Sir, on wasted hours scrolling through Instagram and Facebook feeds, I have been bombarded with 'clip on veneers' (COV) adverts. One showed several pictures of a lady grinning, displaying a large whiteboard smile enhanced with a fancy filter but the 'pre-op' photo showed several clear ongoing dental issues including anterior caries, gingival inflammation, and broken-down teeth. It does not surprise me that people are drawn to these kinds of products; the rise of social media advertising has facilitated an endless drive for the 'perfect smile'.

The company website selling these prostheses shows multiple client cases, many with the aforementioned dental issues. Obviously, these clients want a quick fix which is affordable, and at only £200 for both the impression kit and veneers, you cannot blame them for purchasing these products. The company claims that their COV are not only an aesthetic treatment option but also an 'alternative' to dental implants, dentures and other fixed prostheses and add that there is no need for any dental visits or complex procedures. These claims are both worrying and damaging.

A previous letter to the BDJ highlighted the short-term risks of COV which can become fixed in situ and cause oral ulceration and further deterioration of the oral tissues.1 Furthermore, these veneers can delay patients seeking dental professional intervention, only compounding the issues further. I feel as our regulator, the GDC should be looking into these companies as there is a similarity between the cases brought forward against direct-to-consumer orthodontics.2