Trends in dentistry, for example vampire fangs, tattoos, decorative tooth covers - these are just some of the ideas of patients whose implementation they are looking for in dentists' offices. In the past, tattoos and body piercings were fashionable, nowadays extreme metamorphoses also apply to the appearance of the teeth.

Contents:

    1. Trends in dentistry: crooked teeth
    2. Trends in dentistry: vampire fangs
    3. Trends in dentistry: diastema
    4. Trends in dentistry - the effects of modification

Trends in dentistry are different, and they are very often promoted by show business stars. What are the forms of decorating the teeth and are they he althy?

Decorative overlays, the so-called grills (grillz), tooth crystals or dental tattoos are just some of the forms of decorating the oral cavity. There are offices abroad that make tattooths for about $ 100, this applies to molars, premolars and ones. When the tattoo is bored, it can be removed.

- Crystals, which stuck to the teeth were supposed to act as temporary jewelry, were once a hit on the Internet. Some dental offices still offer such a procedure, then the crystals are fixed with light-cured material and removed by professionals. There are also kits available online, where the patient can use Superglue to stick the crystals on his own, risking damage to the enamel, and even debonding the ornament and swallowing it - says Dr. Dorota Stankowska, dentist from Stankowscy & Białach Stomatologia in Poznań.

Looking at some of the ideas, the question arises, is this still cosmetic dentistry, or is it more of a body modification trend that is penetrating into dentistry?

- We have fewer experiments of this type in Poland than abroad, but this is changing. Patients, especially young ones, are becoming bolder. They look at various ideas on the Internet and sometimes try to make them come true, to stand out. Such modifications concern not only clothes or hairstyles, but also the appearance of the teeth more and more often. We are happy to test the so-called home methods, e.g. we try to whiten our teeth with lemon or turmeric, because someone on the Internet recommended such a method. The effects can be disastrous for the dentition -explains the expert.

Cosmetic solutions such as orthodontics or veneers ensuring a perfect smile turn out to be insufficient for some patients.

Trends in dentistry: crooked teeth

For example, the dental community has been terrified by a trend in Australia called "snaggletooth", in which imperfect, crooked teeth are the object of desire. Simply put, it consists in obtaining an unusual appearance of teeth in the dental office, resembling "vampire fangs".

Snaggletooth has its origin in Japan, where it is known as "yaeba". What does yaeb's natural smile look like? Most often it is the result of crowding of molars, which, by pressing against the canines, accentuate them more and bring them to the fore. We will also see this effect on persistent deciduous teeth in adults.

Trends in dentistry: vampire fangs

The fashion for "imperfect" teeth among the Japanese was written, among others, by The New York Times. Japanese women of all ages stormed dental practices to obtain temporary or permanent aligners to lengthen their canines. You can pay about $ 400 to prepare such overlays at the dentist. In most countries, patients still prefer to invest in straight teeth rather than the other way around. So where does this fashion in Asia come from?

Among the Japanese, this appearance is associated with youth and greater attractiveness, and for Japanese men the "yeaba" smile is more endearing. It is said that the cinema was also influencing the increase of patients' interest in such an effect, e.g. American saga "Twilight" about vampires.

- The feeling of aesthetics can be very individual, but let's not forget that malocclusion, including tooth crowding, is not indifferent to he alth. They have a negative impact on the work of the entire musculoskeletal system, they can cause grinding and grinding of teeth, pain, problems with their proper hygiene - says the dentist.

Trends in dentistry: diastema

The Western answer to "snaggletooth" was the so-called "London gap", a fashion for a characteristic diastema between ones similar to the one that stars such as Kate Moss, Georgia Jagger or Lara Stone have. A gap in the teeth, usually considered an aesthetic defect, suddenly became… fashionable. Many patients in London, wanting to look like cult models, asked dentists to correct the shape of their teeth or consciously decided not to undergo orthodontic treatment.

- If we do not have diastema naturally, then such a lasting effect can only be obtained by grinding and filing off ones. This is to deprive them of some of their hard tissues, which is an invasive and irreversible procedure. Tooth shape modification treatments affectenamel, the outer tissue of the tooth. If we remove the enamel from the tooth, we will reduce its resistance to bacteria, acids and mechanical injuries. As a result, it will be more susceptible to caries, hypersensitivity and brittle - explains Dr. Stankowska.

Trends in dentistry: the effects of modification

Possible consequences for dental he alth, however, do not discourage patients. Many of them do not regret their money for this type of "beautifying" treatments. This can be seen in the example of decorative overlays on the teeth, the so-called barbecues, especially popular with rappers, which, depending on the materials used, can cost from 500 to even several hundred thousand dollars.

There are dentists and dental technicians abroad who even specialize in unusual jewelry for teeth and lips, cooperate with celebrities or fashion designers. Dentists, however, warn against indiscriminately copying trends from the Internet, as the effects may be unexpected.

- The so-called overlay the grill should be adjusted to the patient's bite and preferably made of precious metals of the same type, e.g. platinum or gold, and this costs money. Otherwise, the risk of allergic reactions to, for example, nickel increases, and symptoms of the so-called allergic mucositis. In addition, if we have metal elements in our mouth, e.g. in the form of nickel-plated ornaments, and there are also alloys of other metals, e.g. amalgam fillings, they together form the so-called galvanic cell in the oral cavity. This is a dangerous situation, as a result we can feel a metallic taste in our mouth or suffer from headaches - says the expert.

Mismatched, cheap overlays from the Internet are also a bad idea. If they have sharp edges, frequent wearing them may result in irritation of the oral mucosa, abrasions and micro-injuries.

So if we want to look like a favorite rapper or feel like Count Dracula, it would be a much better idea to wear plastic covers for a Halloween party.

- We have one set of natural teeth for life, so it's worth considering twice before we subject them to invasive and, most importantly, irreversible treatments. Subsequent possible reconstructions and prosthetics can turn out to be complicated and costly. A trait of fashion is its momentary nature, and the effects of this type of experiment may be long-term - warns the dentist.

Category:

Dentistry and Orthodontics