Atelier’s Swarovski crystals can be arranged in a number of patterns. (Photo courtesy Atelier)
A new kind of dental cosmetic flair, spurred by escalating beauty trends and new pressures for self-expression, is on the rise. Just ask A.J. Sunkins, and he’ll tell you with a shimmering, silvery smile.
“I’ve been wanting this for a couple years now,” Sunkins, 22, says. “I was like, ‘Listen, I want them to bling. When I smile, I want them to brighten up.’”
The Richmonder got his tooth gems done in May at Atelier, one of a handful of local cosmetic salons that offer the service of bonding crystals and precious metals to tooth enamel, for roughly $1,000. After seeing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s jewelry-filled jaw (valued at $1.8 million), Sunkins was hooked. “I saw this guy’s full set of tooth gems and liked what he had, but I put my own spin on it.”
A.J. Sunkins after his tooth gem application in May (Photo courtesy Atelier)
Growing out of the era of grillz (diamond-and-metal jewelry meant to cover entire rows of teeth), the modification has hit the mainstream as a low-impact and creative way to personalize a smile. The straightforward nature of the gems, which are bonded to teeth similarly to brackets used for braces, appeal to many looking for nonpermanent jewelry to express themselves in new ways — especially members of Gen Z.
Tooth gems are a part of a broader landscape of modern cosmetic enhancement trends over the years, seen in the shiny mouths of Hollywood stars and rappers and all over social media platforms, where people show off and market their latest designs.
Inspired Incisors
Savannah Sheely co-founded Atelier in 2017, offering cosmetic tattooing, microblading, lash extensions and more. That’s also when she introduced the tooth gems service to the practice, while the trend was nascent in the area. She has since seen a steady increase in demand.
“It fits into a lot of what we do here. It makes you feel so beautiful with low maintenance,” Sheely says. “It’s like permanent makeup; you can wake up and it’s just there.”
Midge O’Brien was among Sheely’s first patients, getting new gems and styles swapped out weekly. “I was obsessed; they’re addictive,” O’Brien says. “I was so gung-ho for something less permanent than tattooing and piercing, and these are just so fun.” In 2022, as the studio expanded to its new location on Cary Street, O’Brien went from patient to provider and joined the studio as a tooth gem specialist.
O’Brien explains the attraction many patients have with tooth gems while sporting rows of Swarovski crystals on her upper and lower teeth. “It’s a very quick process and totally reversible, which I think is the huge appeal for a lot of people,” she says. “It’s the newest option there is for a fun new accessory.”
Professionally applying tooth gems requires a blend of dental and aesthetic skills. “We use the same products that orthodontists use to apply braces; it’s two kinds of resin,” O’Brien explains. “The first resin goes on the tooth and gets into the micropores of the enamel, and then I dip all the gems in a composite. When I put the two together, they bond really well.” That bond, cured with UV light, forms a tight seal that can last a year, on average.
Depending on the design and number of crystals, rates for the stones and application start at under $100 per gem. The store carries over 20 types of crystals, as well as 14- and 18-karat yellow and white gold. Sheely notes that stone quality is crucial to maintaining oral health and the longevity of the gem. After the initial bonding, dental care is standard, although an appointment with a dental hygienist is required to remove the gems before they naturally drop off.
“They’re much less invasive than things like platinum crowns and grillz, as far as procedures go,” says Dr. Graham Forbes of Capital Dental Design. “You can brush and floss as normal. As a dentist, I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend making sure that your gums and your teeth are healthy before getting gems. You can’t really bond [a gem] to a cavity.”
Beyond the importance of tooth health, dentists and tooth gem specialists alike warn prospective patients to avoid DIY procedures often sold on social media due to low-quality gems and application methods. Occasionally, even with professional applications, gems run the risk of trapping food and bacteria on the tooth, making regular cleanings even more crucial.
While products like grillz and custom crowns might increase the “wow” factor (and estimated cost) of a smile, more in-depth surgical needs and permanence, in some cases, have driven the rise of bonded gems.
Illustration by Erin Bushnell
Straight Expectations
The gems are just one aspect of the nonmedical aesthetic adjustment industry of cosmetic dentistry. Improvements to whiten, straighten and otherwise enhance teeth produced a $30 billion market in 2022, according to Persistence Market Research.
“At its most broad, cosmetic dentistry is anything that makes people more comfortable with their smile,” Forbes says. “Anything from whitening your teeth to veneers to full-mouth reconstructive work falls in that description.”
Cosmetic procedures commonly start with whitening sessions and straightening with braces or variants such as Invisalign. A recent shift in beauty standards, influenced by celebrities — for whom veneers and more invasive cosmetic dentistry is standard — and social media, has attracted patients who are looking to meet those expectations.
“I think that there is an increase in awareness of cosmetic dental procedures and offerings, largely pushed forward into the spotlight through social media and people who have shared their interest in enhancing their teeth,” says Dr. Louis Formica, professor and director of the faculty dental practice at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. “I have patients that come in and say, ‘I would like teeth like Margot Robbie,’ but cosmetic dentistry is not a ‘copy and paste’ type of procedure. It really needs to be tailored to the individual’s function and form.”
Improvements in technology, including 3D scanning and modeling, make it easier for dentists to give their patients an understanding of how their smile can meet their vision. “The advent of digital planning and different kinds of software we use has really opened the door to allow many more people to have a more natural look with an improvement,” Forbes says. “It used to be reserved for a dozen, two dozen ceramicists in the world that could really do that.”
Whether it’s the classic Hollywood smile or a unique adjustment, setting expectations early is crucial to long-term enjoyment; as trends change, the look a patient excitedly plans for might fall out of fashion. “The pendulum has swung to a bright, but natural, look for modern patients. ... The California veneers of the ’90s are much more noticeable, and now people want a look where it’s not immediately noticeable that something has changed,” Forbes says. “The planning at the beginning is the most important part.”
A New Frontier
Those familiar aesthetic standards dominate the beauty world as well, Sheely notes. “I think the beauty industry is tough; now you have social media, TikTok, all the stuff that drives standards,” she says. “It’s a strive for perfection.”
For O’Brien and Sheely, the focus on pushing the bounds of cosmetics and body modifications keeps staff and customers excited. “This gets to be self-expression, as opposed to meeting beauty standards,” O’Brien says.
As trends ebb and flow, dentists including Formica stress a balanced approach to the way patients chase down their “perfect” smile, as well as how dental professionals bring those visions to life.
“We look to impart that aesthetics come down to form and function,” Formica says. “The things that we as dentists look and strive to provide patients need to not only look beautiful and natural, but they also need to function.”
