Body art and tattoos have been a fad globally for many years now, but have you heard of the latest buzz in the fashion scene… called the “Tattooth” or tooth art? Yes, you can now get tattoos on the teeth and make your smile look cute, or get that naughty glint as you flash a smile like a pirate. These tooth tattoos seem to be a kind of quirky, yet funky trend all over the world and is now evolving into a rage in Japan. The trend is also now getting popular in the US where people can be seen sporting temporary tattoos on their teeth.
Steven Heward is a fine artist who used his unique talent on teeth to become a pioneer of this tooth art form called the “Tattooth”. He began designing on false teeth in a mini lab and has inked about 500 teeth since then. The images range from animals, celebrities, logos, letters and any other art form that you so desire. The Heward Dental Lab that is known world wide for its quality crown and bridge work now also trains tooth artists to apply custom hand painted tattoos on a porcelain crown for your tooth.
Image Source: http://www.toothartist.com/Examples_of_teeth.php
The process of getting a tattooth is quite simple really. You can choose whether you want a permanent type or a temporary stick-on kind. The permanent type is done by etching the design on the false tooth, which is then sealed with the help of a glaze. Later, the dentist simply incorporates it on a set of teeth. The temporary kind, which is very much in vogue now, is similar to nail art that can be just stuck on the tooth and removed at will.
The permanent tattoo can also be removed easily, whenever you like, by simply grinding it off the crown. There are absolutely no risks involved in getting a tooth tattoo, especially if you already have crowns on any of your teeth. For those who don’t, it involves grinding a tooth for preparation of a crown, almost like getting a tooth filling. And it requires no aftercare either, other than regular brushing and flossing.
“A drop of chemical (mild phosphoric acid) is put on the tooth and then the tattoo is stuck on it. The other one is a set of tattoos (a design placed on the set of teeth). A minor procedure is done to set the teeth so that the tattoo can be placed. Usually, if a patient has a decayed tooth or has the tendency for tooth decay, I recommend they don't opt for tooth art. There is no risk involved if one gets teeth tattoos. I have done around five teeth tattoos. The clients who come are generally teens who are majorly influenced by rap culture. There's no specific precautions one needs to take, apart from cleaning tattooed teeth and brushing regularly,” says Dr Sagar Rao who is an orthodontist.
Image Source: http://www.japantrends.com/making-teeth-tattoos-cute/
The tattooth fad is the latest craze in Japan and they are known for their quirky ways. The Japanese girls are matching their nail art and teeth art in both colors and design. The tattoos are offered as personal designs and outfit combinations so as to express a more personal style statement. "There various combinations that reflect the seasons as any good fashion item has including red ladybug characters or marine look anchor tooth art giving the necessary summer charm, or a golden heart or shining star design tooth look for a night on the town." Making Teeth Tattoos Cute
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****Dr. Priya Kanwar is a featured writer for health on Xomba as well as on technorati..
Original article was posted as Featured Article on Xomba