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Smiling is pretty much a universal gesture; regardless of where you are in the world, if you smile at someone, they will return it. Smiling in and of itself can also have positive effects on both your mental and physical health; it can boost your mood as well as lower your blood pressure. Since smiles are the ultimate accessory, it makes sense then that people have been looking for ways to make their smiles stand out more. Below are the bops and flops of this year’s smile trends. Keep reading to learn more.
The Celebrity Smile
Technically, the celebrity smile is not a trend that is exclusive to 2022, it has been a trend for a number of years now, but it continues to endure, which is why it is worth mentioning. From the name, the celebrity smile trend should be pretty self-explanatory. The majority of celebs today have ‘perfect’ smiles. This usually means straight, white teeth. This is still aspirational for a lot of people, and it does go hand-in-hand with the rising popularity of veneers. However, veneers are an invasive procedure and not necessary to achieving the celebrity smile. Straighter teeth can be achieved in a number of different ways, as detailed in this complete guide by ALIGNERCO; you can also whiten your teeth at home or have it done by your dentist; it is minimally invasive and far less expensive than veneers.
Tooth Gems
We first saw tooth gems in the early 2000s, but they were a flash in the pan, disappearing as quickly as they emerged. However, thanks to the reemergence of y2k in the last couple of years, tooth gems have also made a comeback. Tooth gems are meant to make a person’s smile more dazzling, which is why most people opt for silver gems, although this isn’t a hard and fast rule. In their first iteration back in the early 200s, tooth gems were arguably more subtle, with the most popular form simply being a lone gem on the canine that dazzled when the person smiled. Today, tooth gems are a lot bolder, with some covering an entire tooth or two in them. It is worth pointing out that if tooth gems appeal to you, then you should have them installed professionally. They should adhere to the tooth with the proper dental-grade glue. However, a lot of people have been installing them at home with nail glue which can be incredibly damaging to the teeth.
Grills
Grills are another smile accessory that has been steadily popular for some time; in fact, grills were first seen in the 1980s. For the most part, grills were worn by celebrities – especially those within the music industry. However, they have steadily become more mainstream. This is largely due to their increased accessibility. There are a number of companies that offer grills through the mail. They send you a kit that allows you to make a mold of your teeth; the grills are then custom-made for you. They are usually made from some form of metal or metal alloy, with those who can afford it opting for a precious metal. They are then often decorated with gems of some descript too. The grills themselves simply sit over the teeth and can be removed easily after each wear.
An Acceptance of Natural Teeth
Obviously, this trend directly juxtaposes that of the celebrity smile mentioned above. In the last few years, body positivity and the acceptance of yourself just as you are has become increasingly important. This trend was borne as an answer to the oppressive standards perpetuated by the media on how a person should look, and often these standards are unattainable and simply breed misery. Thanks to the repeated pushback and protests against photoshop, the natural beauty movement has begun to gain momentum. This then naturally led to more and more people refusing to have cosmetic procedures done, to spend their own time and money to fix quirks which have no impact on their health. In the last couple of years, natural teeth, whether they are yellow, crooked or otherwise ‘imperfect’ are seen more often in the media and are embraced for the differences.
The Bottom Line
Undoubtedly, a smile is one of the best accessories that you can have. Your smile is one of the first things that people will notice about you, which is why feeling good about your smile is directly related to your self-confidence. If you want to indulge in smile trends, then, by all means, go for it. However, it is worth pointing out that some of the trends are more valued within certain subcultures and may not always be seen as appropriate in professional settings. The takeaway from the often opposing trends listed above should be that as long as you are confident in your smile, then that is all that matters.