Love for Aimee Lou Wood’s overbite on ‘The White Lotus’ personifies a trend: a growing demand for natural-looking teeth

Aimee Lou Wood is being celebrated for her smile.

“I mean I can’t believe the impact my teeth are having,” the 31-year-old British actress, who stars in Season 3 of The White Lotus, recently said during an appearance on a British talk show. “The Americans can’t believe [it]. But they’re all being lovely.”

The 31-year-old was previously featured in the Netflix series Sex Education, but playing horoscope-loving Chelsea on The White Lotus has brought her a larger audience, many of whom have been drawn to her charm, wit and gap-tooth smile. Wood’s natural gnashers are rare in Hollywood, where most stars have perfectly white, straight and often fake teeth.

During the TV interview, she recalled coming across videos of orthodontists analyzing her teeth and dissecting what’s “wrong” with them. The shocking consensus? Most wouldn’t change a thing. “It feels so lovely. A real full-circle moment after being bullied for my teeth forever,” said Wood.

But ever since, the attention that her wide-toothed smile continues to get from American media is a bit confusing. “It does get to the point where you’re like, can we stop f***ing talking about it?” Wood later told Glamour.

So why can’t people stop talking about her teeth? It’s not only about the actress standing out among an American beauty standard, experts say, but also that her recent fame aligns with a shift in what people are looking for when they step into their orthodontist’s offices.

Why the attention?

“Smiles and teeth are one of the first things seen and noticed by other people,” dentist Dr. Sandip Sachar tells Yahoo Life. “There’s a reason we’ve all been taught to ‘smile and say cheese’ when taking photographs.”

Whether a person’s teeth are considered perfect or imperfect, appearance is a commodity — think: pretty privilege — especially in the U.S. “American beauty standards place emphasis on symmetry and perfection. Perfect teeth, including whiteness, alignment and size, give one the appearance of beauty, wealth and success,” says Sachar. “Research has shown that people with straight white teeth are perceived to be more attractive, trustworthy, competent and wealthy. Self-esteem and confidence stem directly from this perception.”

This doesn’t apply to all cultures, according to cosmetic and restorative dentist Dr. Joyce Kahng, who is based in Orange County, Calif. She tells Yahoo Life that in Japan, for example, “certain imperfect traits, like slightly crowded teeth or prominent canines, are seen as cute.” While the U.S. places a particular emphasis on perfection, “especially in cosmetic procedures,” says Kahng, the United Kingdom where Wood is from doesn’t as much.

Even in The White Lotus, Wood’s Chelsea received a compliment on her teeth from fellow actress Charlotte Le Bon’s character, Chloe. It was immediately followed by the realization, “You’re from England, right?” Le Bon, who is French-Canadian, similarly has a uniquely natural smile — that is, in comparison to the rest of the cast, which is predominantly from the U.S.

But it’s not just Wood’s comparative difference that makes her smile a prominent talking point. According to dentists, it might signify a larger shift in the way people think about teeth.

Noting a shift toward natural smiles

The popularity of flawless porcelain veneers emerged in the 1990s and early 2000s, when Hollywood started showcasing such smiles on the big screen. “This look became synonymous with wealth, success and beauty,” says Sachar. So much so that “regular, noncelebrity people would come into my office asking for bright white flawless veneers. They would request them as white as I can make.”

While the popularity of both veneers and Invisalign continues to increase — thanks in part to social media, Zoom face and accessibility — the demands of people looking to alter their teeth have changed. “The bright-white opaque veneers looked unnatural because real tooth enamel is translucent, not opaque,” says Sachar. “Millennials and Gen Z patients are now requesting a more natural-looking smile using thin, translucent veneers.

Kahng has seen the same shift. “At one point, having perfect teeth was the goal for almost everyone. But in my practice, I’ve noticed that people no longer want a generic, perfect smile. They want one that feels personal,” she says. “People want to maintain certain characteristics that make their smiles feel like their own — whether that’s a slightly rounded shape, a gap between their front teeth or other small details.”

Kahng says that it’s not only younger folks. She recently worked on veneers for an older woman who has a space between her two front teeth. “Traditionally, most people would opt to close that gap, but for her, it was part of her identity,” says Kahng. “More and more, I see patients making choices like that.”

Wood’s charisma, along with her perfectly imperfect smile, might serve as permission to embrace a more natural appearance, according to Kahng. “Aimee Lou Wood’s smile is a reminder that you don’t need to fix something just because it doesn’t fit a traditional beauty standard. It’s refreshing, especially in a society that constantly pushes the idea of improvement,” says Kahng. “Hopefully this encourages more people to embrace what makes their smiles unique rather than feeling pressured to conform.”

Just respect the actress’s wishes to not take it too far. “I’d hope that people don’t start like filing their teeth so they have gaps,” she joked.

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