TRENDING SMILES

On top of DIY teeth whitening products like toothpastes, strips, serums and pens, the quest for dazzling teeth has also led people to opt for veneers and tooth jewellery

- Felicia Keok

(iSTOCKPHOTO)

Mrs Kristen Chua still remembers the faint chemical taste. It lingered after she peeled off the teeth whitening strip, her mouth ajar as she waited for the promised result.

She had not fancied herself a follower of dental trends, but the timing was right.

“There were two things happening,” says the 35-year-old executive senior financial consultant. “My wedding was coming and, at the same time, there were so many advertisements about whitening. It was trendy, everyone was trying it, so I tried it too.”

The effect was immediate, but brief. “You see a bit of lightening immediately,” she says. “But all of this is very temporary.”

In the six months leading up to her big day in December 2021, she also experimented with a purple teeth whitening pen, a cosmetic product that works by neutralising yellow tones on the surface of the teeth.

Mrs Chua’s experience reflects a broader shift in Singapore, where dental aesthetics have moved out of the clinic and into everyday beauty routines.

Dentists say questions about teeth are no longer limited to cavities and pain. Appearance is now firmly part of the conversation. And in the new year, more people are paying closer attention to their smiles as part of the annual ritual of resets.

According to a 2025 survey by Singapore-based aesthetics provider Wellaholic, about 75 per cent of respondents said they were concerned about the appearance of their smiles, reflecting a growing focus on dental aesthetics locally.

That concern mirrors a global trend. The cosmetic dentistry industry, which includes treatments such as teeth whitening and veneers, was valued at US$32.3 billion (S$40.8 billion) in 2025 and is projected to reach about US$98.3 billion, according to market research firm Fortune Business Insights.