For the latest episode of SPIFFY, I spoke with Dr. Marashi about all things veneers: cost, confidence, cautionary tales, future affordability, and more. You can listen to the ep, or read the Q&A below.
Before you even think about getting veneers to “perfect” your smile, go… behind the veneer. Google what your teeth look like once they’re prepped for those porcelain shells. Then google the price. Veneers come with a point of no return, which is why the TikTok regret spiral can feel so persuasive: people who didn’t need them, people who cut corners, people who paid five figures for something they now wish they could undo.
That’s the skepticism I brought into my SPIFFY podcast conversation with Dr. Jon Marashi, Los Angeles cosmetic dentist to the stars (and also a fun Instagram follow if you like skateboarding dentists). Marashi is behind some extremely famous smiles, like Kate Hudson, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Tony Hawk, and more.
I wanted to “grill” Marashi about all things veneers, leading with my skepticism but also with an open mind. Because one thing I know is that great veneers are life changing; I just wanted to understand how the everyday guy in, say, Sioux Falls SD or Lawrence KS could get the same treatment that A-listers in LA and NYC are receiving.
Marashi explained why bad veneers still happen, how to avoid them, and why the next generation of veneers should become more precise, more conservative, and more accessible.
He also speaks from personal experience, having had the same set of veneers for over two decades: “I didn’t want big teeth. I didn’t want super white teeth. I just wanted what I considered to be a handsome, masculine and attractive smile, but something that blended in with the rest of my face, not a standalone feature,” Marashi told me. It’s made him a lot more confident in his daily life and job—and that word, “confidence” is a key term in all kinds of cosmetic enhancements.
You can listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple, and embedded here via YouTube, or you can read the Q&A (FAQ style!) below, which has some bonus information that we had to cut for time. And don’t forget to subscribe to SPIFFY, for more men’s grooming conversations.
Veneers FAQ with Cosmetic Dentist to the Stars, Dr. Jon Marashi
Blue Print: What problem are veneers actually solving?
Dr. Jon Marashi: “The number one problem that they’re trying to solve is confidence, hands down. And it’s manifested through their smile, through their teeth. There may be visual, aesthetic, health and function issues, but that all boils down to one thing and one thing only, which is confidence.”
What can veneers fix that orthodontics or whitening can’t?
“What veneers can solve that orthodontics is not able to is the aesthetic appearance of the teeth. So what we’re talking about is the shape, size, and color. Orthodontics is positioning. It’ll take a tooth that’s in the wrong position and put it in the right spot. But if the tooth is unsightly because of the size, the proportion, the color, there could be physical damage to the tooth or intrinsic staining on it, orthodontics can’t solve that, veneers can.”
Are the horror stories about shaved-down teeth and fake-looking veneers outdated, or still valid?
“Both, unfortunately. The concerns about getting the tooth shaved down too much, the concerns about the tooth being too large and chicklet-like and very fake looking, it still happens every single day. Those are outdated things that should not be happening, but it requires skill, expertise, years of training. This is the profit center in dentistry. It’s fun, it’s elective, you make a lot of money doing it. So you’ve got a lot of people doing it where they are running before they learned how to walk. Mistakes happen.”
What actually happens to your natural teeth before veneers are placed?
“It should only be one of two things going on to your natural tooth before a veneer is placed on top of it. Possibility number one, absolutely nothing, which means the veneer goes right on top of it. Possibility number two, there’s a sizing discrepancy. So in order for the veneer to fit, the natural tooth has to have an alteration in size. If it’s done correctly, it should be within 0.5 millimeter on the front surface of the tooth, and around a millimeter to a millimeter and a half on the biting edge. That’s it. A very small amount.”
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What are no-prep veneers?
“No-prep veneer means that the ceramic application is added directly to the tooth with zero alteration to the shape of the tooth underneath it. When I say zero alteration, I’m talking about no shaving, no filing, no modification at all. It is a fantastic approach from a conservation of tooth structure standpoint.”
Who is actually a good candidate for no-prep veneers?
“You have to be very discerning about who qualifies. It depends on the desired final size of the tooth and the existing shape. If your teeth are slightly smaller and you’re looking to make them a little bigger, you’re in business. But if someone says, I like the size of my teeth, I just don’t like the shape and the color, you can’t have no prep because once you put them on physically, they’re going to be larger than where you started. I’ve seen a lot of people get no prep veneers who weren’t the right candidate, and then I have to take them off.”
When are veneers the right decision?
“The best time for someone to get veneers is understanding the difference between need versus want dentistry. The person that needs veneers has sustained damage that’s affecting their ability to chew, impacting their bite, maybe phonetics, or it’s affecting them psychologically. That’s the need side. Then there’s the want side. People come in and maybe their teeth are straight, but they’re not happy with how it looks. And veneers are a great solution for that too. It’s okay to want something.”
