How Celebrities Get Million-Dollar Smiles

Celebrities go to great lengths to have absolutely perfect teeth, to erase any flaw in tooth placement, size or color. Sometimes, it’s not the re-touching the magazines do – the smile is genuine, with a little help from a cosmetic surgeon.

Defying Mother Nature

Just as there are a percentage of non-famous people with naturally crooked teeth, celebrities have them, too. Directors want child actors to have cute-kid imperfections, but adult actors with less-than-perfect smiles are shunned in Hollywood, for the most part.

• George Clooney turned to implants as soon as the TV show “Facts of Life” was over. He is one of several stars to have dental surgery as soon as they left the Disney Channel.
• Tom Cruise, who had seriously twisted teeth as a child, had cosmetic dental surgery with the proceeds of his first small role.
• Nicholas Cage had a combination of large and small teeth, plus a pointed set of canines. He fixed it all with a full set of veneers, but waited until his career was in full swing.
• As Morgan Freeman aged, his teeth yellowed. A full set of veneers, with a slight join between his two front teeth, has extended his Hollywood career.

Natural Teeth Destroyed on Purpose

To prepare for a role, many serious actors have had their natural teeth pulled or chipped on purpose. Why? They know they can get a better tooth later, with a dental implant.

• Brad Pitt had a dentist carefully chip his front teeth to prepare for his role in “Fight Club.”
• Jim Carrey had his front two teeth pulled altogether for his role in “Dumb and Dumber.
• Mike Tyson had his knocked-out teeth veneered with gold throughout his flamboyant boxing career. Slowly but surely, he added layers of porcelain veneers to cover the gold – but his signature gap remains!

Ut-Oh. Dental Surgery to Fix Accidental Breakage

• In 1988, Gary Busey had a motorcycle accident. The result was damage to his face and teeth. He had cosmetic dental surgery to correct the damage – and more.
• Busey chose to elongate all of his teeth, now perfectly aligned and each tooth the same length and width. Not many people could pull off this oversized smile, but it matches the roles typical for Busey.

The World’s Most Expensive Tooth

• After having a tooth extracted, John Lennon gave it to his housekeeper’s daughter. Years later, the tooth was put on the auction block and sold for $31,200.
• The now-grown daughter was criticized for going to auction too early, with many believing the value of John Lennon’s tooth would skyrocket each year.

Does the Million Dollar Smile Really Cost a Million?

For celebrities, of course, cost is not a concern. Hollywood implants run into the thousands. Veneers and whitening treatments add thousands more. However, a perfect smile brings the best roles in the best films, so dental surgery is considered an investment.

• Normal people, in less-glamourous cities, pay considerably less for cosmetic procedures. Good dental surgeons are found in cities all over the U.S.
• For whitening, non-millionaires can use an at-home tray – a custom-molded “mouth guard” is filled with peroxide-based gel for overnight whitening sessions.
• Implant surgery is not cheap, but affordable enough for those with seriously crooked or missing teeth.

What if I’m Not a Celebrity?

For those of us who can’t spend millions to have perfect teeth, the best resource is full coverage dental insurance. Dental insurance is not a standard benefit these days, not necessarily found in employers’ benefit packages. Limits, deductibles and exclusions vary widely. If you want that million-dollar Hollywood smile, you may be covered by insurance. Read your policy carefully.

 

By:  Dennis Hung

Tags: Entertainment, health, How Celebrities, Million-Dollar Smiles

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