Are Big Teeth Attractive?


Many of us want to achieve the perfect smile, especially when it comes to our teeth. What if you have big teeth? Are they attractive or unattractive?

Big teeth can be attractive, but it depends. If you have big teeth, but it suits the rest of the lower face’s proportions, it can be appealing. However, if certain teeth are significantly more prominent than the other teeth or all the teeth are oddly large, it may not be attractive. You can ask a dentist how to shorten your teeth. 

Are Big Teeth Attractive?

Big teeth can be attractive in specific cases. For instance, if your central incisors are slightly longer than the surrounding teeth, it can be attractive. It often reminds people of warmth and youth.

Additionally, having slightly longer central incisors can draw positive attention to other features. For instance, it can complement and bring attention to a sharp chin, prominent lips, nose, etc. 

However, if the central incisors are too large, it can be a negative distraction. If they are significantly bigger than your other teeth, they can remind people of rabbit’s teeth. 

In other cases, the front teeth can be big and horizontally overlap your lower front teeth. These are called buck teeth, which can make your smile look distracting instead of pleasant. 

Additionally, if your teeth look too big for your mouth, it can look unattractive because it may seem like you have fake teeth.

The average length for your two front teeth is 10.5 and 12.5 mm, and they are usually 20% longer than they are wide. 

The shape and length of your teeth can affect your overall appearance. For instance, you can potentially slim down a round face by having long, square-shaped teeth.

Large, flat teeth are usually more masculine. Feminine smiles often have rounder, tapering teeth. 

What Makes a Good Smile?

Other than a good set of teeth, there are other aspects of a beautiful smile.

For instance, the modiolus, the muscle at the ends of your smile, should ideally be higher than the center of your lips to achieve a brighter smile. If the modiolus is near the center, it may be fine. However, your smile may be lackluster if it is lower than the center of your lips.

Another interesting fact about people with good smiles is that their eyes match their smiles. When people are genuinely happy and smile, they often do not think of the way they smile. When that happens, their eyes usually squint or lightly close their eyes. Therefore, they literally “smile with their eyes.”

For instance, here is a photo of a person smiling with their eyes and one smiling with their eyes wide open. The nearly closed eyes often make you look more genuine and likable, making you look more attractive.

How Can I Get Smaller Teeth?

If all or some teeth are too large, you can try gum recontouring, reshaping teeth, wearing orthodontic appliances, etc., to shorten your teeth. It would be ideal to consult a dentist or orthodontist to learn which option is best for you. 

Gum Recontouring

In some cases, your teeth may not be huge, but your gum line may be uneven. An uneven gum line can make some teeth larger than the others. 

For instance, your gums might be very low on your two front teeth but very high on your lateral incisors, making your lateral incisors look bigger than the other teeth. Gum recontouring can reshape a low or high gum line to make it more even.

Gum Contouring

Typically, a doctor will use a scalpel or a soft tissue laser to contour the gum line. Most doctors prefer to use soft tissue laser because there is less bleeding. Your gum line should heal after 7-10 days. 

Reshaping Big Teeth

One of the simplest ways to fix big teeth is to make them smaller. Much like gum recontouring, you can also recontour your teeth.

Tooth reshaping involves removing small bits of tooth enamel to change the teeth’ surface, length, or shape. It usually corrects chipped teeth, crooked teeth, large teeth, overlapping teeth, etc. 

However, you need to consult a dentist to reshape your teeth. To do this procedure, you need to have healthy teeth. Teeth can get weaker if you remove too much enamel.

Reshape Neighboring Teeth

Your front teeth might not be too big, but instead, the teeth surrounding the central teeth can be too big, creating an uneven look. It can be more evident if the laterals are still baby teeth. Therefore, you need to reshape the neighboring teeth. You can get dental crowns or veneers to cover the smaller teeth, so they look proportional to your other teeth. 

Megan Fox Veneers Before/After

Veneers cover the front of the tooth. Veneers are very thin and get bonded to the front of the tooth. While they are generally strong, they can still break or dislodge from repeated impacts. Dental crowns cover the whole tooth. They are thicker than veneers and are more resistant to cracking. 

Orthodontic Appliances

You may need an orthodontic appliance to make your teeth look more attractive. For instance, if you have crooked teeth, the unevenness can make your teeth look big. Braces can move them into the right place, making them look smaller.

The size of your teeth may not be the problem, but it could be your bite. For example, if you have a severe overbite, it can make your upper front teeth look much larger than the bottom teeth. A dentist or orthodontist will decide what appliance will be best to correct your bite. Braces and Invisalign are common appliances that can fix an improper bite. 

In some cases, an orthodontist may have to reshape your jaw. Your teeth may protrude because there is not enough room for them, making them look bigger than they are. 

An orthodontist or dentist may suggest a palate expander. It is a device you wear to slowly expand your palate, creating more space for your other teeth.  A palate expander can also correct a poor bite. A palatal expander can help give patients good long-term results (Moussa et al., 1995).

A mixture of appliances can help put your teeth into the correct positions. For instance, you may need to wear a palatal expander to make room for your teeth. Afterward, you may wear braces to bring the teeth into their proper position.

How Can I Get Bigger Teeth?

Veneers

A quick way to get bigger teeth is to get veneers. Veneers are often for cosmetic purposes like hiding worn teeth, chipped teeth, short teeth, etc. Veneers can be made of two materials: composite and porcelain.

Porcelain veneers are more popular. They are thin shells that a dentist specially creates for you. They last for a long time and are durable. Plus, they look natural, and a dentist removes less tooth enamel than they do with a cap or crown to attach the veneer.

Composite resin veneers are made from tooth-colored filling material bonded to the teeth. They typically need less tooth enamel removed compared to porcelain veneers and crowns. They are not as durable as porcelain veneers, but they are easy to fix.

However, keep in mind that a veneer can loosen after some time or trauma. Composite resin veneers last for 4-8 years, and porcelain veneers last for 10-12 years. You need to get new ones when they get loose or broken.

Recent Posts