The “Hollywood smile,” a perfect display of flawless pearly whites, has become an integral component of celebrity status. Veneers, a cosmetic dental procedure that involves bonding thin, custom-made shells over the front surfaces of teeth, have become their own entity in Hollywood. More public personalities are transforming their teeth and affirming their wealth, while up-leveling their beauty. While the procedure certainly isn’t cheap nor non-invasive, it’s a permanent choice that can make a major impact in how one greets the world.
Here are five Black female celebrities who made the choice to invest thousands into their own smiles, and aren’t afraid to talk about it.
Cardi B
When it comes to a smile makeover, no one has had a more overnight transformation than rapper Cardi B. She’s spoken publicly about investing in her new teeth, noting that the $12,500 dental makeover was one of the best parts about becoming famous. She has nothing to hide when it comes to her flawless smile, even sharing a TikTok of when one of her veneers came out after chewing on a hard bagel.
Keyshia Cole
Though Keyshia Cole was once known for her signature gap, her new set of teeth transformed her smile completely. The R&B songstress admits to partially regretting the cosmetic surgery. In February 2020, Cole took a photo in a dentist’s office and revealed to fans that she was reminiscing about her gap.
“Thinking about opening up my gap back! I’m here now!!!! Thoughts?,” she shared.
Fans ultimately encouraged her to stick with her new smile, though they all missed her early 2000s gap.
GloRilla
Mere weeks after her song “FNF” topped the Billboard charts, Memphis native GloRilla shared photos of her new smile on Instagram, crediting celebrity dental surgeon Dr. Q for her transformation. “Hey Alexa, PLAY BODAK YELLOW BY @iamcardib S/O @doctor.q_ !!!!!!!” she wrote in the caption. “She already was confident,” Dr Q said of working with Glorilla, adding “But I just helped offer that extra boost of confidence to help her express herself even more. Being a rapper, you’re talking all day, so people are paying attention to your lips and your mouth. So being able to be that pivotal transformation in her life is amazing.”
Kehlani
R&B songstress Kehlani has been open about her teeth transformation, publicly admitting her regret about getting “cheap resin veneers” that left her with teeth “too white and too square.” Warning her TikTok followers to stop traveling and getting cheap veneers, she shared, “It is cheap and fast but the amount of long, expensive dental work you are going to need after you go this route is five or six times the amount.” She’s since gotten a new set of veneers she’s prouder of flaunting.
Nene Leakes
Reality TV star NeNe Leakes has kept the world laughing for nearly two decades. It was only right that she invested in her own smile as a thank you to herself. In fact, she famously spoke about receiving the expensive cosmetic procedure during a 2018 episode of “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” In the midst of an argument between her and co-star Sheree Whitfield, Leakes made it known that she dropped $50,000 on her mouthpiece, which could buy Sheree a “house and a car.”