Buzz
A look into the contradictory new beauty standard
The trend of talking with teeth has become a hot topic on social media again, but what does it actually mean? The phrase originated from a TikTok challenge where users lip-sync to see if their top or bottom teeth show while speaking. Participants are divided into two groups: top teeth talkers and bottom teeth talkers. Read on to find out which group you belong to—and what this trend says about ever-changing beauty standards.
The 'Top or Bottom Teeth Talker' Trend on TikTok
In 2022 and once again in 2024, a viral TikTok challenge had users recording themselves lip-syncing to determine whether their top or bottom teeth were visible while speaking. This trend created a contradictory beauty standard. In 2022, bottom teeth talkers were deemed more attractive, while by 2024, top teeth talkers gained more popularity.
Steps
Meaning of 'Talking with Teeth'
On TikTok, the term 'talking with teeth' refers to showing your teeth while speaking. The phrase often clarifies whether it's your top or bottom teeth that are visible. According to TikTok, if your top row of teeth appears when you speak, you're considered a top teeth talker. Conversely, if your bottom teeth are visible, you're a bottom teeth talker.
- These aren't official dental terms, but rather a fun label created on TikTok to describe this quirky trait.
- Although people have always shown their teeth when talking, in 2022 and 2024, TikTok users turned 'talking with teeth' into a beauty trend, expressing preferences or insecurities about whether they showed top or bottom teeth.
Explaining TikTok's Top or Bottom Teeth Talker Trend
The 'top or bottom teeth talker' trend first gained viral attention in 2022. User @lifecrisisinducedglowup shared a now-deleted TikTok video featuring the phrase, 'Megan Fox taught me to speak with my bottom teeth.' Many users adopted the idea that showing your bottom teeth was attractive, and some even felt insecure if they were top teeth talkers.
- Some users compared top teeth talkers to having 'American Girl Doll teeth.' These dolls are known for their painted, slightly-open mouths with perfect white front teeth.
- In 2021, American Girl Doll teeth became a beauty trend on TikTok, where users tried to display their two top front teeth while keeping their mouth slightly open, either considering it attractive or mocking the dolls.
The teeth talking debate made a comeback in 2024. A viral TikTok of Megan Fox on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast gained attention in May 2024, where users once again noticed her bottom teeth showing while speaking. However, this time, users decided that showing top teeth was now considered more youthful and desirable.
- This shift from 2022 led some TikTok users and journalists to reflect on the fleeting and arbitrary nature of TikTok's beauty standards.
How to Identify if You're a Top or Bottom Teeth Talker
Record yourself lip-syncing to 'Hide Away' by Daya. On TikTok, users lip-sync to determine which teeth show when they speak. To find out, lip-sync or sing along with Daya's song 'Hide Away.' After recording, watch the video and notice whether your top or bottom teeth are more visible. This will help identify whether you're a top or bottom teeth talker.
- User @ashlynkskaar mentioned in a TikTok that the key difference between top and bottom teeth talkers might be whether you're smiling or not.
- Some users discover that both their top and bottom teeth are equally visible, and they call themselves 'middle teeth talkers.'
- Remember, whether you talk with your top or bottom teeth is irrelevant—it’s just a trend. Don’t let the opinions of TikTok users make you feel insecure about your natural way of speaking.
Is it normal to talk with your teeth showing?
It’s completely normal to show your teeth when you talk or smile. Typically, the lower edges of your upper teeth become visible when you speak. The visibility of your top and bottom teeth is influenced by the length of your teeth, lip structure, and jaw position.
It’s natural to talk showing your bottom teeth as you get older. With age, your teeth gradually wear down and become less visible overall. Studies show that from your 30s onward, your lips begin to thin, and your upper lip may lengthen as your skin loses elasticity, making your bottom teeth more visible as you age. It's completely normal for your smile and teeth to change over time.
Other Common Teeth Idioms
Teeth appear in many common English idioms. While 'talking with teeth' isn't one of them, there are plenty of expressions related to teeth. Some of these are metaphorical, while others refer directly to actual tooth movements. Here are a few examples:
- Talking with clenched teeth: Clenching your teeth typically signals anger. When you hear or read that someone was speaking with their teeth clenched, it usually means they were extremely angry or seething, although it could also indicate frustration or pain.
- Lying through your teeth: To lie through your teeth means to tell a blatant lie, fully aware that it's untrue.
- Like pulling teeth: Saying something is 'like pulling teeth' means it’s extremely difficult or painful. If you're trying to get someone to do something and it’s 'like pulling teeth,' it means they're being uncooperative or resistant.
- Cut your teeth on: This expression refers to your first experience or training in something. For instance, you might say you 'cut your teeth on' community theater before moving on to Broadway.
- Show your teeth: To show your teeth means to reveal your strength, aggression, or determination. For example, when a competitor 'shows their teeth,' it means they are being unexpectedly fierce or threatening.
- Long in the tooth: When someone is described as 'long in the tooth,' it’s a more informal way of saying they’re old. It can also apply to things, like a long-running TV show that has been on for many years.