When are veneers the wrong decision?
“I have to put my foot down quite often. I had a longtime client, an actress, stunning, beautiful, won the genetic lottery. She wanted veneers because she saw other people have them. I looked at her smile and said, it is impossible to improve upon this. These teeth are so beautiful. There’s no way to make these better. There are ten other dentists down the street that will give them to you and take your money, but it isn’t going to be me. Fifteen years later, she’s glad she didn’t do it, because it wasn’t the right thing to do.”
How do veneers feel once they’re on your teeth?
“As long as it’s been done properly, they feel normal. You don’t even think about it. People will say they feel better than their natural tooth because of the high-polish glaze. It’s a really slick surface. When you take someone whose bite is really off and then they get veneers, it’s like going from an old pair of beat-up sneakers to a new pair. You need a couple laps to get the feel, and then you don’t think about it anymore.”
Can you eat normally with veneers?
“These things are so strong, they should not be popping off. That means they haven’t been bonded correctly. If you’ve changed the length or position of your teeth, you need to chew slowly at first because your jaw has muscle memory. But if you chew slowly the first few times, most people within a few meals never think about it again. It adjusts very quickly.”
How are veneers bonded to the teeth?
“The tooth and the veneer have to be sterile, and then there’s a type of glue that attaches one to the other. But it’s not about it being sticky. The surface of your tooth has microscopic porosities, and that glue has to flow into those and lock in. Think of the surface like a sponge and the glue like honey. It goes into all the little crevices and when it hardens, it locks in. The enamel bond is way stronger than the dentin bond, which is why preserving enamel is so important.”
How long does the veneer process take?
“Start to finish, two weeks. And that includes everything from the initial intake to getting the final veneers placed. The reason that timeline is possible now is because of the digital workflow. We can scan the teeth in 3D, design everything in advance, and work with ceramists much more efficiently than before. So what used to be a longer, more drawn-out process has become much more streamlined.”
Who actually makes the veneers?
“They are made by what is called a dental ceramist, technician, master ceramist. There could be fantastic ceramists in your own town, in your own state. And now with a global economy, you can work with technicians anywhere. I work with people in Los Angeles, New York, Brazil, Korea. Everyone has a different eye and hand skill, and I have to merge that with the aesthetic considerations of the patient to get the best result.”
Can you get veneers if you already have crowns, caps, or root canals?
“A crown is like a veneer but it covers the tooth 360 degrees. If you already have a crown, you would usually replace it so it matches everything else. However, if the crown fits incredibly well and it’s the right kind of ceramic, you can actually bond a veneer to a crown. It’s called ceramic bonding. It’s very predictable and very strong. It just has to be the right situation.”
How can you get great veneers outside LA or NYC?
“Talent exists everywhere. It’s just about finding your diamond in the rough. With technology, social media, Google search, it’s very easy to find someone in your area. The question becomes how do you know if they’re the right person.”
OK, then how should you vet a cosmetic dentist?
“Number one, how often do you do this procedure? Number two, show me examples of your work that would look good on me. That one is critical. Number three, can we build a prototype of my teeth before we start so I can have a sense of where this is going.”
What are the biggest red flags when choosing a dentist?
“Red flag number one: don’t worry about it, let’s start tomorrow. That’s a guarantee you’re going to end up with an unintended result because there has been no thought or planning going into the process.”
How can you tell if a dentist’s work is customized versus templated?
“If you look at five different smiles and you see the same set of teeth five times, you’re getting that same set of teeth. If you look at five cases and they all look different, like five different dentists did them, chances are you’re going to get something really custom for you.”
How much should veneers cost?
“Cost is a broad question. It’s going to cost more in Los Angeles than South Dakota. I’m in the neighborhood of $5,000 per tooth. But you could get a great set for maybe half that in another market. If you amortize that over 20 years, you’re talking about maybe $80 a month for a healthy, functioning, confident smile. People spend more on their phone bill.”
Will veneers become more affordable over time?
“It’s headed in the exact opposite direction towards the consumer. As technology gets better, it becomes more efficient and less expensive. That lowers price and increases access. It will move toward faster treatment, even same-day. When you have to replace them down the road, it’s going to be faster, better, and absolutely cost less.”
What kind of impact can veneers have long-term?
“I grew up without the means for orthodontics. When I finally got braces, my teeth were straight but didn’t look good. I had chips and discoloration. Veneers gave me the version of my smile I always wanted. It’s been 23 or 24 years with the same set. They didn’t just improve how my teeth look. They protected them and kept me from further damage.”