From A-listers’ smiles on the red carpet to those of moms in the drop-off line, teeth are becoming eerily perfect. Cookie-cutter veneers tend to strip personality from smiles, but when done by a true artist, they can preserve character and elevate the teeth.
Too Much of a Good Thing
“A good dental veneer is defined by its ability to mimic the natural translucency, light reflection and subtle imperfections of real enamel,” says New York cosmetic dentist Lana Rozenberg, DDS. In contrast, we’ve recently seen many smile makeovers that are so far from reality, they take a turn into the uncanny valley.
The Woodlands, TX cosmetic dentist Guy M. Lewis, DDS says teeth that are too white, too square, too uniform and/or too opaque can look unnatural. “Perfect symmetry, the absence of any gaps or crowding, and a smile that fills the whole mouth are other indications a smile might be too perfect for its own good,” adds Dr. Rozenberg.
New York cosmetic dentist Husam Almunajed, DMD also points to “perfectly straight incisal edges and a lack of texture” as some of the biggest contributors to an uncanny- looking smile. “A smile has gone awry when perfection overshadows personality,” he says. “A great smile shouldn’t steal the spotlight. It should support the face, the confidence and the person behind it.”
The Smile Shift
For the past decade, a bright- white, perfectly straight smile was considered a status symbol in Hollywood, Dr. Rozenberg says. However, the trend seems to be shifting in favor of authenticity, and dentists are noticing the change both in their offices and across red carpets.
“Subtlety is becoming the new luxury, and beauty is moving toward a more natural look,” says Dr. Almunajed. “There was a period where ‘perfect’ meant ultra-white, ultra-uniform. Teeth became identical tiles. From across the room—or worse, on camera—you could instantly tell they were veneers.” Now, the most admired Hollywood smiles are the ones you barely notice at first. “They look healthy and polished, but still real and human—not blindingly white or fake,” adds the doctor.
Dr. Rozenberg recalls the era of “cookie-cutter” veneers—aka “chiclet teeth”—and says it appears to be coming to an end, driven by advancements in technology and a shift in consumer preference toward more natural, personalized smiles. “The industry is moving away from aggressive tooth reduction and toward minimally invasive, ‘hyper-natural’ veneers that complement individual facial features,” she adds.
The praise surrounding A-listers like Ariana Grande and Aimee Lou Wood for their natural smiles has helped usher in this shift in aesthetics, too. “After decades of uniform smiles, authenticity is being celebrated,” Dr. Rozenberg says. Celebrities with natural-looking smiles are charming and relatable to audiences, and the authentic appearance can even help the actors more realistically play a variety of characters.
Of course there are still some patients who come in seeking a picture-perfect, cookie-cutter smile. However, Dr. Almunajed says, “Once they understand that veneers can enhance without erasing identity, the demand naturally moves toward subtlety, customization and long-term beauty.”
Your Smile, But Better
As a society, it’s refreshing to outgrow the desire for unrealistically perfect teeth, but we can still want to improve our smile in subtle ways. The key is finding a dentist who understands your goals. “Tell them you want veneers that are not a uniform, glowing white, but rather those that have depth and transparency near the edges,” says Dr. Rozenberg. “Proper alignment with the gum line and neighboring teeth, along with customized thickness, helps make them appear real.” Dr. Lewis adds that not having the teeth all the same length can even provide a more youthful look.
“The best veneers disappear into your face. You notice the person, not their dental work,” says Dr. Almunajed. “They should never be one-size-fits-all. When doing a smile makeover, a good dentist will also account for the patient’s lip length and movement, as well as their facial structure, age and personality. More than anything, people are drawn to confidence and charisma. Patients bring in photos of gorgeous celebrities—Julia Roberts and Jessica Alba are common inspirations—but what they really want is that aura of effortlessness. They want a smile that feels alive, confident and never stiff or overly polished.”
