'Brace' yourself for that million dollar smile

LUCKNOW: Thanks to diamonds — a girl’s best friend — a million dollar smile is now within reach. Well, almost. Diamonds have always been in vogue, adding glamour to rings, necklaces, earrings and even bracelets. Now putting paid to most every fad, is dental jewellery, in which you can implant diamonds and other precious stones in your teeth to give you that ‘extra sparkle’.
"These are studs, usually diamonds or any other cut-stones, which are treated so that they become bio-compatible, i.e.they don’t harm the individual wearing them," explains Dr Praveen Malhotra, who has provided dental jewellery for some of his clients. The alluring piece of jewellery shines as it catches the light adding that extra sparkle to your smile, that no toothpaste can.
"This small accessory not only enhances your smile but also looks attractive," says Manoj Jhingran, supplier of dental jewellery to dentists. While dentists claim the concept of dental jewellery never took off in the City of Nawabs, the select few who have got it done for themselves are happy with the results. "I got a diamond stud on my incisor about two years back and it is still very much in fashion," says Mah Paikar.
The cost for this adornment starts from at least Rs 2,000 and could increase depending on the kind of stone used. But for the trendy few, what has money got to do with it? "A lot of people have complimented me for this and since not many people have dental jewellery, this also makes me stand out," exclaims Mah Paikar. Dentists in Lucknow have even implanted this dental jewellery for people from in and around the city.
"I have put it for people from Kanpur and Delhi, but the number of people opting for this was never too much," says Dr Rohit Khanna. While Dr Malhotra points out that the companies manufacturing dental jewellery are not prevalent anymore.
"The demand was never too much," he explains. Dentists say that wearing dental jewellery is 100 per cent safe and has no detrimental effect on the teeth of the person wearing it. A fact that is also pointed out by Mah Paikar: "It is very safe and you barely feel that you are wearing something on your teeth."