Tooth Gems Are Making A Comeback, So Could This Be The Most Painful

Maybe your like

Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

FORGET about pearly whites, right now it’s all about blinged up teeth.

At last night’s Brit Awards, model Adwoa Aboah took her sparkling smile to the next level by adding a diamond embellished Chanel logo to her tooth.

Do you love it or loathe it?

She’s not the first star to try out the bedazzled trend – fellow model Hailey Baldwin brought back the tooth gem trend by having not one, but two diamonds applied to her teeth.

Kendall Jenner added a yellow diamond to her tooth, giving her red carpet smile an extra twinkle.

We’ve also seen our very own Rita Ora give the trend a go – but she’s fearless with any beauty look.

Close up of the Chanel jewel Adwoa sported at the Brits

Katy Perry showing off her pearly whites complete with gold Nike tick

Katy Perry has been rocking a gold Nike logo since 2015, and even Halsey has followed suit with a shining star tooth gem.

The tooth-gem trend all started in Sweden, and while us Brits tried the trend in the late 90s-early-noughties, we finally saw sense and didn’t go wild, making it a ‘thing’.

But soon, we might be.

Thanks to the success of Los Angeles-based Tooth Kandy, the beauty trend is on the rise.

According to their site, a tooth gem can last anywhere between six months to a year, and it doesn’t interfere with brushing or your usual dental visits.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BakUo3slrt9/?hl=en&taken-by=toothkandy

They also bond the tooth gem to the enamel, so the whole process is said to be painless.

The application process for tooth gems involves buying a kit, cleaning your teeth, applying glue and hardening the gem in place with a UV lamp.

To remove the gems, you have to wait until they fall off naturally, or forcibly remove them yourself or visit the dentist.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbchvY7lkJs/?hl=en&taken-by=toothkandy

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbKmjh_FHjD/?hl=en&taken-by=toothkandy

But there have been horror stories, one unlucky receiver got her tooth jem applied permanently on holiday to Turkey when she was fifteen.

Cara, who is now in her twenties, regrets it, saying: “When I was 15 years old, I was on holiday in Turkey and decided to go behind my mum’s back and have a permanent, drilled in tooth gem at the dentist.

I thought at the time it looked good. However I’m turning 20 and have started training as a nurse and I want so badly this tooth gem removed.

I know it will leave a small hole in my tooth but I will get it capped at the dentist.

I have tried picking it out, using a knife to scrape it out… I’m desperate now.

I’m a bit nervous about going to the dentist to have it removed because I think they’ll laugh at me, but if I have to do that I will do!

I’m afraid to smile because I feel people are staring at my tooth rather than properly speaking to me!”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKWlMpHhtiq/?hl=en&taken-by=toothkandy

Thankfully, the temporary jewels are a slightly stree-free.

Jonquille Bailey from Manchester had a tooth gem applied in her teens when she attended The Clothes Show in Birmingham.

While she “loved it” at the time, it lasted for a year and by the end she felt like a “cheap Mick Hucknell.”

And if it's good enough for Beyonce... — And if it’s good enough for Beyonce…

Some people haven’t been so lucky.

One Instagram user commented: “My dentist did mine with laser, told me it would come off after 1-3 years but it’s still there, 14 years later!”

There is a concern that teeth jewellery causes damage to enamel.

When removing tooth gems, it’s possible that you might remove a small layer of your enamel, as the glue can be very strong.

It could also be bad for tooth decay as it’s easy for stray food and particles to get stuck in tooth gems, which may increase plaque development and lead to unwanted tooth decay.

The best option would be to try stick on jewels – easy to apply, no pain and more importantly, no damage.

Temporary Tooth Gems, £10, Claire’s

If you want to try the trend, these would be hassle-free

We spoke to celebrity dentist, Dr Richard Marques from Wimpole Street Dental, who told us what the risks are with the beauty trend.

He told FABULOUS: “Tooth gems have risen popularity, but they should only ever be applied by a professional dentist, rather than a beauty therapist, as it’s actually quite complicated to do them safely.

If applied incorrectly, they can fall off and be swallowed, potentially getting stuck in the airways or the stomach.

The risk of leaving a tooth gem in place for 14 years is that the tooth enamel can decay beneath the gem.

This can result in a hole forming underneath the tooth which will have gone unnoticed.

In extreme cases, this could cause the tooth to actually crack and the decay could work its way towards the nerve, potentially requiring a root canal.

Tooth gems should be temporary. If you do decide to get one, be sure to have it replaced regularly so that the enamel underneath can be checked and cleaned.”