In China, a new dental fad is giving tattoos a stranger canvas. Instead of showing off inked arms or legs, young people are now flashing tooth tattoos—AKA dental crowns.
The process is less extreme than it sounds. Designs aren’t carved into enamel but etched onto 3D-printed crowns that fit over natural teeth. A smile might showcase a partner’s initials, a lucky number, or a phrase like “getting rich.” Since the crowns can be swapped out at any time, they function more like removable accessories than lifelong marks.
What began as an option for patients already getting crowns has turned into a style statement. Large dental clinics have started advertising tooth tattoos as part of their services, sometimes even offering them as a free upgrade. Why have a boring crown that looks like a plain-old tooth when you could have a statement-making smile?
Skin Tattoos Are So Last Year. The Youth Are Switching to Tooth Tattoos.
Social media has given the trend rocket fuel. Clips of engraved teeth circulate widely, sparking both admiration and disgust. One viewer’s “genius” is another’s “nightmare,” and that mix of fascination and recoil is part of the appeal. Online debates over whether the designs are stylish or cursed have only helped push them further into the spotlight.
Not everyone in the dental field is on board. Some professionals warn that engraving weakens crowns, leaving them prone to damage. The risk hasn’t stopped patients who see the tattoos as a way to turn dental work into personal branding. Even with warnings, the demand keeps growing.
Tooth tattoos fit neatly into the broader cycle of body modification. Piercings, fillers, and implants have already cycled through phases of shock and acceptance, and now teeth are stepping into the same territory. They’re functional, but also a blank surface waiting to be claimed.
The designs may never reach the popularity of skin tattoos, but they’ve already proven how quickly fashion can invade even the most unlikely corners of the body. For some, they’re playful ornaments. For others, they’re talismans of luck or love.
Just don’t be surprised when you start seeing people with inked canines.
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