Stars love it, even flashing their tooth gems on the red carpet, but they’re not the only ones – TikTok users are going crazy for this retro object that could be a sign of a broader trend making a comeback: bling.

Tooth gems are showing up everywhere. As a dazzling mouthful; in a sweet nostalgic approach with hearts, stars, or coloured rhinestones; or more discreet and sophisticated in a diamond version on the canine tooth – everyone’s tastes are being catered for this season.

This might seem odd at a time when men and women are wearing a mask just about all the time in public, but is it precisely the masks that make it a provocative trend?

The phenomenon continues to gain ground, especially on social networks, where videos and pictures showing these gems are amassing thousands, even millions of views or likes.

While the hashtag #toothgems counts “only” 250,000 publications on Instagram, on TikTok its singular counterpart #toothgem has already racked up nearly 150 million views. And the phenomenon has been gaining popularity for several weeks.

Celebrities are getting in on the trend, showing off their best embellished smile on social networks, from Rihanna to Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Hailey Bieber, Pink, and Kourtney Kardashian.

Last week at the MTV Video Music Awards, Rita Ora caused a sensation with a sparkling smile adorned with a multitude of stones – just an accessory like any other, even on the red carpet.

If you want to get in on this trend, it’s important to take some precautions. On TikTok, there are many tutorials showing how to put a stone on one or more teeth, but it is obviously not recommended to do it at home without the advice and skills of an expert.