As Dakota Johnson stuns fans with her ‘different’ smile ten years on from Fifty Shades, experts reveal why new teeth can totally transform your face

On screen, the perfect smile isn’t just about looking good on camera – the right set of teeth can enhance a celebrity’s features and, in some cases, completely change the way they look.

In recent decades stars have been straightening, reshaping and replacing teeth in the pursuit of the classic Hollywood smile – turning once-unique, slightly imperfect teeth into a grin that can light up a room.

And for some celebrities, the transformation has been even more dramatic – with severely crooked but unique smiles being replaced by pearly whites that can leave them almost looking like a different person. 

Dakota Johnson is the latest star to get fans talking following her appearance on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, with some highlighting her supposedly enhanced look. 

The 37-year-old star, whose breakout role was in the Fifty Shades Of Grey trilogy between 2015 and 2018, previously admitted having her signature front gap filled in 2019.

Now viewers are comparing Dakota with her younger self when she first appeared on SNL for her monologue in 2015.

Under a Facebook clip, one person wrote, ‘Oh my gosh she got her teeth done, wow, she looks so different,’ while another commented, ‘When the butterfly was still a worm, what a tremendous metamorphosis the surgeons made.’

But Dakota is far from the only celebrity to have seemingly given their smile a serious makeover with the help of a dental professional. Three experts reveal what they believe eight famous faces have had done – and whether their new smiles are better than before.

Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson’s famous front gap disappeared almost overnight in 2019, leaving fans convinced she’d had cosmetic dental work. 

The actress later explained that there was no dramatic procedure behind the change: her dentist had simply removed a permanent retainer she’d worn since she was 13, allowing the gap to close naturally. 

Appearing on the The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in August 2019, she said: ‘I was having a lot of neck problems recently so my orthodontist, she decided it would be a good idea to take [the retainer] off and see if my jaw sort of expanded.’

‘It helped me, and my gap closed by itself,’ she added. ‘I’m really sad about it too.’ 

The difference was particularly noticeable when she returned to Saturday Night Live in October 2026, nearly ten years after her first appearance on the show.

Sharing her take, dentist Dr Rhona Eskander said: ‘She has mostly natural teeth. Over the years, the famous gap between her front teeth closed on its own after she wore a permanent retainer from the age of 13 to fix her alignment.’ 

Celine Dion 

Celine Dion’s smile has changed dramatically since she first shot to fame in the Eighties. 

Her early smile featured noticeably more prominent and uneven teeth, while by the time she became an international superstar, they appeared straighter, more uniform and whiter.

The 58-year-old singer, however, has never made a major public admission about cosmetic work on her teeth.

Dr Murray Pratt, principal dentist and clinical director at Forever Dental and Skin in Ashtead, said: ‘Celine was teased about her prominent canines as a teenager. 

‘Today her canines sit in line with the rest of her smile and her front teeth are brighter and more even, which looks like reshaping with crowns or veneers. The result is in proportion with her face.’

Kylie Jenner  

Kylie Jenner’s teeth appeared to undergo their own Hollywood makeover as she rose to fame, with her smile looking noticeably whiter, straighter and more uniform by the mid-2010s. 

The reality star, 29, has never publicly confirmed having veneers, but cosmetic dentists have pointed to the change in the shape and proportions of her teeth as evidence of cosmetic dental work. 

Dr Murray said: ‘Kylie has never said what she’s had done, but her smile now is very even in length and shape with a bright shade, which is the look you’d usually get from veneers or composite bonding, often after some straightening. 

‘It looks polished and suits her style, but her natural smile was lovely too.’

Real Housewife of Cheshire star Dr Hanna Kinsella, also cosmetic dentist and founder of Icy Bear Dental, added: ‘There may also have been some gum contouring to create the proportions we see now. 

‘I think they look aesthetically pleasing, but personally I prefer a little more variation in a smile, as perfectly identical teeth can sometimes make the result look less natural.’

Tom Cruise 

Tom Cruise famously proved that even Hollywood’s biggest stars aren’t immune to braces when he was photographed wearing them at the age of 39 in 2002. 

The actor was remarkably open about the treatment, which came as he was promoting Minority Report. 

In an interview with Time Magazine in 2002, in which he was asked why he didn’t have braces attached to the back of his teeth, he responded: ‘Because it’s faster this way, and I really don’t care.’

In the years since, his smile has become even more polished.

