BehindTheMedspeak: 'Halloween teeth that fit'

Slip–on teeth are the new new thing in not–so–cheap fake smiles.

Dentists can create them in one day in their offices.

They cost $1,500 to $2,500 — about a quarter the price of permanent veneers.

Oh, yeah, one more thing you should know: "Just don't bite hard — they're fragile — meant for show, not for go," as Jennifer Huget noted in her story about them in yesterday's Washington Post Health section.

Here's the article.

Halloween Teeth That Fit

Big date coming?

Not ready to face the pain or expense of a dental makeover?

You could hide, at least for a while, your yellowed, misshapen choppers behind a "snap-on smile" -- a slip-on plastic mouthpiece meant as a quickie alternative to pricier, more permanent fixes like porcelain veneers.

The trompe l'oeil piece attaches via acrylic knobs to the space near the gumline between the last tooth covered and the next tooth in line.

Depending on the number of teeth covered, clip-ons cost $1,500 to $2,500 -- about a quarter the price of veneers.

Just don't bite hard: They're fragile.

Cosmetic dentists have been crafting temporary, slip-on veneers for decades, said Larry Addleson, a San Diego dentist and immediate past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

But recent news stories about a Manhattan dentist's celebrity-inspired slip-on models (the Gwyneth, the Halle) have upped public interest.

Addleson likens the product to "Halloween teeth that fit."

A dentist takes an impression of your teeth, chooses an enamel shade and crafts a heat-treated acrylic sheath.

D.C. cosmetic dentist Eric Markowitz can make one in his office in a day; higher-quality models can take a week or more for a lab to produce, he said.

They're not meant to mask decay or serious dental problems; underlying flaws still need to be addressed.

"They're for show, not for go," said Markowitz.

He often counsels patients to bite the bullet and spring for more lasting repairs.

Still, he said, snap-ons can tide you over until you spring for permanent repairs, and they are "a great way to test-drive a smile."

As for that big date, first impressions matter. But someday you may have to show your true colors.