Toothy crazes should make us smile

Kanye West has had his bottom row of teeth removed and replaced with diamonds.

It's no secret that Kanye West is a fan of all things bling. When he revealed his latest look this week, you couldn't help but feel that he might have taken the phrase "million-dollar smile" a touch too literally, though. In true understated fashion, the rapper has had his bottom row of teeth removed and replaced with a set of diamonds.

It seems unlikely that this will be widely copied; if common sense doesn't put people off (and it really should), then financial concerns certainly will. Or perhaps I'm speaking too soon, after all, bleached teeth were once only sported by celebrities, yet in recent years many of us have jumped on the bandwagon and taken action against our (not so) pearly whites. Whether you go all out with laser treatment, or resort to the old baking soda trick, there is a multitude of ways to flash a brighter smile.

But lo, it now seems that luminous white is no longer everyone's cup of tea (not that you should be drinking tea, the tannin leaves unsightly stains).

Those in the know have reported that the molar shade du jour is a more realistic ivory, or off-white colour.

But while this news may have a few of us breathing a sigh of relief, anyone who endured years of painful orthodontistry will be less pleased to learn of the new craze for midline diastema (otherwise knowns as a gap between the teeth) as seen on a number of models at Paris Fashion Week.