In the fat-jab, facelift-obsessed days of the mid-2020s, as faces and figures in Hollywood once again begin to morph into uniformity, it seems there is one place celebrities are embracing individuality: their teeth.
Think Margot Robbie, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Aimee Lou Wood, Ayo Edebiri, Myha’la Herrold, Zendaya… And men too – Jacob Elordi, Timothée Chalamet, Luke Evans, Kendrick Lamar, to name a few. All are examples of how characterful, natural-looking teeth are something to smile about in Hollywood once again.
But it’s not as simple as the stars all simply choosing to stick with what nature gave them when it comes to their teeth.
“I increasingly see clients who want some cosmetic work, but also want to retain natural features,” says cosmetic dentist Dr Rhona Eskander of London’s Chelsea Dental Clinic, adding that her clients are asking for “straightening and whitening”, but not necessarily white veneers. Actress Margot Robbie’s teeth (which feature characterful dominant canines) have been her most requested look for some time.
Natural teeth also have the benefit of retaining their feminine and masculine dental characteristics, says Eskander, which is a detail that can be lost with big square veneers or crowns. “‘Feminine’ teeth tend to be softer and more rounded in shape, whereas ‘masculine’ tend to be squarer and more angular. Women’s mouths also often feature more embrasures [the v-shaped valleys] between teeth.”
In other words, the new Hollywood teeth may look low-maintenance, but they still take work. A study by researchers at University College London (UCL) published in 2023 bears this out. It found that around one third of people aged under 35 had had a cosmetic dental procedure or treatment in the previous 12 months, with an average spend of £3,677. One in 10 of those aged 25-34 had spent £25,000 or more. Indeed, spending on cosmetic dentistry in the UK is forecast to grow from £3.1bn in 2025 to £5.9bn in 2031, according to market researchers.
Your smile, but better
“Many people still have optimising treatments, even to retain their natural smiles,” says London-based dentist Dr Brandon Nejati, who runs a cosmetic and anti-ageing dental clinic. “The natural look is still whiter, still no asymmetry, no visible cracks or chips… People still address all those issues.”
He continues: “I treat lots of big Hollywood figures, and what they want has changed. Over the past five years, no one wants the ‘done’ look any more. They want ‘natural wellness’ rather than uniformity. Patients look like they’ve changed something, but it’s hard to pin down.”
A bigger smile, literally
In dentist-speak, we’re talking about the trend for a wider buccal corridor à la Timothée Chalamet. “A buccal corridor is the space between teeth, cheeks and lips,” says Eskander. “When we look at the sides of a smile, someone like Margot Robbie or Julia Roberts appears to have a very wide smile with 10 to 12 teeth on show.” Increasing this space can be done in a variety of orthodontic ways – usually either by using a palate expander device (in young people) or by using an appliance such as an Invisalign (from £5,000 at Dr Eskander’s practice), lingual (on the inside of the teeth, from £6,500) or fixed braces (from £5,500) to push the teeth.
Canines for character
“The ‘tombstone tooth’ trend in cosmetic dentistry emphasised a uniformity in teeth which isn’t there biologically,” says Harvard-educated TikTok dentist Dr Sara who goes by the handle @veneercheck on the platform. Dr Sara says that lateral teeth (the teeth next to the two central teeth in the upper and lower jaws) are the “smallest teeth in the upper arch” and never bigger than pointed canine teeth, despite what the work of some Hollywood dentists would have us believe.
Sabrina Carpenter got the memo; with her rotated tooth, pointy canines and mamelons (the bumps on the edge of a tooth which help them erupt through the gum) contributing to her cute, youthful smile, cites Dr Sara. Ditto actors Robbie, Luke Evans, Kristen Dunst and Zendaya, who has “rotated teeth, pointy canines” and, in the opinion of Dr Sara, some orthodontic work likely from an Invisalign appliance. “I love it when patients keep the essence of who they are,” she says.
‘Natural’ is the new flex
“The new status symbol is when dental work looks undetectable,” says Nejati. “Usually dental work that looks the most noticeable is the cheap dentistry.”
Dr Tim Bradstock-Smith has been a pioneer of cosmetic dentistry in the UK, having set up the London Smile Clinic in the capital in 1999. He notes that while there have always been celebrities who have embraced their natural teeth, “there has been a backlash against veneers, whether deserved or not”. These days, he says, he rarely gets a patient coming in wanting a big, white “Hollywood” smile.
“My patients are accepting of a lower level of whitening, too,” adds Eskander. “They no longer desire that ‘flashbulb’ look.” Teeth also tone down in colour as we age because our enamel thins down, meaning very white teeth after midlife can look, well, odd. Pamela Anderson is a good case in point, having abandoned mega-watt whiteness for natural-toned teeth on the red carpet in recent years.
You’ve got some front
Prominent front teeth are all the rage – we’re talking Wood or Grande with her “small laterals, prominent centrals and mamelons”, says Dr Sara. Then there’s Industry’s Myha’la Herrold and the Bear’s Edibiri. While it’s likely these stars have had some cosmetic dentistry, including whitening, they’ve been careful not to change the natural proportions of their mouths, maintaining a natural smile.
There’s glamour in a gap between the front teeth, too. The youthful look has enjoyed a moment in the sun once again in recent years thanks to the likes of Elordi, musicians Kendrick Lamar and Kano, The White Lotus’s Wood and Wicked star Erivo. “There is even a TikTok trend of people using a black marker to create the illusion of a space in their teeth,” says Dr Eskander. “Diastemas are often genetic and I have had people who have had gaps closed from previous dental treatment seeking to open the space up again.”
All hail the mouth manicure
Damaged or worn-looking teeth or gums can prematurely age people, explains Dr Nejati, adding that a dental technique called “micro-layering” (from £795 per tooth) is one of his clinic’s most popular treatments, drawing patients from all around the world, including Hollywood celebrities.
“Over the years, teeth become more porous and start staining more. Instead of traditional veneers, we can repair this by fixing chips and cracks and restoring dental integrity by micro-layering a composite resin and porcelain mix over each tooth, making it possible to seal porosities and reverse damage.”
Nejati says this non-invasive treatment (which he describes as being “like a manicure for the teeth”) is done by building up layers, starting with opaque ones. “The result you get is very fine and vibrant with an amazing depth. By the time I have painted 15 to 16 layers on each tooth, the resin is still only 0.3mm in total. The result is like night and day.”