31 Years Old and FINALLY Thrilled With My Smile!

Quick update! It’s been about 10 1/2 months and my teeth still look and feel great. I get compliments ALL THE TIME. Still thrilled with my decision and definitely recommend Dr. Carlos (@dentahome on IG). I do feel like the color has gotten a little less white, which I like because I think they look more real now.
On another note, I lost my retainer after 3 months. Because I haven’t been wearing it, I feel like my teeth have shifted the teeniest little bit, but this was happening before the veneers (I believe having braces for so many years weakened my teeth and allow them shift easily), so it’s unrelated to the veneers themselves or Dr Carlos’ work. I’m going back to Colombia soon, so I’m hoping to squeeze in an appt to get a replacement retainer and also replace my remaining silver fillings on my molars. I’ll share another update soon!

Let me start by saying that I've had a LONG journey with my smile. I first got braces when I was 13 (the summer before my Freshman year in high school) and didn't have them removed until halfway through my Freshman year in college. After 5 years+ of having braces, I wasn't happy with my smile. A few years later, I had two porcelain crowns applied to my front canines to help with the shape and color of those two teeth, which did help, but I still wasn't fully satisfied.
I decided that porcelain veneers would be the best option for me, but due to the cost of a full set of veneers, I put off having the procedure done for 10 years. Well, baby, it's been a few weeks since I had my veneers applied, and for the first time, I am THRILLED with teeth and I haven't stopped smiling since! Let's get into it...I got my veneers done Doctor Carlos Betancourt with Dental Home in Medellin, Colombia after extensive research on RealSelf. I opted to travel abroad for the procedure because I knew that I could have a safe procedure done for a fraction of what it would cost in the US, and I specifically chose Dr. Carlos because I liked the aesthetic of his work (it looks very natural and not overdone) and he's really serious about maintaining the integrity of his clients' natural teeth.I had 16 veneers applied (8 top & 8 bottom) plus 2 resin bonds on top.THE BOOKING PROCESS :I reached out to Dr. Carlos via WhatsApp and he responded to me within a few days. We discussed my goals and I provided photos of my smile. Based upon the photos I sent, he provided a rough estimate with a couple different options that I could choose from. One included 18 veneers, one included 16 veneers + 2 resin bonds, one included just 16 veneers. The booking process was as simple as letting him know that I was ready to move forward, and he provided dates for my initial appointment and follow up! Everything was done via WhatsApp. Dr. Carlos offers a small discount if you pay for your services in cash versus credit.TRAVEL & APPOINTMENTS :I flew into Medellin, Colombia on Tuesday, October 31st. I didn't run into any issues traveling through customs. I arranged for a pickup through my hotel. Although I didn't go out too much in the city (I spent the week working on an intense application for a program), I felt REALLY safe in Medellin when I did wander out and about. There are a TON of taxis available, so getting around is super easy. The only challenge for me was the language barrier because I do not speak much Spanish. Although Dr. Carlos does accept USD for his services, I did convert my day-to-day spending money to Colombian Pesos. Between appointments, Dr. Carlos checked in on me via WhatsApp.Dr. Carlos has two beautiful offices in Medellin, and I chose to stay at a hotel that was within walking distance from the office that I had my first appointment.Veneers require two appointments to complete. I had my first appointment on 11/1. During that appointment Dr. Carlos consulted with me about my goals (again), x-rayed my teeth, analyzed my teeth, took impressions for the veneers, and explained everything that I should I expect. I also chose the color of my veneers. Because I had silver fillings on a four of my molars, he recommended that I have them replaced with white fillings, which I ended up doing the following day. This appointment took 2 - 3 hours total.My "installation" appointment was 3 days later on that Saturday. We had to rush the production of my veneers because there was a public holiday on that Monday and I was flying out of town on Tuesday. Dr. Carlos pushed my appointment up to Saturday so that I could "live" in my veneers for a few days before I flew home. What's also nice about working with Dr. Carlos is that he has a lab in town, so the process goes much quicker than a lot of Doctors in the States. However, if you do travel to Colombia for veneers, I do recommend that you give yourself 6 or 7 days.Having the veneers applied was painless, but is a painstaking process. It definitely takes time and patience to bond and cement each tooth! But Dr. Carlos made me feel comfortable the entire time and explained every step. With the exception of 1 tooth, he didn't have to do any significant shaving down of my teeth, so my natural teeth are intact. Because the two crowns I previously had installed are still in good shape, he was able to apply the veneers right over the crowns! Overall, this second appointment took about 4 - 4.5 hours, and I was able to watch netflix as the veneers were applied.I had one last check-in appointment on the morning of my flight home. During that appointment, he made sure everything felt great, buffed my teeth one last time, gave me a retainer, and shared long term care instructions.Overall, I'm super happy with my investment and I'm so glad that I traveled to Dental Home to have my veneers done! I would definitely recommend it!PS -- If you look at the Dental Home IG, Veneers are called "Lentes de contacto".