Spears: Say cheese!

New York, July 11 (AFP): Dazzlingly white, perfectly aligned, and now with a touch of glamour: New York cosmetic dentists are offering smiles fit for a movie star.

Recently, a semi-permanent prosthesis ? known as “snap-in veneers” ? has become available. Made of resin, the veneers are placed over patients’ teeth, allowing them to flash teeth like those of their favourite actor.

Whether it’s the smile of Cameron Diaz or of Britney Spears that is reproduced, the cosmetic lift can be put on and taken off in the blink of an eye ? all at a price of $1,500-1,800, said Dr Marc Liechtung. “It involves no drilling, no cement, no needles, it just involves taking an accurate impression,” added Liechtung, who has fitted out more than 100 people.

“If somebody wants to look like somebody, they like a certain smile ? it’s round, it’s square, it’s long. They show us the picture and we can do it.”

Asked if he can reproduce Julia Roberts’ smile, the Manhattan dentist replied: “Yes, a hundred per cent.”

The ready-to-go set also makes uneven teeth and discolouration disappear.

Customers of the dentist might include the 25-year-old actor who is headed for an audition, a senior who is preparing for a reunion with old friends, the bride-to-be before she goes for a photo session, not to mention people who are fearful of dentists’ syringes.

But this type of prosthesis has existed since the 1930s and was used in Hollywood, says dentist Jeff Golub-Evans, who works for Broadway and cinema but has recently extended his services beyond the theatrical crowd.

“When I started making them two years ago, I called them square teeth, round teeth, triangle teeth,” Golub-Evans said. “People couldn’t relate, people had no idea what that meant.

“Then I started calling them sexy teeth, sophisticated teeth, sporty teeth. But still they didn’t know what that meant. And that’s when I hit upon the idea of making a Nicole (Kidman), a Gwyneth (Paltrow), a Julia (Roberts), choosing the five favourite smiles pictures of which people would come in with.” From that moment, people were able to relate to it, he said.

Golub-Evans also sells the Halle (Berry), the George (Clooney), and the Mel Gibson smiles ? all available in five sizes and five shades, but “the favourite is Hollywood white”, he said.