Fancy an angel reclining on your tooth? Or perhaps you’d prefer something more flashy like a glittering Swarovski crystal or a Skyce — the diamond lookalike that comes in many colours — glinting on your canine? If you are ready to experiment (and how) then prepare to make a fashion statement that’s got plenty of bite: get a dental tattoo. Which really means that a design is waiting to be placed on your tooth ensuring that your smile will never be the same again.

Move over body tattoos, as dental tattoos are the next big thing to make a splash. Now your teeth can be decked up with anything from a painted or crystal-studded dragon to a butterfly in flight.

The tattoos can be forever — quite like body tattoos — or then, for the not-so-adventurous, even temporary. Which means you can get one that will last, if not forever then at least, for 10 years or one that will stay just till the next time you brush your teeth. The temporary ones can also have a life of a few weeks, some months or a couple of years.

Heman Verma, orthodontist and implantologist at the Dental Styler in Gurgaon says: “Many people get temporary tattoos just in time for a party.”

Not surprisingly, teenagers are at the helm of this trend and while women are settling for angels, butterflies and flowers, men are going for dragons and insects. However, both the sexes agree on initials and crystal tattoos.

Depending on the procedure, it can take anything between 20 minutes to two sittings of about 45 minutes each to get your dream tattoo in place. For the permanent tattoo, your tooth will be measured first and the tattoo fixed four days later.

Temporary tattoos take a shorter time to fix as the procedure simply involves a sticker being pasted on the tooth with a sticking solution. These tattoos are often sourced from European countries or the US.

A permanent tattoo not only takes longer to place but you must lose some part of your natural tooth as well. The first step is to get your tooth measured, after which the dimensions are sent to the laboratory where an artificial tooth is created. In the next sitting, about 0.5 to 2.5 mm of the natural tooth is cut/chipped all over and replaced with the glazed, artificial tooth on which the tattoo has already been placed in the lab.

But there are detractors who discourage the trend. Dr Anil Chandna, orthodontist and vice president, Delhi Dental Council, says: “Unless a tooth is infected, a permanent tattoo is not a good idea.” Even the doctors who do tattoos agree that occasionally people experience some amount of sensitivity in the tooth which is being replaced.

Undeterred, people are going ahead and embellishing their teeth. Says Dr Verma: “Every month, about 15 to 20 people come for a temporary tattoo and another 10 for permanent ones.”

Nitin Jain of Jain Dental Clinic in Jalandher says: “Every month there are at least 10 people who come to me for dental tattoos of clear or coloured Swarovski crystals.”

Delhi-based French language interpreter, Kirti Anand (name changed), 18, says: “I got a Swarovski tattoo three months ago. My friends have loved it.”

The trend is not restricted to the metros. Dr Kunjal Patel, lecturer at the Government Dental College, Ahmedabad, got a Swarovski crystal on her tooth five years back as she wanted to enhance her appearance. She says: “Some people were inspired enough to get a dental tattoo themselves.”

If you wish to get a dental tattoo, then it’s best to look out for a cosmetic dentist who specialises in making tattoos. While the ones who work with Swarovski crystals and stickers are relatively easier to find, you’ll have to look harder for those creating more elaborate designs like flowers, angels or dragons with paints or dyes. Since there’s no course available on dental tattooing, these doctors are mostly self-taught and have developed their own techniques.

For instance, Dr Jaimin Patel of 32 Pearls Multispeciality Dental Clinic in Ahmedabad uses natural, food-grade dyes and colours to create his designs. Patel mixes these with a special solution which he has developed to make the tattoos last. The clients can choose from existing drawings which are then coloured as per the person’s preferences. Patel also uses the capping technique where the artificial tooth from the lab replaces the natural tooth.

Dr Shikha Pahwa, general and cosmetic dentist, Everbrite Dental Clinic, Chandigarh, works with a somewhat different technique. She paints the designs with ceramic (the substance which is also used to create the artificial tooth) colours and special brushes on the natural tooth. Pahwa says: “The size and how elaborate the tattoo can be depends on the size of the crown or the tooth which is visible.”

The size and intricacy of the tattoo also determines its cost. The temporary tattoos start at Rs 800 and can go up to Rs 20,000 which last for five to six years. Says Patel: “The costs can go up according to the detail of the tattoo and the number of colours used.” The permanent ones are more expensive and Verma says that these could be priced up to Rs 35,000. The Swarovski tattoos start at about Rs 10,000.

But if you get bored with your permanent tattoo, fear not. Dentists can easily replace the tattooed tooth with another artificial cap.

Some dental tattoo tips: If you want to downplay the left side of your face, tattoo a tooth on the right side (or the other way around). Keep the tattoo shiny and new with dental check-ups as well as scaling and polishing.

So, go ahead and flash those pearlies — with your favourite tattoo in place.