The Most Dramatic Celebrity Teeth Transformations We Couldn't Stop Staring At

With so many cameras pointed at them and constant scrutiny from the media and public, it's no wonder that many celebrities alter their appearance. Whether that means changing their hair, getting plastic surgery, changing their style, or, as many popular stars have done lately, altering their teeth. Looking at red carpets today, it's hard not to notice the unbelievably bright white smiles coming from every angle. It seems like practically everyone in Hollywood has "perfect" teeth. 

In addition to using whitening treatments and getting braces, more and more stars have been getting veneers. Veneers are a shell-like layer of material glued over natural teeth, which are sometimes shaved down, to achieve a perfectly even white smile. "While veneers have been popularized by celebrities and influencers, veneers are not necessarily a symbol of status or culture," Dr. Quodarrius Toney, a cosmetic dentist, told Essence. "They are primarily sought after for their cosmetic benefits and ability to improve self-confidence." Nevertheless, some experts worry about the trend. As dentist Sara Hahn told The Washington Post, "As a dentist, you know that having all the money in the world can't reproduce your good, natural, healthy tooth structure."

Still, with so many cosmetic options available, celebs can — and do — completely alter their natural smile. While some teeth transformations are more subtle, others are impossible not to notice. And many celebrities have gotten mixed reviews from fans regarding their altered smiles. 

"Only Murders in the Building" star Selena Gomez has been a celebrity since she was a very young child. After scoring her first role was on "Barney & Friends" in 1992, she went on to become a Disney child star and is now an actor, singer, and successful businesswoman thanks to her makeup brand, Rare Beauty. Over the years, Gomez has transformed before our eyes, growing into the powerful woman she is today. While she has always had a beautiful smile, there's no denying that her pearly whites look much different today than when she was younger. 

Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Anna Vaysman analyzed Gomez's smile transformation in a TikTok video. Speaking about Gomez's natural teeth, Vaysman explained, "If you look at her teeth from five, 10 years back, you can see that she had a really unique but still very beautiful smile." Vaysman went on to point out some of the most noticeable changes in the celebrity's teeth. The first being that Gomez's two front teeth used to angle slightly out but are now straight. She also pointed out that the star's natural teeth had more variation in length. Vaysman said Gomez may have had Invisalign to straighten her teeth and then had the front teeth filed down for a more uniform size. However, ultimately, the dentist guessed that the dramatic change was the result of dental veneers. 

Another child star who has changed a lot over decades in the spotlight is Miley Cyrus. Cyrus has gone through family ups and downs, public breakups, different music styles, and she's changed her personal aesthetic countless times all while in the spotlight. However, many fans have noticed she's looking particularly different in more recent years.

If you've seen photos of the singer and wondered what exactly looks so different, it may be her teeth. Cyrus used to have a cute, gummy smile, and her teeth varied in length, with her front teeth and canines being a little more prominent. But she's one of many celebrities who seems to have done away with her more unique smile in favor of perfectly even, bright white teeth. 

Discussing how Cyrus' teeth transformed so much, Dr. Raj Juneja speculated to Hello! magazine, saying, "Miley has likely had gum contouring (crown lengthening) to improve her gummy smile and even out the gum line." Juneja added that she also probably had orthodontic work done to straighten her front teeth and address some of the crowding. The Instagram account Celebrity Dentistry, run by Dr. Omar Nijem, DDS, also speculated that Cyrus got dental veneers between 2021 and 2023 to further transform her natural smile. Dr. Thuha Jabbar cosmetic dentist at Almas Dentistry and Aesthetics shares a similar opinion. "It appears that Miley has chosen veneers, evident from the veneers' distinctive shape and polished appearance," she told the magazine.

Child stars, like those who got their start with Disney, have grown up in front of the camera. It's only natural to see them change a lot over the years. Demi Lovato is one such celebrity, but unfortunately, she's not happy with all the changes that she's made. Today, the singer has a distinctive, wide smile with very white teeth. However, before she got her big break in "Camp Rock," which she starred in alongside the Jonas Brothers, Lovato's smile was even more unique due to a gap between her two front teeth. In an audition tape from 2007 shared on TikTok, you can see the young Lovato's upper teeth have a prominent space in the center. 

