Lara Stone’s gap-toothed smile sparks shift in quest

Posted by mija on Oct 24, 2010 in News | 0 comments

Perfect teeth have always been coveted in the U.S. and a fortune is spent every year as Americans maintain the pearly whites.
But a new style appears to have taken hold, thanks to the influence of gap-toothed models such as Mrs David Walliams – Lara Stone.
It seems people are no longer seeking blinding white perfection but want a more natural look complete with ‘flaws’ like quirky gaps.
Clients are willing to pay up to $2,500 for customised veneers which vastly exceeds the $700 cost of the standard variety.
The move is partly a response to the spread of whitening treatments, which has made them no longer just the domain of the super-rich or famous.
But it has also been boosted by the popularity of models like Stone, Georgia Jagger – who is on the cover of the latest edition of British Vogue – and Jessica Hart.
Australian model Hart has a very distinct gap in her front teeth and her appearance in Sports Illustrated in 2009 helped first start the trend.
It has gained greater prominence due to Stone’s rise to supermodel-status.
She has modelled for Calvin Klein, Versace and Prada and was named the world’s number one model earlier this year in one industry poll.
Wannabe models are now even resorting to having gaps artificially inserted into their teeth in a desperate bid to enhance their careers.
Dr Marc Lowenberg, a cosmetic dentist in Manhattan, told the New York Times: ‘The white standard got too white. The perfection standard got too perfect.’
Vincent Devaud, a ceramist from Pasadena in California, added: ‘What makes a person desirable and attractive? It’s not the symmetry ; it’s perfect imperfections.’

The gap-toothed look is part of a wider trend in fashion for a less conventional look – a move that has helped models like red-head Karen Elson achieve success.
In perfects a reflection of more difficult financial times, fashion has moved slightly away from high glamour to more natural looks.
Grazia magazine’s beauty director Liz Hambleton told The Observer: ‘I think we’re maxed out on perfection and looking for something a little more real at the moment.
‘A gappy tooth, tons of freckles, huge geek chic glasses all give someone so much more personality than a glossy blow-out and a fake tan.
‘I’m more interested in looking at the Lara Stones and Karen Elsons of this world than Cheryl Cole.’
Harriet Quick from Vogue added: ‘These girls make you look twice and see fashion in a surprising new light.
‘It goes back to that Parisian beauty mantra of not looking done but actually being extremely done.’
Read more: dailymail.co.uk