Many celebrities use cosmetic dentistry to improve the appearance and symmetry of their smile. Some of the most common cosmetic dentistry procedures celebrities use to enhance their smiles are veneers, dental bonding, teeth whitening, gum contouring, and crowns.
Here in Kansas City, we have a lot to smile about, so it’s no surprise that some of the most famous smiles out there come from Kansas City. At Dental Depot of Kansas City, we provide all of the comprehensive dental care services you need to achieve a winning, celebrity-worthy smile, and we make it easy, convenient, and affordable.
We all know what a celebrity smile looks like: perfectly straight, symmetrical, and shining. However, most people aren’t born with a gorgeous grin like that, including celebrities; those screen-worthy smiles are often crafted using cosmetic dentistry techniques like these:
Veneers are thin tooth-colored shells made of porcelain or composite resin that are applied to the front of teeth and used to correct teeth that are chipped, irregularly shaped, or heavily discolored with stains that don’t respond to whitening. A thin layer of enamel is removed before placing the veneers, which tend to last longer than bonding or whitening, are more resistant to future staining, and can correct several issues at once.
Bonding uses the application of a tooth-colored composite resin to fill a crack or chip in a tooth or reshape a tooth to make it appear longer, wider, or more symmetrical. For small imperfections, bonding can be a quicker and more affordable alternative to veneers.
Professional teeth whitening–whether as an in-office procedure or with a take-home kit–uses prescription-strength bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide to break up and release stains from the teeth.
Gum contouring reshapes or resculpts the gumline, and can be used to correct uneven or “gummy” smiles. It may include removing excess gum tissue or restoring it, if you have gum recession. Gum contouring can even out your gums and reshape them to give you a more symmetrical and aesthetically harmonious smile.
In a cosmetic capacity, crowns are used to cover misshapen or discolored teeth above the gum line or to replace a missing tooth. Crowns are made of porcelain, resin, or ceramic and are essentially a replacement tooth, fitting directly over an existing one.
Kansas City has produced its fair share of celebrities, actors, and personalities of world-renowned who have gone on to win accolades, awards, and recognition. In addition to having great smiles, several of them also have some surprising connections to dentistry. Here are just a few.
Winner of 2 Golden Globe Awards, 2 Grammy Awards, 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Tony award, Don Cheadle is a Kansas City native most famous for his roles in films like Hotel Rwanda, Crash, The Rat Pack, and A Lesson Before Dying. Cheadle also played a dentist in Reign Over Me.
Born in Kansas City, Janelle Monae has received 10 Grammy Award nominations throughout her career as a rapper, vocalist, and songwriter. Interestingly enough, the vocalizations for the song “So Afraid” were thought up while she was waiting at the dentist’s office to be seen for a toothache.
Although she was never nominated for an Academy Award during her acting career in the 1930s, Jean Harlow was one of Hollywood’s original leading ladies and her “bad girl” roles established herself as one of the period’s defining figures. She came from humble Kansas City roots, where her father, Mont Clair Carpenter, was a successful dentist.
Ellie Kemper–famous for her roles as Erin Hannon on “The Office” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, as well as her exuberant smile–was born in Kansas City. She’s been nominated for a plethora of awards, winning the 2012 MTV Movie Award for “Best Gut-Wrenching Performance” in Bridesmaids and the 2016 Gracie Allen Award for “Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy or Musical” in “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”
Although originally from Chicago, Walt Disney spent most of his childhood in Kansas City, and it was the many animal picture books he checked out from the Kansas City Public Library that inspired him to start drawing cartoon animals of his own. In the early days of Disney’s career, he was commissioned by local Kansas City dentist Dr. Thomas B. McCrum to produce two educational films on dental care, Tommy Tucker’s Tooth in 1922 and Clara Cleans Her Teeth in 1926. Disney also created an eight-minute educational video called Dental Health in 1945 to teach the basics of dentistry and dental care to soldiers, and a short animated film in 1971 detailing the benefits of good dental hygiene practices called Teeth Are For Chewing.
Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, was born just 2 hours south of Kansas City in Lamar, Missouri. He moved to Independence when he was 6, graduating from Independence High School in 1901 and studying bookkeeping at a Kansas City business school. For his service in WWI, he was awarded a Victory Medal and two Armed Forces Reserve Medals before returning to Kansas City to open a haberdashery.
Truman was a staunch advocate of dental health. In 1948, he signed the bill creating the National Institute of Dental Research, paving the way for groundbreaking dental research and technology, and he took his own oral health very seriously…sort of; he got regular checkups and cleanings, along with the occasional filling, but he also liked to shock reporters by subtly removing his temporary crowns and flashing a gap-toothed grin.
One of Kansas City’s adopted sons, tight end Travis Kelce has sported his stellar smile through 3 Super Bowl victories with the Kansas City Chiefs. Kelce holds a multitude of records and was awarded the 2021 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Athlete of the Year.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the newest famous member of the Kansas City family. The first and only artist to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year four times (of her 14 total Grammys, making her the most Grammy-winning individuals of all time), Taylor Swift’s smile has graced the American Music Award stage 32 times, shone on 30 Billboard Music Awards, and accepted more than 40 other awards.
At Dental Depot of Kansas City, we believe everyone–celebrity or not!–deserves to have a healthy, winning smile they can’t wait to show off. From routine cleanings and checkups to orthodontic services like Invisalign and cosmetic dentistry like teeth whitening, veneers, and more, the dental professionals at Dental Depot of Kansas City can help make the smile of your genes the smile of your dreams.
With two locations in Blue Springs and Independence, Dental Depot of Kansas City is part of one of the fastest-growing doctor-owned dental support organizations (DSOs) in the country. We’re committed to providing high-quality, comprehensive dental care services to everyone in your family at a commonsense price and on a schedule that fits your busy life. Visit us today and discover how Dental Depot of Kansas City can give you a winning smile, too!
