Tooth Decorations and Modifications – Current Trends and Clinical Implications

Since earliest times, humans have felt the need to modify and beautify their bodies. Adornments in the form of tooth decorations have featured around the world for generations and continue to evolve. This paper describes current and forthcoming trends. It explores the use of tooth jewels, ‘dental grills’ and tooth tattoos which are not yet common in the UK, but are currently trending in the United States of America. This article reviews the literature and aims to describe the clinical effects each tooth decoration has on the dentition, along with appropriate management strategies. Owing to the lack of good quality studies, it is difficult to determine accurate effects on the dentition, but dental practitioners should focus on conservative and preventive management strategies. Clinical relevance: This paper describes modern day tooth decorations, explores the possible effects on oral health and suggests management strategies.