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Smile Ideals Vary Globally
- 'Perfect' smiles are culturally relative and have varied widely across history and places.
- Practices like filing, staining, inlays and ablation show beauty standards shape dental modification choices.
Tooth Blackening As Status Signal
- Historical practices included blackening teeth in Japan to signal adulthood and status until Western influence changed standards.
- Some remote regions still practice older modifications, showing persistence of local beauty norms.
Gap Tooth As Cultural Beauty
- A gap between front teeth remains a prized trait in many West African cultures and can signify family identity and beauty.
- Western norms often close gaps, but fashion and modeling sometimes celebrate them again.