Britney Spears' Full Teeth Transformation Is A Shocking Sight

Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes — oh, and aging. For better or for worse, we all change as we grow and evolve; however, the transformation of Britney Spears from child star to adult mom-of-two has been pretty extreme, with her shocking dental deterioration front and center stage.

When 16-year-old Britney burst onto the music scene with "...Baby One More Time" in 1998, she immediately wowed fans with her talent and style. Britney's dazzling smile, crotch-skimming waistbands, double denim, and Justin Timberlake romance made her an early noughties pop culture icon. However, as her life began spinning out of control, her smile and famed pearly whites faded, leading to speculation about what happened to Britney's teeth.

Over time, the conjecture morphed into a head-turning conspiracy theory about Britney, one that's crazy even by conspiracy theory standards. In short, Britney isn't actually Britney. The real Britney died in a car crash in 1998 and was replaced by a clone. Yeah, really. Either way, Britney has been subjected to more than her fair share of human adversity. Her struggles with mental illness, custody battle with Kevin Federline, troubled relationship with her sons, and 13-year-long suffocating, coercive, and emotionally abusive conservatorship at the hands of her father, Jamie Spears, are just some of the cards she's been dealt. So, it's little surprise that dental hygiene was placed on the back burner. From sparkly perfection to gappy disaster, we're taking a look at Britney's teeth transformation.

Britney Spears didn't start out with perfectly straight and sparkling teeth. Like many things in her life, it was a case of no pain, no gain, and Spears had to put in some serious hard work to achieve her goals. The singer spoke about her dental journey in "Britney Spears: There's No Place Like Home," a 2000 documentary that aired on FOX.

"I've had the braces, the retainers, everything. Oh gosh! Drama. But no, my dentist, she's a sweetheart," she shared. "I had one retainer; it was really gross ... You know how you have the top retainer and the bottom? But it was one, and you put it in so you really couldn't talk, and it had a key and everything that you put in it to turn it to tighten it every night." Spears' dentist, Dr. Sue LeBlanc, weighed in, discussing photos of Spears' developing smile through the years. She revealed that Spears completed her orthodontic treatment at age 14. "This is Britney today, and I think you'll all attest it's a sexy, smart, and trendsetting smile," she said.

Meanwhile, Spears showed off her comedic skills by doling out dental care tips while wearing a pair of rotten false choppers. "My advice to give you is to drink a lot of soda pop, candy, and anything that will make your teeth this beautiful," she deadpanned.

Britney Spears was ready to debut her mega-watt smile by 1998. Her sparklingly perfect teeth quickly became one of her most iconic features, along with her long blond locks. Spears was clearly proud of all the hard work she had to put in to achieve the champion chompers, flashing them in toothy grins whenever the opportunity presented. However, things began to slide after she broke up with Justin Timberlake after three years of dating.

Spears made headlines in 2002 when she was snapped smoking on her hotel balcony in Sydney, Australia. Stories soon emerged of her drinking and partying while seemingly existing on a diet of Cheetos and Coca-Cola. Still, drinking and smoking were nothing new. The singer admitted in her 2023 memoir, "The Woman in Me," that she'd picked up both vices by the time she was 13. However, they started taking their toll, and signs of dental deterioration began emerging as she entered her 20s.

It's probably no coincidence that Spears' life began spiraling simultaneously. Red flags first appeared in January 2004 after she left fans — and the media — shocked and stunned by marrying her childhood friend Jason Alexander during a hard-partying Las Vegas bender. The two tied the knot inside the Little White Wedding Chapel at 5:30 a.m. on a Saturday. Proving that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, their marriage was annulled 55 hours later.

By the mid-2000s, Britney Spears' teeth clearly showed some serious signs of decline, leading to her paying a visit to Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist to the stars, Dr. Kevin Sands. The performer is seen smiling widely alongside Sands in a photo posted on his website, among snaps of other celebs, such as Kim Kardashian, Matthew McConaughey, and Miley Cyrus.

Sands told W magazine in May 2016 that Spears was one of his first celeb patients. "She just came here out of the blue," he said. Obviously, he wouldn't divulge any of her treatment details. Still, he did share his advice for guaranteeing an A-lister smile. "Keep up with your regular cleanings, floss, put more milk in your coffee so it's not so black, drink clear colas, and put a drop of water in your soy sauce," he shared.

It's speculated that Spears underwent dental bonding. According to Sands' website: "Genetics, poor hygiene, and trauma can affect the appearance of your teeth. Gaps, chips, misshapen teeth, and cracked teeth can prevent you from having the attractive and charming smile you desire. Dental bonding provides cosmetic enhancements to your smile by addressing common dental issues."

To maintain her newly enhanced and regenerated smile, Britney Spears bit the bullet and clipped the retainers back in — despite some of their side effects. "Answering some more of your questions... ps if I sound like I have a lisp it's because I just got a retainer !!!" she captioned a Q&A video posted on Instagram in July 2020. Sadly, Spears' dental efforts weren't appreciated by some or believed by others. "Your retainer make you sound like a doll baby this old video but man what happened to her soft voice," a fan commented. "Retainers don't make you speak like that shes on the verge of [tears]," another opined.

Fans' opinions aside, Spears had more pressing issues to deal with than her teeth, such as fighting to end the 13-year-long repressive conservatorship she was subjected to. Unfortunately, retainers aren't just for Christmas, though; they're for life, and taking a break from wearing them will quickly result in dental demise. "Anytime orthodontal work is done, whether it be Invisalign or regular braces you will be wearing a retainer for the rest of your life. Your teeth will naturally move back to where they started if you do not wear the retainer. You have to be compliant about this," California dentist Dr. Robert Fields DDS warned on the medical Q&A site Real Self.

By 2023, Britney Spears' teeth were noticeably different. They appeared seemingly narrower and longer in length, almost protruding, and had large spaces between them. Spears' shocking tooth transformation from sparkling perfection to gnarly gnashers sparked great debate among fans and professionals alike.

Some speculated that it was down to ditching the retainers, while others claimed the dental decline was due to a lack of proper care. "This is gum disease from decades of smoking and neglect. This causes bone loss and subsequent teeth shifting. Her case appears pretty severe, unfortunately. She's definitely not taking care of herself, at least from an oral hygiene perspective," a dentist claimed on a Reddit thread dedicated to Spears' teeth.

"Her teeth are moving facially to a surprising degree and are splayed out," a dental hygienist opined. "Looks like perio disease. Doesn't look like tongue thrusting. Also, there's wear from grinding. The position of the teeth... is not good." They warned that if Spears didn't address the situation sooner rather than later, she may lose her trademark smile forever. "Without good bone support, the teeth will be lost. And bone loss can't be reversed — it can only get worse. At best, the bone loss can come to a near standstill."