The $50,000 Smile - No one knows better than dentist Michael Apa what great teeth are worth.

No one knows better than dentist Michael Apa what great teeth are worth. A smile redesign with Apa costs a cool $5,000 per tooth, and he has a 10-tooth minimum. Key to his bespoke approach is fitting every patient with a set of temporaries to get used to their new smile. After making adjustments in a next-day appointment, patients wear the temps for two weeks before they're replaced with hand-painted porcelain.

- By Katie Berohn

You might not be a dentist, but you know perfect teeth when you see them. As more and more people (famous or not) have suddenly-perfect smiles, social media has become fixated on "good teeth." Central to the discussion are veneers-sliver-thin coverings for the teeth, often made from porcelain. A subtle status symbol, veneers represent a market that's projected to reach $4.6 billion. Bad veneers-teeth that are too straight, too white, too Chicletshaped-are like T-shirts plastered in logos: They're tacky. Good veneers-teeth that show discernment and restraint in color, shape, and straightness-are like a Loro Piana cashmere sweater: They're quiet luxury.