When Jas attended the Spilt Milk music festival in Canberra in December, she didn’t expect to leave with a new, sparkly addition to her mouth: a tooth gem.
The 23-year-old had never heard of tooth gems before but, when she stumbled upon a stall at the music festival, she couldn’t resist.
She now wears a silver diamond on her left canine, which seemed like a “trendy” spot.
Ana Mihov applies a tooth gem at a pop-up stall. Photograph: Ana Mihov
In the days since, Jas has “really come to like it” and might get a second gem, probably on her other canine. She says some of her friends are considering tooth gems too.
At the festival stall, people spent up to three hours on a wait list for their tooth gem appointments. It was run by Ana Mihov, a tooth gem technician who owns Canberra-based studio Wicked Grins. That day, Mihov served about 55 customers, with each gem taking five to 10 minutes to apply. By 9pm, she had run out of supplies.
Mihov received her first tooth gems while living in London two years ago. “I just thought it was so quirky and cool and just the best thing ever, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t discovered it earlier,” she says. When she returned to Australia, she undertook training in Melbourne to become a technician.
Dental jewellery, including tooth gems and grills, were a fixture in music videos during the late 1990s and early 2000s, but oral jewellery’s recent popularity is not just with pop stars. Several Australian tooth gem technicians told Guardian Australia that demand had increased in the past 12 to 18 months.
Mihov credits the revival to social media: “People keep getting a lot more exposure from TikTok and Instagram and celebrities.”
On Instagram, the hashtag #toothgems has 905,000 posts, while on TikTok the most popular videos featuring gems have been viewed tens of millions of times.
Mihov runs her tooth gem business while she studies to complete a masters in public health.
How safe are tooth gems?
Dr Evram Narouz, a dentist at enDental Studio in Sydney, says tooth gems are “not necessarily harmful, especially if they’re placed by a clinician that understands bonding protocols and safety procedures”.
When applied safely, tooth gems are affixed using dental-grade adhesive, the same glue typically used for braces and fillings.
“It only becomes a bit of a risk when it’s not done by someone that’s qualified,” Narouz says.
The Australian Dental Association president, Dr Christopher Sanzaro, suggests consumers discuss tooth gems with their dentist. “They may be able to provide them for you or provide advice about them.
When applied safely, tooth gems are affixed using dental-grade adhesive, the same glue typically used for braces and fillings. Photograph: Ana Mihov
“The risk of tooth gems being placed by non-dental professionals is that the gem or adhesive may cause gum irritation which could lead to gum recession or gum infections.”
Narouz says the main risks come when a technician does not use sterile equipment, or applies too much adhesive, which can cause “a lot of plaque retention around that area, which can sometimes lead to some demineralisation of the teeth”.
Sanzaro warns: “Gems that aren’t adhered properly to the tooth surface may come off and result in chipping or cracking of other teeth if chewed on.”
Narouz says gems should only be removed by a dentist and cautions it can “be more expensive to actually take them off than put it on”. Removal by someone unqualified “can be quite dangerous”, he says.
In a TikTok video, which has been viewed 350,000 times, US-based dentist Lulu Tang urges her patients not to remove their tooth gems with pliers.
Mihov is concerned that dental jewellery is not well regulated in Australia and says this is “incredibly frustrating”.
“That is a big concern for me … I don’t want people to be turned off it because of one bad tech.”
Mihov learned how to apply gems through a one-on-one training day at Melbourne Tooth Gems. She supplemented in-person training with an online course and self-directed research. She says that compared to many beauty treatments, where there are Tafe certifications available, current training in Australia is limited.
Ashlin Carlisle is a Sydney-based tooth gem technician, who learned about tooth gems while travelling in London three years ago. She received a half day of in-person training in the UK then undertook a self-paced online course in Australia before opening her studio.
While some dental practices offer tooth gems, they are more commonly applied at beauty parlours, tattoo studios, markets and pop-up events, where it can be hard to gauge how competent a technician is.
Inside Ashlin Carlisle’s Sydney tooth gem studio, Pearlyygems. Photograph: Ashlin Carlisle
Carlisle says she has seen some “shocking” work and is worried about people attempting “DIY tooth gems”.
Home tooth gem kits are readily available online and Carlisle has seen dangerous “tooth gem hacks” on social media. “I’ve even had people come to me [saying]: ‘Oh, I’ve tried to do tooth gems at home, and I was doing nail glue’ … which is so dangerous.”
Sanzaro is also concerned: “The ADA’s position is that DIY dentistry should not be happening.
“If you have gems placed already, don’t feel embarrassed to visit your dentist.
“Regular check-ups and preventive treatment are important, your dentist is there to provide advice and support.”
How long do tooth gems last?
Crystal and silver tooth gems applied by Ana Mihov. Photograph: Ana Mihov
Mihov and Carlisle say part of the accessories’ appeal is their semi-permanence. Tooth gems usually last between three months and one year, depending on placement and size, with smaller gems lasting longer. Once a tooth gem reaches the end of its life, it will typically just fall off.
Carlisle says tooth gems are a “better alternative” to tattoos because they aren’t a lifetime commitment; while Mihov says they give clients “good value for money” compared with beauty services such as lash or nail extensions, which need to be maintained every few weeks.
The majority of Mihov’s clients are females in their early to mid-20s, from a range of professions.
In Australia the cost to apply a round Swarovski crystal tooth gem is about $70, while a solid 18-karat gold dental jewel is about $140 to $150.
Gems can also be arranged in patterns such as love hearts, stars and flowers. “They can be cute and dainty and subtle, or you can get ones that are bold and edgy,” Mihov says.
