- At least there are no actual needles involved.
Who understands fashion? The history of being stylish is full of bizarre trends, and even animals can hop on the fashion bandwagon.
Well, the era of unusual fashion trends is far from over. Allow us to introduce you to tooth tattoos.
Yes, you read that right. This strange fad is taking over China by storm.
Ink doesn’t work on teeth, so the “tattoo” patterns have to be engraved. However, the whole thing is less horrifying than it sounds.
Instead of scratching designs into real teeth, dentists create them on tooth crowns. The crown then gets attached to a real tooth.
So, it’s not as dangerous as the phrase “tooth tattoo” makes it seem. Still, dentists have raised alarm of the risks associated with uneven tooth crowns.
Hey, it’s all safer than eye tattoos anyway. Yeah, those are a real thing too.
A Dental Procedure
The tooth tattoos have started cropping up as a popular choice among Chinese young adults looking to do a little body modification. And as we said, tooth tattoos are actually less permanently damaging than, say, piercings.
The process of getting a tooth tattoo naturally begins with a visit to a dentist. Or a “dentist,” as you don’t necessarily really need any experience in dentistry to cram a tooth tattoo in.
We’re sure seeing a professional is much less risky, though. But we digress.
For starters, the customer must choose a design for the tattoo. According to Chinese media, the most popular options include people’s lucky numbers or fortune-bringing phrases (such as “earning money”).
That, or romantic partners’ initials in Chinese characters. At least it’s less permanent than getting their name actually tattooed on you.
Once the design is ready, the “tattoo artist” will 3D print the design on a dental crown molded after the patient’s real. The process and materials used are the same as when making actual medically necessary crowns.
After the print is ready, the tattoo artist then attaches it in place. And there you go — you’re ready to flash your engraved pearly whites.
Pros and Cons
Tooth tattoos have gotten a lot of positive coverage in China’s social media circles. In a way, they’re an ideal way to express your individuality in the country’s rather conservative society.
Real tattoos and piercings are typically frowned upon in China and can bar you from several jobs if they’re visible. A tooth tattoo is much easier to hide, particularly if you don’t get it on one of your front teeth.
Additionally, if someone does spot the thing and raises a stink, you can get rid of the tooth tattoo by simply having the crown taken out. Much easier than removing an actual tattoo, that’s for sure.
Yet, they’re not risk-free. Some dentists in China are ringing the alarm bells of the “tattoos’” potential dangers.
For one, the engraving reduced the crown’s structural integrity and makes it weaker. As such, the whole crown could shatter or crack if you bite down too hard.
The crown also makes the tooth it’s on larger. As such, it could fit poorly in your mouth and start wearing down other teeth.
Finally, the engraving is almost purpose-built to trap food and bacteria. It could very well make developing cavities in other teeth more likely.
Meanwhile, in South Korea…
What do you know, though — this isn’t the only weird fashion fad to come out of East Asia this year. In South Korea, another bizarre trend has cropped up.
Namely, shoulder implants. Young South Korean women are getting Botox fillers in their shoulders to make them more square.
The fad was reportedly spawned by the singer Jeannie from the Blackpink K-pop group. We don’t know if she’s had work done on her, but her sharp, boxy shoulders are the latest hotness in Korea.
The filler injected into the shoulders stretches the skin and gives it that sought-after angled look. As with any injections and body fillers, though, it comes with risks.
Korean social media users and media outlets have also criticized this as the latest incarnation of the country’s weird obsession with cosmetic surgery.
As in our unprofessional opinion, if you want broad shoulders, don’t get Botox — just hit the gym.