Most people would probably associate going to the dentist with painful surgery, but that’s all changed over the past few years; more and more patients are opting for cosmetic treatments to improve their teeth and get that perfect smile. The ‘dental makeover’ has soared in popularity recently, as Dr Ekta Chadha or Max hospital and Smile studio explains; ‘The number of people flocking to us for cosmetic procedures has increased by fifty per cent in the past five years’ – proving  it’s not just root canals that dentists can be useful for.

As well as teeth whitening and dental veneers, there are new trends that involve decorating the teeth with crystals and diamonds, for patients looking for that extra bit of bling in their smile. Fashion designer Nidhi Mahajan decided to add some precious gems to her teeth to make them stand out more; ‘I was bored of body tattoos and wanted to try something different.’ She told the Daily Mail, adding; ‘This is a great addition and makes my smile dazzling.’

In the same way as tattooing the skin, patients can also get their teeth inked with patterns and other designs, Dr Vishal Gupta of Fortis Escorts and Medanta Medicity hospital said that ‘youngsters getting cartoon characters and names inscribed on their teeth are a huge draw’ as part of cosmetic dentistry at the clinic.