How Love Island stars fuelled the £4.6billion ‘Turkey Teeth’ industry and splashed a staggering £290k on their gnashers
WITH this series of Love Island All Stars in full swing – it seems that the feuds and snogs are not the only things that have got people talking.
Luis Morrison, a father-of-two, has not only hit the headlines because of his exes taking a swipe, but also for his teeth.
The footballer, who fell in love with Cally-Jane Beech on the dating series in 2015, returned to this series with a fresh look – as he boasted a set of new veneers.
Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, viewers described Luis’ teeth as looking like a ‘gum shield’, while a second said his ‘Turkey teeth are next level’.
But Luis isn’t the only Love Islander that has donned ‘Turkey teeth’ – in fact, here’s just one of many.
Throughout the years, we’ve seen more and more singletons grace our screens with their pearly whites.
But also, following their time on the show, it appears that an increased number of youngsters are travelling abroad and opting to give their teeth a fresh makeover.
The trend has been dubbed “Turkey Teeth” as it becomes increasingly popular for people to travel and shell out on the dental treatment, with the TikTok hashtag “#TurkeyTeeth” reaching 746.8 million views.
While the term is regularly used to describe any dental treatment done in Turkey, it has recently taken on a new meaning – and is often used to describe poorly done, unnatural and blocky cosmetic dental procedures.
And now, it has been predicted that the global dental tourism industry will be worth a huge £4.6billion by 2025.
But it’s no surprise – as figures released by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism at the Travel Convention in Bodrum show there were 3.16 million UK visitors in the destination from January to September 2023, up 12% year on year.
There are 533 direct non-stopping flights from Turkey to Britain per week, with a total capacity of 108,073 seats per week – and if you’ve ever been on a plane from Turkey to the UK, you’ll know that it’s rarer to see someone without a blood-soaked bandage than with one.
After talking to Dr Daz Singh, Lead Dentist and Clinical Director for Ollie and Darsh Liverpool, and Dr Richard Marques a private Harley Street Dentist, Fabulous have estimated that Love Islanders have spent a jaw-dropping £290,000 on new gnashers.
Dr Daz Singh told Fabulous: “Dental veneers are thin shells, often made of porcelain or composite resin, that are custom-made to fit over the front surface of a tooth.
“They are used to improve the appearance of teeth by changing their colour, shape, size, or length.
“The cost of veneers can vary widely depending on several factors, including the material used, the dentist’s expertise, the geographic location of the dental practice, and the number of teeth being treated.
“On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from £400 to £1,500 per tooth for veneers. This is a rough estimate, and prices may differ. However, it is likely the Islanders would have spent more on veneers to get that whiter than white, Turkey Teeth look.
“It can be assumed they have spent around £10,000 for a full set of veneers.
“As cosmetic dentistry advances and becomes more accessible, people, including reality show participants like those on Love Island, may be more inclined to opt for procedures like veneers to enhance their smiles.
“Love Island contestants, after gaining popularity from the show, may have increased financial resources and opportunities, allowing them to invest in cosmetic enhancements, including dental work.
“When individuals within a social or professional circle undergo certain cosmetic procedures, others may be influenced to do the same. If one Love Island contestant gets veneers and showcases the results, it may contribute to a ripple effect within the group.
“Veneers have become a popular cosmetic dental procedure, not just among celebrities but also among the general population.”
Dangers of 'Turkey teeth'
- Intense long-lasting pain
- Overly sensitive teeth
- Exposed nerves
- Ill-fitting veneers can be too big or too small
- Infected gums, which can spread to the sinuses and even to the bone if left untreated
- Rotting teeth
- Excessive swelling
- Poorly bonded veneers can fall off easily
Not only this, but Dr Richard Marques also told Fabulous: “Veneers are popular with celebrities and Love Islander’s in particular.
“When appearing on the TV people can face a lot of criticism which often leads them to make certain tweakments to their smile so they are more confident going forward.
“Veneers are one of our most popular treatments. Social media, Netflix, YouTube and reality TV have really seen the rise of smile makeovers in the last five to 10 years.”
Here, we take a look at all of the other Love Islanders that have splashed the cash to get pearly whites.
Jake Cornish
Also from this series, although he has now quit, is Jake Cornish.
Jake Cornish, who went on Love Island in 2021, recently looks worlds away from his first appearance on the dating show.
The influencer shared a photo of his new look last year, which included pearly white veneers, a tan, and a body transformation.
Georgia Steel
Also attempting a second attempt at love in this series, many fans have gushed over Georgia Steel’s ‘major glow up’.
The ‘loyal’ star donned a new fringe and a set of bright pearly whites, six years after her original stint.
In 2022, the influencer had composite veneers and gushed that her teeth are ‘the best they have ever looked’, as she said: “I liked my natural teeth but as I am a protectionist I wanted them to be in order and straight so got composite veneers.”
