Top dentist warns Millennials not to follow the example of Connor from Love Island by flying abroad for outdated dental treatment that could risk health and see you turned away from the NHS if you encounter problems

A top dentist has urged Millennials to think twice about travelling abroad for dental treatment to mimic the ‘’blinding’’ white teeth sported by Love Island star Connor.

The 25-year-old from Brighton has boasted his perfect teeth have boosted his popularity with the opposite sex.
He claimed on the ITV show: ‘I do get a lot of attention from girls on nights out, I think mainly it is the teeth!'
'I went to Thailand, I found “them" on Google - a random dentist - flew there and just got them done'.
'Honestly, these teeth have worked wonders on me. I have lovely teeth’.

Connor does not elaborate on the work that was undertaken but Dr Christopher Orr has examined before and after pictures of Connor and said the coffee bean salesman appears to have had veneers – a long-established treatment which has been around for almost 30 years. Veneers can be done very conservatively, but sometimes they can be very destructive, especially if done in a hurry during a short overseas trip.

Dr Christopher Orr, owner of Advanced Dental Practice in central London, said: ‘Young people like Connor should not undertake treatments which involve a lot of removal of natural tooth tissue'.

'My main concern is he does not know the lifelong maintenance needed for this type of work. Veneers can be an excellent treatment in the right situation, but - like every treatment - they have their pros and cons.
‘Regardless of who does it, nothing lasts forever and veneers / crowns etc will need to be replaced several times over the person’s lifetime, so it makes sense not to do these things if there are more conservative alternatives available, especially in younger patients’.

Dr Orr also warned that anyone who has had dental treatment abroad, such as veneers, crowns or implants, may not be eligible for treatment on the NHS if they have a problem: ‘Flying back to the country you had the original treatment may be difficult and/or expensive. And you may not be able to rely on the NHS to fix it either'.

Dental veneers change your natural teeth and the treatment is irreversible.
A veneer is a thin facing, custom-made from porcelain, which is bonded to the front surface of a tooth. Veneers can be a good solution to chipped, misshapen or mildly crooked teeth. They can also be used to close gaps between teeth.
Veneers should mimic the size, shape and colour of your teeth and create a natural look.
However Connor has found himself trolled online for his veneers with many mocking the artificial look of them and found them to be so white they have been branded ‘’blinding’’.

Dr Orr said this reflects the way that the treatment was undertaken.
He said: 'Very often when treatment is done in a short timeframe, for example, when carried out during an overseas holiday, the treatment may involve a lot more drilling than what could be achieved if the dentist had time to straighten teeth using braces, provide whitening then reshape the teeth using conservative veneers or composite bonding’

The result achieved can appear impressive at first, but sometimes the teeth are permanently compromised for the sake of speed. Many people having treatment like this do not appreciate that no treatment will last forever, and will need to be replaced eventually. It therefore makes sense to try to preserve as much of the natural tooth as possible each time treatment is carried out. This is much easier to do with today’s techniques and materials so that teeth last a lifetime'.

Dr Orr said he was also alarmed by the lack of checks carried out by Connor who had simply ‘’Googled’’ for a dentist abroad.
He said: ‘If you do decide to choose a dentist abroad it is better to rely on a recommendation rather than an internet search engine which is what Connor said he has done. It is important to check them out, ask about their level of experience in carrying out the kind of treatment they propose'.

Rebecca@rmpublicity.com / 07779993494