Sam Jethwa explores the recent controversy around White Lotus actress Aimee Lou Wood and her teeth – is her smile healthy and why is the public fascinated by it?
Aimee Lou Wood is a British actress who recently starred in the White Lotus series. Aimee Lou Wood’s smile has gained a lot of attention within the media. Her smile is totally unique and natural – providing a refreshing change from the Hollywood smiles we are used to seeing on our screens.
Aimee was recently parodied in a Saturday Night Live (SNL) sketch which caricatured the appearance of her teeth and joked about fluoridation.
I found the SNL sketch to be unfunny and cruel. Individuality should be embraced, never mocked. The fluoride comment is totally irrelevant, and implies poor oral care which is untrue.
Health versus uniformity
It is important to note that a uniform, bright white smile does not always mean a healthy one. Issues such as bad breath, cavities, inflamed and bleeding gums may not always be as obvious. You can have the straightest teeth in the world yet still have inflamed gums!
It is hard to tell through the screen, but there are no obvious signs I can see that would indicate Aimee Lou Wood’s smile being unhealthy. We can clearly see that they are clean and very well kept.
We can see that Aimee has diastemas, a gap between the teeth (most noticeably the two front teeth). Diastema does not mean the teeth are unhealthy, and in most cases is unlikely to cause any issues with oral health.
Diastema is more likely to cause bite and speech issues than impact the health of the teeth. If people do seek cosmetic dentistry to close their gap, it may be for functional reasons.
Embracing imperfection
In the media industry, Aimee’s smile stands out. She offers a refreshing change to our screens in a world where smiles have become identical. A smile should have character, not be a ‘one of one’. She is also demonstrating that a smile can be beautiful, whether it is uniform or not!
However, smile trends have started to move away from bright white veneers. Now, people are embracing their imperfections. People are now looking for subtle smile elevation when it comes to cosmetic dentistry. They want a unique smile that has character. It is no longer one size fits all.
The majority of my patients who seek subtle smile elevation will look to keep their natural features – perhaps there is some slight overlapping or a gap in the front teeth which they have opted to keep. Now, patients want to keep people guessing – have they or haven’t they had cosmetic dentistry? Often I am asked to produce a smile makeover with a gap maintained, even when I am using my thin veneers.
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