Celebs Who Have Embraced Their Natural Teeth (And Avoided Tacky Veneers)

For decades, straight, white, gapless teeth were considered as much of a necessity in Hollywood as makeup and hair extensions. So many celebrities have been open about covering their natural teeth with veneers, including Cardi B, who explained on "The Breakfast Club," "I know I'm gonna be more and more on TV. And I know [my teeth] don't look right ... I felt like I was getting bullied." Doja Cat has also been honest about her cosmetic dental work, sharing in an Instagram Live, "These are my temporary veneers ... And I'll say something, I hated my teeth. There was a point where I kept taking pictures and accepting pictures from people and smiling was so hard for me." That obsession with the perfect smile has trickled down, as an increasing number of younger people have turned to cosmetic dental work to get Hollywood-esque smiles. "Because TikTok is blowing up, teenagers are seeing five-second clips of perfect smiles over and over and over, every single day," Andrea Aro, office manager for celebrity dentist Dr. Kevin Sands, told GQ UK.

While there's nothing wrong with getting cosmetic work as a confidence booster (if, like with plastic surgery, you research all the risks beforehand), it's far from a necessity. And, thankfully, several celebrities with gloriously imperfect teeth are embracing what they were born with. Because sometimes, a natural smile is the best smile.

Despite Cynthia Erivo's immense stardom, she proudly shows off a beautiful, gap-toothed smile without veneers on red carpets around the world. In 2021, the "Wicked: For Good" star spoke about the affection she has for the gap between her two front teeth and made it very clear she would never close it — despite being asked to. "I realized that it's part of my character, part of who I am, and part of the way you see me when I smile is in that gap," Erivo told Vogue. "There are so many people with a gap, and there are so many young girls who have been told they should change it because it doesn't look great but, actually, I think a smile that has a gap in it already is perfect. I wouldn't change it ... And I don't shy away from people looking at my mouth. So if you have a gap out there, enjoy it," she added.

There's a lot of money tied up in the Broadway star's toothy grin, too. In 2025, Erivo partnered with Listerine on a mouthwash campaign, and the oral health brand insured her stunning, natural smile for $2 million. "I take good pride in [my mouth] because of my gap," she told People. And that's truly something to smile about.

Aimee Lou Wood is one of the most visible celebrities leading the charge for natural smiles. "The White Lotus" and "Sex Education" actor has been very vocal about loving her teeth without cosmetic work, even though she told Stylist she used to worry her gnashers would prevent her from getting roles. "I had it in my brain that I'm not conventional-looking enough, and that's a mental barrier I've had to overcome," she said. And Wood has since received messages from people with similar teeth, thanking her for being a poster child for the natural look. "I'm getting hundreds of messages from people going, 'Oh my god, you've got teeth like mine. Now I go to school and people think I'm cool because I look like Aimee.' Instead of it being Bugs Bunny or whatever," she said, as she praised British model Georgia May Jagger for inspiring her by refusing to hide or change her own teeth. Wood also told The Times she had no plans to alter her gorgeous smile with veneers or braces. "I understand what it represents," she said. "People feel more confident about their imperfections. It does feel a bit weird that the thing I got bullied for is now the thing that everyone's like, 'Woo!'" she added. 

Speaking on "The Jonathan Ross Show," the star admitted her teeth get more attention in the U.S. than in her native U.K. "They dissect my teeth and say what's wrong with it. But at the end go, 'But we don't think she should change a thing,'" she said. "Oh my God, it feels so lovely. A real full-circle moment after being bullied for my teeth forever."

"The Bear" and "Abbott Elementary" star Ayo Edebiri told Bustle she was encouraged by her dentist to have her natural teeth straightened, but she refused. "This is the first time in my life where I love how I look. I love my skin, I love my teeth, I love my eyes," she said. The inspiring star also made it very clear she had no plans to modify her grin, stating, "I'm not allowed to. I won't allow myself to. I don't want to, I want to look like myself. I want to look like my parents, I want to look like my family. I want to look like Black people who are from Boston."

Clearly, Edebiri loves to bring attention to her teeth — as she should! On the 2025 Golden Globes red carpet, she debuted a custom grill. Edibiri told The Access Edit the silver piece was created to fit her teeth by Mental Gardens, sharing, "She's an amazing, amazing jeweler."

Keira Knightley has also been open about her teeth, admitting that although her smile may not be considered perfect by Hollywood standards, she's never felt pressured to change it. "I've never felt that I was, in any way, exploited in any of the kind of film experiences that I've had. Which is quite amazing, because I've got wonky teeth," the "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Pride and Prejudice" actor told CBS News in 2007. "And I keep hearing about everybody going to Hollywood and, you know, their agents going, 'Straighten your teeth,' or 'Whiten your teeth,' but nobody's ever said anything about my teeth," she added.

However, she shared a slightly different take with the Chicago Tribune that same year. The "Bend It Like Beckham" star admitted she was once asked if she wanted to straighten her smile, but had a fierce retort. "Straight teeth are [expletive]," she said, championing avoiding Turkey teeth. "My dentist asked me once if I wanted braces and I said, '[Expletive] no!' You've got to have teeth with character," she added. And, clearly, her teeth haven't held her back from getting some of the biggest roles in movie history.

Singer Jewel has been incredibly vocal about how much she loves her natural teeth and why she'd never cover them with veneers, despite her smile being so widely talked about over her lengthy career. In 2013, she wrote a lengthy, inspiring piece for Redbook titled "Sorry, Haters: My Teeth Don't Need Fixing." In it, the "Who Will Save Your Soul" and "You Were Meant for Me" hitmaker opened up about repeatedly being asked why she didn't have cosmetic dental work done. "Of course I considered having my teeth fixed. But I knew that if I started down that path, it would be a slippery slope," she shared. And she's glad she stuck to her guns when it came to cosmetic dental work. "The funny thing about keeping my teeth the way they are is that I now have fans who salute them as a symbol of defying our culture's beauty norm," she wrote. 

Jewel also opened up about wearing veneers for acting roles and why she refused to keep the straighter teeth look after shooting wrapped. "I was ready to get my old smile back. I've fought hard through many years of ridicule to feel pretty despite my flaws. I'm happy with my teeth — they're healthy and white and very crooked, and they're part of me," she said, and that fits right in with the beauty's authentic, genuine musical style.