@culturepop

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Like many people with gaps between their teeth, Lovato had orthodontic work done to close the space, but today, she wishes she hadn't. Recalling deciding to change her teeth, she told Allure, "I signed with Disney Channel when I got 'Camp Rock,' and I had a gap between my two front teeth. They were like, 'Would you be willing to fix it?' I wish today that I hadn't, because my gap was really cute."

Speaking to the publication, Lovato said being told to close her gap was the worst beauty advice she's ever gotten. It's sad to know she was pushed to make the change when she was so young. 

Braces, veneers, and other dental work have become much more commonplace both for celebrities and average Americans. When "Ghost" actor Demi Moore's career was taking off in the 1990s, it was much less common. Back then, her smile was quite natural, with different-sized teeth, visible gums, some discoloration. However, in more recent appearances, the actor's teeth have changed dramatically. Their shape and size are much more uniform, and the teeth are extremely white, which caught many fans' attention. 

Dr. Sam Jethwa of Bespoke Smile theorized that the star got veneers. "The key differences I can spot are the size and shape of the teeth and the color. This suggests that she has had veneers, which can create a stronger, whiter, and more even smile," he told Hello! magazine. He also said that she may have gotten laser gum contouring, a procedure used to remove extra gum tissue and make the gums less prominent.

Moore has opened up about struggling with her teeth in the past. On "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," she showed a picture with her front tooth missing and revealed that she'd knocked it out by simply clenching her teeth together. "Basically, it fell out into my hand, and I just thought my warranty was up," Moore joked. The recent work done on her teeth could be partly due to ongoing dental issues. 

Canadian singer Celine Dion's smile has changed a lot since she first came on the scene. As a young performer, her teeth were relatively uneven. Today, her smile looks more even and whiter. 

Speaking about Dion's smile in a Tiktok video, dentist Sara Hahn said the singer once had prominent canines, and some of the teeth were turned in. Hahn explained she must've gotten crowns placed on her front teeth to make them more even. Later, Dion appears to have gotten veneers. "Proportion-wise, I think these fit her face really well. I mean, she can do no wrong. She's Celine Dion," Hahn said about her current teeth. 

Although Dion's teeth are notably altered from when she was young, her veneers are not as instantly noticeable as those of many celebrities who get them done today. One TikTok user asked in the comments why Dion's dental work appeared more natural compared to some other celebrities' smiles. Hahn answered, saying it was because Dion got her work done during the '80s and '90s. Today, the trend towards bigger and whiter teeth makes veneers more obvious. 

Another actor whose smile has shocked us is Jennifer Garner. Looking at pictures of her as a young star compared to today, her smile is noticeably different. Her front teeth once appeared more prominent, and her natural smile showed more of her gums. Although beautiful both ways, Garner seems to have gotten some work done to alter her smile. 

Cosmetic dentist Naomi Goldman shared her thoughts on how Garner achieved this evolution in a TikTok video. "I think she had some Invisalign to broaden her arch," Goldman said. This orthodontic work is done to give the teeth more room. "It looks like she either had a gum lift to get rid of her gummy smile, or she had some Botox," Goldman added. In the video, she pointed out where Botox may have been placed under Garner's nose to lower her lip and cover most of her gums. Goldman also said it looked like Garner had veneers to make the teeth more white and proportional. Not everyone thinks this was achieved with veneers, though. Dentist Sara Hahn of Veneer Check said it a TikTok video that she did not think the actors had veneers due to her teeth seemingly shifting slightly over time. 

Tom Cruise has quite a unique smile. The "Mission Impossible" star has become known for his off-center grin. Fans have noticed that instead of his front teeth are slightly off-center with his lips and the rest of his features. Of course, this has not stopped the celebrity from achieving great fame. He has landed huge roles and been one of Hollywood's biggest actors for decades. 

Although Cruise hasn't gotten this quirky aspect of his smile changed, he has had work done on his teeth. Looking back at Cruise's early work in '80s films like "The Outsiders," you can see that his teeth were much more crooked than they are today. Cruise is one of a few celebrities who has been very public about getting orthodontic work done. In 2002, he went on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" sporting braces. On the show, he said that he went to get braces without telling anyone in his family first. Speaking about his kids' reactions, he said, "I think they thought it was weird, then they thought it was cool." Cruise kept the braces on until he had to shoot his next film. 

Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice of the hit British girl group Spice Girls, is not known for smiling. In fact, the pop star-turned-fashion designer is known for maintaining a closed-mouth pout in practically all photos.

Explaining her no-smile rule in 2013, Beckham told The New York Times, "I smile in family pictures. ... When you're in a position to be paparazzi-ed just walking down the street, you'd look a little daft if you were smiling all the time." Talking about seeing herself in pictures, she added, "I don't want to be made to look like I'm 25. I'm 39. I don't have any issues with my age." But as the wife of world-famous soccer player David Beckham, and a well-known celebrity in her own right, Victoria's teeth have been caught on camera a few times. Looking at the photos from the Spice Girls era to now, it's clear that some things have changed.

"Cosmetically, she had a narrow smile and smaller lower jaw as an adolescent, resulting in adverse tipping of her front and back teeth," cosmetic dentist and founder of Marylebone Smile Clinic Dr. Sahil Patel told Hello! magazine. He continued, saying,"She appears to have had ceramic veneers on her upper ten and likely lower ten teeth, to improve alignment, width and colour of her smile." With her new pearly whites, perhaps we'll see more of the A-lister's grin in the near future.

Kiernan Shipka is well-known for starring in Netflix's "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina." The show made her smile instantly noticeable due to the iconic shade of red lipstick Shipka wore while playing Sabrina. Before the Netflix role, Shipka was a child star with roles in "Mad Men" and "Carriers."

The actor's smile has gone through two notable transformations over time. The first was when she altered her natural smile, making her teeth very white and uniformly sized. Though still beautiful, her smile looked much less natural. However, more recently, her smile changed yet again, returning to a more natural look. 

Explaining the double transformation in a TikTok video, dentist Sara Hahn said that Shipka had likely gotten veneers and then redone them. Speaking about the veneers that the actor likely got in 2022, Hahn said, "they look long, white, square, rectangular ... everything is just very square." But today, they've been redone to look much closer to her original teeth. Now, the teeth vary more in size and shape and don't look so unnaturally square. "These are closer to her original tooth shape. It looks amazing on her. I think it fits her face so well," Hahn said. 

Another celebrity who's thought to have gotten dental veneers is Sam Claflin. The actor, known for his role in "The Hunger Games" series and "Daisy Jones and The Six," had a recognizable smile due to his slightly uneven front two teeth and distinctly pointed canines. However, in more recent photos, this smile has been replaced by very rectangular, uniform white teeth.

Claflin has discussed the pressure put on actors to fit a specific look. "I remember doing one job when they literally made me pull my shirt up and were grabbing my fat and going 'you need to lose a bit of weight,'" he revealed in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald. The actor added that this experience and similar ones have made him feel insecure and like a "piece of meat."

With so much pressure on looks, it makes sense that many celebrities opt to get work done on their teeth. For many fans, the change to Claflin's teeth was a sad one, as they missed his natural smile. In 2023, fans took to social media decrying the veneers. "I knew something was off about him lately," one tweeted. "Oh [my god] look what they did to him!!!"

Former "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell is known for being a tough critic, but after getting work done on his teeth, the celebrity faced some harsh judgment of his own. Looking at Cowell's natural smile from several years ago, his teeth are fairly straight but differently sized and not extremely white. However, in 2019, his smile began to look entirely different. In a TikTok Video discussing the celebrity judge's teeth, Dr. Rana Sweis of Smile Studio Denver was critical of his apparent veneers. "They're very large. They're offensively white. They're too long," she said. "They look like his dentist glued Chiclet gum to his teeth. That's the opposite of what we want with veneers." Since then, Cowell has had his teeth altered yet again — this time to look less artificial, much to everyone's delight.

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"[Simon's smile] now looks a lot more natural," Dr. Rhona Eskander told Hello! magazine. "The teeth are white, but not opaque white. More of a translucent white which gives them a lifelike appearance. He's also got small gaps between the teeth, known as embrasures, which give it a more realistic feel." 

With many fans criticizing obvious veneers, we may see more and more celebrities opting for more natural-looking solutions in the future.