“Say Cheese” is Passé, “Say Bling” is Here - The Evolution of Dental Jewelry: A Review

Abstract

The search for bodily beauty is as old as time and so is the concept of esthetics. [1] The thirst for bodily beauty has been existing in man from time immemorial. Although man has tried innumerable ways to adorn and beautify himself, this thirst seems unquenchable. Piercings, tattoos, body paintings, haircuts, and intentional scarring or scarifications are some of the various ways man has been trying to beautify and make himself unique. [2,3] Every culture has its own perception of beauty and teeth are considered as a focal point in the determination of wealth and fashion across many cultures. [2] Dental alterations remain the most frequent of all body modifications. [1] Healthy teeth represent youth, beauty, strength, and health. Dental modification is an ancient practice that has existed throughout history and is still practiced today in many parts of the world. Dental modifications are a valuable contribution to the identification of individuals with respect to geography, ethnicity, and culture. [4] They give us clues about the socioeconomic status of the population, their sociocultural status, migratory routes and cultural interactions. [1,5,6] Today, it exists in various other forms such as tooth diamonds, gold crowns, dental grills, tooth tattoos, tooth rings, tooth piercings, oral and perioral piercings. This review embarks on a journey from the past to the present, to understand the evolution of dental jewelry and the possible underlying reasons for its persistent presence in the society.

Tooth adornment among siblings living in an urban slum in Nigeria: Health implications for a vulnerable population

“…The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and the American Dental Association (ADA) both strongly oppose the use of tooth jewelry, due to the complications that can arise from the practice. 28 , 29 Since the influence of popular artists on the young, and vulnerable populations may not be so easy to ignore, 30 safer ways of tooth adornment may be advocated while providing education to enable young people make informed decisions. The AAPD and ADA further recognize the need to educate the public as well as the health professionals on the health implications of tooth jewelry.…”

Automanipulación de aparatos ortodónticos sin supervisión odontológica posterior al abandono de la consulta en adolescentes

“…La imagen personal cumple un rol importante en la vida de las personas 1, 2 y en busca de mejorarla, la exigencia por la estética dentofacial ha aumentado, rigiéndose por modelos de belleza estereotipados por marketing, redes sociales, medios publicitarios, entre otros [3][4][5] . Es normal que las personas se preocupen por su sonrisa, ya que es el elemento facial más relevante 6 y esto ha obligado a los odontólogos a buscar la perfección en el área estética mediante novedosos materiales y procedimientos [7][8][9] . Sin embargo, debe existir un equilibrio entre estética y funcionalidad y para ello es importante que un especialista atienda las expectativas y necesidades del paciente bajo un adecuado plan de tratamiento 10,11 .…”