MOUTH (it's very weird how you suddenly become aware of your breathing when you're nervous/can't breathe through your mouth!) because 1) otherwise you'd die 2)the stuff tastes vile and if you breathe in through your moth you can taste it.

I am a very nervous patient and when I went into the appointment I was shaking all over and I had the typical 'tight chest' that you may have experienced if you ever get anxious. The one thing I would warn you about is that the injections contain adrenaline which makes your heart race - I didn't realise this until I said 'My heart is beating really fast it's racing' then it was explained to me that was due to the adrenaline and next time he would use the injections that did not contain it. I think if you're prepared for it, it's fine, as it passes after a few minutes but that wasn't a very nice experience - if you're a nervous patient I suggest seeing if you can have injections without adrenaline (you probably don't need anymore!!).

Additionally, the dentist allowed me to wait for my heart to stop racing and for me to take deep breaths before he began any kind of actual treatment on my teeth. Throughout the process he continually asked if I was okay, how I was doing etc and made it clear that I could have a break at any time. Having an understanding dentist really helped me feel calm as I think one of the anxieties surrounding the dentist (besides pain) is the idea of not being able to have a break or feeling awkward about asking to stop etc - Harley Street Smile is fabulous at being understanding but whichever dentist you go to make sure you explain to them clearly beforehand that you would like them to talk you through each step and to allow you a break if you need it. You will probably find, like me, that knowing you can have a break at any time actually calms you down so much you really don't need to!

Below is a camera phone photo of my temporary veneers. You can also see them in the video below. As you can see I have had the top eight teeth veneered and my gum shaped.

I have spent years looking around for veneers at a price that is not ridiculous and finally found that at The Harley Street Smile Clinic which is why I want to share my experience with all of you.

If you send an email to Jill@harleystreetsmileclinic.co.uk including the following:

-Photos of your teeth
-What you want to change about your smile

Then Jill will call or email you back with the different options you might have for treatment and the likely costs involved. This is exactly what I did as I thought it was fantastic to be able to get a rough idea of cost without paying £70 to be quoted something astronomical like £20,000 so you're mouth nearly falls off in shock but you have to pretend like you have that kind of money and you're going to drive home in your Rolls Royce to your mansion and discuss it with your butler - when really you just had a mini heart attack and died a little inside (this is what happened to me in Weybridge a few years ago!)

I have genuinely been quoted between £12,000 and £20,000 for veneers. Eight veneers at The Harley Street Smile Clinic has cost me just under £5,000 which is the best price I have found (and believe me, I have looked). The Clinic also does teeth whitening, Invisalign and other treatments and they always have amazing deals on so I would highly rec commend them for their prices as well as their friendly approach and professionalism (plus the fact they've done a bloody good job on my teeth!)

You can find their website here and their twitter is @HarleyStSmile. The direct link to the free E-Consultation page can be found here.

I cannot recommend The Harley Street Smile Clinic enough and if you are considering any kind of dental treatment why not send Jill a quick email as it's free and I'm positive you'll be pleasantly surprised with the cost! Additionally, if you haven't signed up to Groupon yet then scoot on over there and whack in your email address because ever since I have signed up I have got an email almost every other day about tooth whitening,invisalign,inman aligners and all sorts - I cannot vouch for how good these places are only that they appear to have a lot of great deals on a lot of the time!

If you have any more questions please leave them below.

xxxx

The Harley Street Smile Clinic has been featured in the following magazines and newspapers:

(...and now on JenniferRosellen!)

Other testimonials from happy patients can be found here