What is Teeth Shaving?

Teeth shaving, otherwise known as teeth contouring, is a procedure that’s done to reduce the size of a tooth. This procedure can be done to improve the tooth’s appearance or how it fits in the mouth.

How Much Does Teeth Shaving Cost? 

Teeth shaving cost varies depending on the experience of the dentist and their location. Minor reshaping of one tooth can cost from $50 to $300.

Teeth shaving cost for reshaping multiple teeth and balancing your bite can range from $650 to $1,500.

Teeth Shaving Purposes, Benefits and Side-Effects

Teeth shaving can be done for cosmetic reasons, such as to smooth a tooth that’s misshapen or chipped. Dentists can also shave the teeth to create a more even tooth line.

After a dental exam, a dentist may decide one or more of your teeth could benefit from shaving. There are a number of reasons why, here are just a few:

Reshaping Damaged Teeth 

While a small tooth chip may not seem like a huge deal, odds are you’re going to notice it every time you look in the mirror. Shaving that tooth down can create an even edge and greatly improve the look of your smile.

Creating More Room in the Mouth

If you have a small jaw or big teeth, your teeth may be crowded and need more room to breathe. Crowded teeth can cause a number of problems, including jaw pain, misalignment and crooked teeth. Shaving some of those teeth down can make just enough room to reduce crowding and remedy any problems it may have caused in the future.

Shaving Teeth for a Dental Crown

A dental crown is a cap that fits over a damaged tooth. Typically, a dentist will prepare your tooth by shaving it down before applying the dental crown. In this case, the crown will cover the tooth along with any evidence of the shaving process.

Shaving Teeth for Veneers

A veneer is similar to a crown in that it covers a damaged tooth. However, a veneer typically only covers the front.

Sometimes, a dentist may shave down the tooth in preparation for a veneer, but this reduction is much less than crown preparation. A dentist may also shave the teeth opposite the veneer to make sure the teeth match up correctly.

In addition to covering damaged teeth, veneers are often used for cosmetic reasons, such as changing the size, color, length, and shape of your teeth, as well as to close gaps.

Shaving Teeth for Braces

Orthodontics are designed to address issues like crowding or misalignment. Braces and retainers help move teeth into better positions to alleviate crowding or misalignment. In some cases, an orthodontist may shave one or two teeth as part of this process.

Adjusting Your Bite 

If your teeth don’t match up correctly when you bite down, a dentist may suggest shaving any teeth that prevent them from resting easily against each other. For example, your canine teeth may be a little too long, which can affect your bite.

Misaligned teeth can also affect your bite. This can cause a number of problems, such as jaw pain, loose teeth and headaches.

Shaving Teeth for Veneers 

A veneer is a thin layer of porcelain that’s placed over your natural tooth to give it a whiter and more uniform appearance. A full mouth of veneers can be extremely expensive, but they can last up to 15 years with the proper care.

In the past, porcelain veneers have been something only celebrities or the mega-rich could afford. Now, more young people are choosing to undergo cosmetic dentistry despite the cost and risks.

People have coined a “veneers check” trend on TikTok by showing their shaven teeth to followers. These shark-like tiny peg teeth have taken over the social media platform, but they haven’t been prepared for veneers, they’ve been prepared for dental crowns!

Dental crown preparation requires your teeth to be shaved down to little stubs, while veneers require little teeth shaving. One dentist on TikTok, Dr. Manouchehri, said: “Shaving teeth down to pegs is going to damage the nerve and you’re going to need a root canal treatment and an extraction at some point in your life. Veneers or crowns will need to be replaced every 10 to 15 years typically.” This means TikTokers who shave their teeth down are making a lifelong commitment, both physically and financially.

Dr. Manouchehri shared her concern for these TikTokers, pointing out that they’re “going to need to replace them four or five times throughout their lifetime if not more. Not only the financial burden is gonna be an issue, secondly it’s gonna be a biological burden because the tooth physically can’t be prepared and re-prepared every single time.”

Shaving teeth for veneers causes irreparable damage to the natural teeth. Luckily, there is a way to get veneers without shaving teeth. Continue reading to learn more!

Veneers without Shaving Teeth 

Brighter Image Lab’s Dental Veneers are a great alternative to porcelain veneers. They are dental veneers that simply snap over your existing smile. These revolutionary veneers require NO preparation. In fact, the only person who touches your teeth throughout the entire process is YOU!

Our unique Lab Direct process allows us to design and deliver perfectly tailored smile make-overs to clients all over the world. Clients simply order online, take their impressions from home, send them in and receive their Dental Veneers in the mail! It’s that simple!

BilVeneers are designed to mimic the perfect porcelain veneer smile without the pain or cost. They’re extremely durable, allowing clients to eat and drink while wearing them. They can be snapped on and removed at any time for ultimate comfort. BilVeneers have the power to transform your smile in an instant without a dentist! Simply snap them on and enjoy all the benefits of a beautiful smile.

