A little sparkle on an incisor, seen on TikTok or on a friend: tooth gems come back every summer. We sell crystals and application tools (our whole Tooth gems range is here), but no glue. This guide says what we know, including what dentists think, even when it does not suit us.
What a tooth gem is, and what it is not
A tooth gem is a small cut crystal with a flat back, bonded to the visible face of a tooth. Ours measure 1.8 to 2.6 mm. There is no drilling and no hole: nothing goes into the tooth, everything happens on the surface of the enamel. It is a decorative item with no medical purpose. There are two very different ways of fixing one:
- Temporary cosmetic application: a drop of resin on clean, dry enamel, hardened with light, with no acid. This is how home kits and many beauty salons do it. It lasts a few weeks and comes off by itself.
- Application at the dentist’s: the dentist first prepares the enamel with an acid gel (etching), then bonds the crystal with a composite, like a brace bracket. It lasts much longer, and is removed at the practice.
Etching has no place at home: it is a professional procedure, on enamel that does not grow back. If a kit contains a “preparation gel” or an “etching gel”, that is what it is: walk away.
Before applying one: who it is for, and who it is never for
A tooth gem is not for everyone, and the list of exclusions is longer than the list of candidates. In these cases, the question does not even arise:
- Under 18: teenagers’ enamel is still maturing. We sell our crystals to adults only.
- Teeth that are not healthy: decay, bleeding gums, fragile or sensitive enamel. With fluorosis or white spots, the answer is no: the enamel is already weakened.
- A crown, a veneer, a composite filling, braces or an aligner: never, not even for one evening.
- Teeth grinding, pregnancy, allergy to acrylates (common resin ingredients): do without.
Applying one, step by step, in its most cautious version
Dentists advise against applying tooth gems at home (more on this below). If you do it anyway, here is the order of steps from our product pages; your resin’s instructions always come first.
- Get a cosmetic tooth-gem resin whose manufacturer publishes its composition. Never nail glue, false-eyelash glue or “super glue”: they are not made for the mouth.
- Wash your hands, brush the tooth, rinse. Slide a cotton roll between lip and gum, then dry the tooth: resin bonds poorly to wet enamel.
- Aim for the middle of the visible face, away from the gum and from the biting edge.
- Apply a very small amount of resin, without touching the gum or the lips.
- Pick the crystal up by its faceted side with a wax pick-up pen and place it flat side down on the resin.
- Cure the resin as its manufacturer says, remove the cotton, then avoid eating, coloured drinks and brushing the area for the time it recommends.
As for the kit, choose the size to suit your smile: 1.8 mm stays discreet, 2.2 mm is the classic on an incisor, 2.6 mm shows from a distance. Our packs of 24 crystals are sold by size and colour, with no glue; a compartment box keeps them from getting mixed up and stores out of children’s reach. An LED dental mirror or simply a well-lit mirror helps you aim.
How long it really lasts
With a cosmetic resin, allow 1 to 4 weeks depending on your habits. A team at the University of Colorado, for its part, estimates that a gem fitted with a kit bought online lasts up to two weeks. What shortens wear time:
- a tooth that was not dry enough during application: saliva keeps the resin from bonding;
- a crystal too close to the edge of the tooth, where you bite;
- hard or sticky foods, acidic drinks, the habit of clenching.
Be wary of a home kit that promises “several months”: either it contains an acid that has no business in your bathroom, or the promise will not hold.
Removal: three rules
- Let it come off. With a temporary resin, the crystal usually comes off by itself. If it moves, take it off with your fingers rather than risk swallowing it.
- Never a metal object. Tweezers, picks, files or knives can scratch the enamel.
- Leftover resin is a job for the dentist. If resin remains or the crystal will not come off, have it removed at the practice: the dentist polishes the surface, which takes off a tiny bit of enamel. One more reason not to chain applications.
And if the crystal comes loose in your mouth, do not swallow it. If it is inhaled (coughing, difficulty breathing), it is an emergency: call 112 or your local emergency number.
What dentists say
Let us be frank: the profession is reserved, and it has its reasons.
- In the United Kingdom, the Oral Health Foundation does not recommend tooth jewellery, even when fitted by a dentist, and says never to apply or remove it yourself; the General Dental Council there regards fitting it as the practice of dentistry.
- In France, the national body of dental surgeons stated in 2010 that fitting tooth gems was outside the scope of dental practice, reports the health site Harmonie Santé; MACSF, the dentists’ insurer, points out that such jewellery has no therapeutic purpose.
- The dental surgeon interviewed by Harmonie Santé considers a gem less invasive than a veneer, but recommends having it fitted at a practice and strongly advises against it with fluorosis.
- A dentist at the University of Colorado points out that a gem, even well fitted, holds more plaque than a smooth surface.
Our reading: the risk does not come from the crystal but from what surrounds it. Plaque building up around its edge, possibly leaving a white spot (demineralisation) after removal; enamel attacked by an acid or scratched by the wrong tool. That is why we sell neither acid nor glue, and why a salon, or a dentist who agrees to do it, remains the safest route.
Why we do not sell glue
Before opening this range, we looked for an application resin to sell alongside the crystals. None of those offered by our suppliers declared its composition; the only ones that came with documents were orthodontic adhesives, supplied with an etching gel and reserved for professionals. A product you put in your mouth whose composition is unknown is something we can neither describe honestly nor stand behind: in Europe, the General Product Safety Regulation makes the importing seller responsible for what it puts on the market.
So we sell the crystals and the tools, and let you pick a resin whose manufacturer publishes its composition, or have the gem fitted at a salon or by your dentist. It is less convenient than an all-in-one kit, but it is the only way never to claim anything we cannot prove.
Keeping your smile clean around the gem
While the crystal is in place, the goal is simple: do not let plaque settle around its edge.
- Brush twice a day with a soft brush, gently around the crystal, without scrubbing it.
- In the evening, use an interdental brush or dental floss between the neighbouring teeth; brush or floss, the choice depends on your gaps.
- For surface stains from coffee or tea, a charcoal toothpaste such as our Activated Charcoal Whitening helps fade them, gradually; it does not change the natural shade of the tooth.
Your questions about tooth gems
Does a tooth gem damage the enamel?
The crystal itself does nothing to the enamel. The risk lies elsewhere: an etching acid used outside a practice, plaque building up around the gem, removal with a metal tool, or the polishing of leftover resin, which takes off a little enamel.
How long does a tooth gem fitted at home last?
With a cosmetic resin, 1 to 4 weeks depending on your habits, sometimes less if the tooth was not dry enough or the crystal sat too close to the edge. A composite bond at the dentist’s lasts longer, but it involves etching and is removed at the practice.
Can a teenager have a tooth gem?
We advise against it and sell our crystals to adults only: teenagers’ enamel is still maturing. A gem is just jewellery; it can wait until adulthood, or until your dentist has given an opinion.
How do you remove a tooth gem without damaging the tooth?
Most of the time it comes off by itself; if it moves, take it off with your fingers. Never use metal tweezers, picks or files. If resin remains, or the crystal will not come off, have your dentist remove it.
In short
- A tooth gem is bonded to the enamel with no drilling; a cosmetic, acid-free application lasts 1 to 4 weeks.
- Adults with healthy teeth only; never on a crown, veneer, composite or brace.
- Remove it with your fingers, never a metal object; leftover resin is removed by the dentist.
- Gentle brushing around the crystal and an interdental brush in the evening: plaque is the real risk.