Dentistry and performance: creating characters from a smile

Smiling woman with movie clapper [Curtain rises.]
[Spotlight, stage center]
[Loupes flicker on and illuminate an ensemble of teeth]

This is Broadway, and these aren’t just any teeth. What if all the actors playing the revolutionaries in Les Misérables had bleached, orthodontically straightened teeth? Would you believe Dracula to be a successful vampire if he were a severe bruxer? An actor’s presentation on stage conveys their character’s story to the audience. Similarly, the appearance of the teeth can speak volumes about its owner’s experiences.

[Enter stage right: theatrical dentistry]