Unique Options

It is said fashion is a fickle thing and given the level of what is being done to bodies in the way of piercing, tattooing and even scaring its no surprise the body art phenomenon has begun to affect dental treatments and dentures.

Over the past decade modifications to denture teeth have been fairly common with the usual desire to create a more natural appearance. Fake fillings, gold onlays , crowns, cracks and chips have become regular procedures in creating a natural and personal smile.

In recent years the denture has become one more canvass for individuals to portray their unique brand of self-expression. The rage right now in some Asian countries is to have small colored spots or symbols placed on teeth and not just denture teeth, but natural dentition as well. In other countries the fashion would dictate filing teeth to sharp points, yikes, that would make for some careful kissing. Here in the land of the beaver, the most sought after treatment seems to be the addition of gemstones into the surface of teeth, and almost exclusively diamonds.

The first few times I encountered this there always seemed to be some personal anecdote as to why a patient wanted this done. For instance the biker who wanted a fairly large stone mounted smack in the middle of his central tooth. Apparently the remnants of an engagement gone bad and was looking forward to giving her a smile the next time he bumped into her. Another patient had simply run out of room on her body to modify, as studs and earrings seemed to adorn every feature. When she produced a small ring box full of tiny diamonds, I agreed to randomly sink them into her denture teeth, as was her request. The result, well it certainly blended in, and in the sunlight was no doubt a smile that dazzled.

This past year however there seems to be a shift from what might be deemed folk's from the counter culture, to main stream fashionably dressed people. The most common is women between the ages of twenty-five and forty looking for small diamonds discreetly placed at the corners of a smile. Just a hint and flash in the right light being the desired effect.

There is simply no predicting fashion, but as technology makes for smaller and smaller items I wonder how long it will be before someone comes to my office looking to have a cell phone or perhaps the new state of the art camera installed in their denture.