LIVE TV
India
Recommended Stories
Pearly white teeth seems passe as the almost a decade-old fashion statement seems to be the latest fad to capture the fancy of hip, ready-to-experiment youngsters across the country.
"In India, however, the trend has been in vogue for the last couple of years," he says.
Images of film stars, animal shapes, cupid with a heart and arrow as well as glittering stars, geometric and tribal designs are usually picked by youngsters who are willing to shell out a few thousand bucks to ensure their toothy grins stand out.
Cosmetologist Hetal Turakhia, who runs dental care centres in Mumbai, Goa and Pune, says more people are now displaying interest in getting coloured stones and real diamonds on their teeth while others opt to ink their teeth.
"Tooth jewellery is not meant for a great smile or for showing off. It is a very individual thing. People get it done because they wish to. Tooth tattoos are done on the dental caps and not on the real tooth itself," says Turakhia.
Usually, in case of dental tattoos, the enamel covered teeth are not actually pierced or even touched with a needle. Custom designs are added to the dental crowns before setting and sealing the crown in the mouth.
In case of crowns, dental tattoos are most commonly seen on the rear teeth, but they can potentially be applied to any tooth. The preferred areas for dental tattoos are the upper lateral incisors, upper canine, premolars and molars, say dentists.
In India, middle tooth tattoos are popular with a demand for a variety of unique paintings such as skulls and flowers.
"I saw a tooth tattoo for the first time when my friend grinned to show it off. Usually people tattoo their body, but this is something different. That’s why, I plan to paint my teeth immediately," says Monisha, a 19 year old Delhi University student.
This emerging trend is popular in people aged between 14-35 years. Not only women but men too are equally eager to get their tooth inked.
Shikha Pahwa, a cosmetic dentist says, "While sticking a temporary tattoo takes just 15-20 minutes, drilling permanent tattoos can take hours depending on the design."
"There are no side effects, but it depends on a person`s dental hygiene. If a person lacks hygiene, then there could be cavities - but this can happen even without a tattoo," she adds.
"The dental tattoo procedures that we undertake costs anywhere between Rs.10, 000 and Rs.15, 000, depending on the design and detailing," adds Pahwa.
Those who don`t want to spend a lot of money can settle for less elaborate patterns.
The minimum market rate for a basic design is Rs 800 with the cost getting steeper as the design becomes more intricate and the cost reaching up to as much as Rs 15, 000," says Verma.
Though considered to be safe, dentists say there still exist complications related to dental tattooing.
"The enamel of the tooth is a highly polished surface and if tattooing or stone-studding is not done professionally, it can cause dental caries around the margin of the teeth. But with good oral hygiene, this can be avoided. Repeated stone-studding on the same tooth, though, can damage the enamel," says dental surgeon Dr K Nagesh.
"Although ornamenting tooth is an old trend, recently dental tattooing is getting more hyped among youngsters. As it is easily reversible, it’s not unsafe at all," adds Dr Mahesh Verma, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences.