Just because you’re unhappy with your smile doesn’t mean you have to destroy it by shaving teeth for veneers. BilVeneers are a great alternative to veneers. They’re also a good alternative to dental crowns. Read on to learn about the teeth shaving required dental crowns preparation!

Teeth Shaving for Dental Crowns 

Recently, ‘crowns’ have been sold and marketed as ‘veneers.’ This can cause a lot of confusion.

While a veneer requires minimal preparation to a single surface of the tooth, a crown preparation requires heavy preparation of all tooth surfaces. In contrast, crowns come in many materials and have a very invasive preparation process.

The dental crown preparation process requires teeth to be ground down so the entire structure can be covered. Crown preparations require less time and skill for both the dentist and the lab technicians but can cause more long-term damage.

Choosing a dental crown over a veneer means more of your natural tooth will be removed, significantly weakening the tooth and leaving it much more vulnerable to future issues. 

Teeth Shaving Before and After 

Many popular TikTok users are getting dental crowns and sharing their teeth shaving before and after pictures. These TikTokers show their teeth, which have been prepared for dental crowns, in the before picture and their final results in the after picture. They post their new smiles using the #veneerscheck hashtag.

After seeing the teeth shaving before and after videos, many dentists spoke out. One dentist, Dr. Manoucheri, couldn’t “understand why young people with seemingly healthy and aesthetic teeth were having their teeth shaved down to pegs, and why they were referring to these restorations as veneers.” She pointed out that the TikTokers had actually gotten crowns on all their teeth, not veneers like they thought. 

Obviously, teeth shaving has its consequences, but it is especially dangerous for young people. Keep reading to learn just how dangerous it can be!

Is it Dangerous to get Teeth Shaved Down at a Young Age? 

As you remove layers of the natural tooth, the lifespan of that tooth shortens. Every time the tooth is re-treated, more of its precious tissue is taken away. The dental crown process removes over 60% of the natural tooth, leaving the tooth extremely vulnerable to breaking.

One in every four crowned teeth will eventually need a root canal treatment and a post to hold the crown in place. This step is usually the last resort before the tooth has to be removed completely. Many of the young TikTok users shaving teeth down for dental crowns may end up having to replace their teeth as early as their 40’s. Furthermore, the pulp of the tooth, which contains the nerve and blood supply of the tooth, is much larger in younger people. This means there’s a higher chance of nerve damage, which may require a root canal treatment. 

Can You Shave Your Teeth at Home? 

A quick TikTok or YouTube search will yield countless videos of people claiming they’ve successfully shaved their teeth from home with a nail file. Do not try this at home!

One of the first teeth shaving videos was uploaded to the site on July 3rd by a n girl amed Miadio. This TikTok user posted a video of herself filing her teeth down with a nail file. She opened the video by saying, “I’m going to file my teeth down with a nail file because they are not perfect, I have some ridges, and we’re balling on a budget.” Over the past six months, Miadio’s teeth shaving TikTok has gained over 447,000 views, 51,700 likes, 2,155 shares and 810 comments.

With the teeth shaving trend gaining so much traction online, you may be wondering: Is it safe to nail file your teeth? The answer is NO! It is definitely not safe to shave your teeth with a nail file.

A few dentists have shared their concern for the nail filing teeth trend, calling it unsafe and warning that it could cause extreme damage to the teeth. Dr Krystyna Wilczynski, a cosmetic dentist at White & Co Dental, made a TikTok informing viewers that “Filing down teeth will remove the tooth enamel. If you file too much enamel away, you risk tooth sensitivity and even worse, nerve inflammation, irritation and pain. This can then lead to further complications and need for dental intervention.” This damage, she warns, will be permanent. Tooth structure doesn’t regenerate, so any alterations made to your teeth through shaving will never be naturally reversed. 

While it’s possible to shave your teeth at home, it’s definitely not a good idea. If you try to file or shave your teeth at home, you risk damaging your tooth enamel. Enamel is the hard outer layer of the tooth. This layer guards the nerve of the tooth and protects against decay. You can’t regrow tooth enamel, so any damage inflicted on your teeth through shaving will be permanent. You might even wind up needing a veneer or crown if the damage is severe enough.

Conclusion

Over the past year, teeth shaving has made its way across the internet. Many TikTok users and young people have removed irreplaceable layers from their teeth, permanently damaging their natural smile.   

If you’re unhappy with your smile, please don’t shave your teeth. You can achieve the perfect smile without removing any portion of your natural teeth with BilVeneers.

BilVeneers have helped hundreds of thousands of people transform their smile without any teeth shaving. Now, you can own your own set today. Simply click below and begin your smile transformation!