It’s official – tooth gems are back in fashion and here to stay.
Over the past few years Gen Z have been transporting their fashion back in time to the ’90s with the return of Y2K. Long gone are the days of skinny jeans and chokers – now crop tops, low rise jeans and Juicy Couture are all the rage and now dental bling is too.
These decorative jewels are now the latest trend with celebrities such as Simone Biles, Hailey Bieber, and Billie Eilish rocking the gems on their pearly whites creating the newest movement amongst generations.
Deborah Oyawoye, 22, is the creative talent behind ‘Debzdidit’ – a tooth gem business based in Liverpool. Inspired by her love of fashion, artistry, and Y2K Deborah started doing tooth gems on herself back in 2021 as she couldn’t find anyone local who could fit them.
However, last year she took the plunge and set up her own business offering a variety of tooth gems and bespoke designs.
Deborah spoke to MerseyNewsLive to share her inspiration behind her business.
She said: “My love of tooth gems came from Pinterest. I saw loads of celebrities such as Kendall Jenner wearing them and thought they were really cool. I didn’t realise how popular they were in America.”
Despite her success, Deborah’s business approach is slightly unconventional as she has found her place providing her services at parties and events. Last month she teamed up with Girls On The Go and brought the bling to their Galloween Masquerade Ball.
“I have found a really good niche at doing it at events as usually people are out with friends, everyone’s happy, they’re out for a good time so people are more inclined to get a tooth gem and make a memory with a friend. I don’t want something to feel too forced,” Deborah said.
Deborah uses Swarovski crystals and her prices can range anywhere from £20 to £100, depending on the shapes and designs of the gems. She also provides flat tooth gems for people who wear retainers.
When it comes to the application, Deborah firstly uses a solution which acts as a barrier between the tooth and enamel to protect the client’s teeth. She then uses a dentist approved dental composite which creates the semi – permanent effect and then attaches the tooth gem and seals it using a UV light.
For aftercare, Deborah recommends to not smoke or drink for at least 45 minutes after the gem has been applied and with good care it can last anywhere between
six months and a year. In addition, Deborah is not licensed to remove tooth gems so suggests clients have them taken off by their dentist.
When Deborah is not creating sparking smiles, she is working towards her Law Masters specialising in International Business and Commercial Law in the University of Liverpool.
She said: “I do everything on my own including marketing, PR, the events, and the contracts. Now I’m doing a masters it is a struggle trying to prioritise education and running a business.”
Despite this, business is booming and reaching demographics Deborah didn’t think was possible.
She said: “I’ve done tooth gems for men that work in finance and 40 year old women – they are definitely getting a lot more traction and people are becoming a lot more confident by just having that freedom and expression to just do what they want to do and try something different.”
Featured image (C) Deborah Oyawoye
Follow Deborah in Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/debzdidittt/?locale=us
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