Dr Murray said: ‘Tom wore clear ceramic braces in 2002, when he was almost 40, so it’s never too late to straighten your teeth. 

‘His upper front teeth are now bright, even and well aligned, which looks like straightening followed by whitening or some restorative work. Better, and it still looks like his own smile.’

Dr Rhona added: ‘He has a massive centre line shift, so his centre line is really not aligned with his nose. On top of that, he’s known to have crowns and veneers, which he’s become quite famous for.’ 

Demi Moore

Despite having never publicly confirmed having veneers or alternative dental work, Demi Moore’s smile has changed considerably since her early Hollywood days, with her teeth appearing brighter, longer and more uniform in recent years.  

The 63-year-old actress did, however, reveal in 2017 that she had lost her two front teeth, blaming stress while joking that she had become a ‘poster girl’ for how stress can affect the body, as reported by People. 

Appearing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in June 2017, she praised ‘modern dentistry’ for repairing her tooth in time for her appearance on the TV show. 

Whether that incident led to any of her later cosmetic dental work has never been confirmed.

Dr Hanna said: ‘Demi Moore’s smile has become considerably more refined, with the front teeth now looking straighter, more symmetrical and brighter than they did earlier in her career. 

‘I’d suspect cosmetic restorations such as veneers have played a part in achieving that very consistent shape and colour, alongside whitening. 

‘I think the change works particularly well because the teeth haven’t been dramatically oversized, they frame her smile rather than becoming the first thing you notice about her face.’

Miley Cyrus 

Miley Cyrus has been quietly working on her smile since her Hannah Montana days. 

The 33-year-old singer has previously been open about having braces fitted behind her teeth so they wouldn’t interfere with her on-screen appearance, with the results becoming increasingly noticeable as she grew from child star to pop superstar.

While there has been speculation among fans about veneers and other cosmetic work since, Cyrus has never publicly confirmed undergoing a full smile makeover.

Dr Rhona said: ‘She has had a few veneers done and a gum lift. Her first set of veneers were considered to be quite big for her face, and then she changed them more recently to smaller, delicate veneers, which suit her more.’

Dr Hanna added: ‘Her teeth now appear straighter, more uniform and brighter, so orthodontic treatment and whitening may have contributed to the change, with some cosmetic bonding or veneers potentially used to refine the shape. 

‘I think the transformation suits her really well. She has retained a relatively natural tooth shape rather than going for the very square, ultra-white look, which keeps the result looking youthful.’

Cardi B 

Cardi B has made no secret of the fact that her teeth have had a serious makeover. 

The rapper, 33, had porcelain veneers fitted by cosmetic dentist Dr Catrise Austin after rising to fame on reality TV show Love & Hip Hop: New York, with the transformation playing out on television. 

By the time she released her hit song Bodak Yellow in 2017, her new smile had become part of her image – and she famously rapped about how she ‘got a bag (earnt a lot of money) and fixed my teeth’. 

Dr Murray said: ‘Her upper teeth are now very even in size and shape with a bright white shade, which is what porcelain veneers usually look like. It’s a big change, but it suits her and she’s clearly happy with it.’ 

Dr Rhona said: ‘She has porcelain veneers on her upper and lower teeth. They’ve made her smile clearly more uniform and symmetrical.’

Jurgen Klopp 

Jurgen Klopp’s teeth transformation was hard to miss – particularly because the Liverpool manager has been refreshingly candid about it. 

Around 2017, he underwent extensive dental work to replace damaged teeth with crowns, resulting in the dramatically whiter and more uniform smile fans associate him with today. 

During an appearance on Soccer AM in April 2019, he said: ‘I went to the dentist – and I had problems with my teeth – and I said “Could we do something new?” like crowns, or whatever.’  

Klopp, 59, even joked about the procedure, recalling the moment his dentist had reduced his teeth to ‘little things’ before the new crowns were fitted.

Dr Murray said: ‘His upper front teeth now look longer, level and very white, which is typical of crowns or veneers. The new shape suits him and he looks healthier for it. Better.’ 

Dr Hanna added: ‘His earlier smile had some unevenness in the front teeth and a more yellow-toned shade, whereas his current smile is much more uniform in colour, shape and alignment. 

‘It looks consistent with a more extensive restorative treatment, potentially porcelain veneers or crowns, with the proportions of the teeth carefully considered to create a balanced smile. I think the result is very effective, it’s a significant change.’