Callum Jones
Callum Jones is another Islander on this series of All Stars, who rose to fame after joining Love Island back in 2020. There, he met Molly Smith and the pair formed an instant connection.
While Callum has never publicly spoken about having his teeth done, many eagle-eyed viewers believe that his teeth looked worlds apart from how they did four years ago.
In a post on X, one user wrote: “As if that Callum Jones from Love Island is advertising teeth whitening when he’s got fresh veneers.”
Molly Smith
His ex-girlfriend Molly Smith is another who has tampered with her teeth.
The blonde beauty recently showed off her blindingly white new teeth, as she appeared to have undergone the popular composite bonding dental procedure.
Molly shared her teeth transformation on TikTok in a before-and-after video, but was met with backlash from fans, as one voiced “joining the piano key teeth.”
Jack Fincham
When Jack Fincham went on Love Island, his pearly white veneers sparked a huge spike in searches for so-called Turkey teeth.
The 2018 Love Island winner had his gnashers done in the capital Antalya – dubbed Dentalya for its influx of Brits seeking dental treatment – five years ago, around six months before entering the villa.
In his Love Island VT, he boasted: “I absolutely love my pearly whites. I went all the way to Turkey to get these. I come back with a winning smile and a nice little holiday.”
Molly-Mae Hague
In 2021, Molly-Mae Hague began to give herself a makeover to embrace a more natural look, but prior to this, the influencer had composite bonding on her teeth.
Before having the bonds removed Molly-Mae told fans she was determined to embrace a more natural look as her teeth looked a bit “fake” and she was also worried about her gum health.
She shared: “These composite bonds are leaving us… it’s time to say goodbye…It’s been a two year journey with these composites now, and now I’m turning over a new leaf and I’ve decided to go for more natural teeth.”
Megan Barton Hanson
When she was in Love Island it was revealed that Megan Baron Hanson had had a lot of surgery, including her ears pinned back, two boob jobs, a nose job and lip fillers.
But not only this, she’s also another Islander to have altered with her teeth too.
In 2020, the star jetted to Turkey to get a new set of veneers, which she claimed she was ‘beyond happy’ with.
Connor Durman
He caused quite a stir online during his time in the Love Island villa – and it wasn’t for his single antics.
In fact, when Connor Durman appeared on the show back in 2020, it was his teeth that got conversations started.
The coffee bean salesman from Brighton confirmed that he had his gnashers done in Thailand, leading Sophie Piper, his match at the time, to say “He obviously got the veneers in hasn’t he!”
Sam Gowland
Sam Gowland hit the headlines just last year after he was mocked over his ‘natural’ veneers.
The reality TV star came under fire from his followers when he showed off his pearly white smile recently but was met with comments insisting it looked like he was wearing a bright “white mouth guard”.
As a result, Sam spent £3,500 to get them done, as he claimed: “I absolutely love my veneers but to be honest, waking up every single day with thousands and thousands of comments and messages saying ‘they are the worst teeth I’ve ever seen,’ it makes you feel a bit insecure, it gets you down.”
Tom Clare
Just this month, footballer Tom Clare underwent extensive dental treatment and showed off the final results on Instagram.
Tom, 24, said he wanted to fix the gaps in his smile with composite bonding after wearing Invisalign braces to straighten his teeth.
As he sat in Dr Simon Blank’s dentist chair, the clip penned: “Watch as we take @tomclare__ smile to the next level with composite bonding.”
Amy Hart
Back in 2020, Amy Hart showed off her new veneers on Loose Women – 10 years after getting her first set done.
The former Love Island star revealed she got new gnashers after getting trolled ‘every single day’ for her old teeth.
“With my first set, I was 17, I lived in a small town. Obviously life has changed a lot [since then] and people didn’t think I had ex-reality star teeth and people would tell me that every day. ‘I literally used to get messages about them every single day.”
Mary Bedford
Back in January 2022, Mary Bedford, who rose to fame on the dating show in 2021 – took to social media to reveal her latest look with her “perfect smile”.
She detailed to fans how she had been “very excited” for weeks ahead of her appointment with cosmetic dentist Dr Bilal Arshad for her porcelain veneers.
Speaking about cosmetic surgery, Mary previously shared: “If you’ve got an insecurity you’re best off getting it fixed, there’s no point going through life insecure.”
Molly Marsh
The musical theatre performer, 21, Molly Marsh – who starred in the summer 2023 series, has been oven open about having various cosmetic treatments.
She’s had Masseter Botox, which helps to minimise the width of your jawline, as well as Botox injected into her jaw and temples.
Not only this, she also revealed that she also had veneers prior to her Love Island debut too.
Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu
Ekin-Su, who is still with her Love Island partner Davide Sanclimenti, has previously revealed that she had breast augmentation and £1,200 worth of facial fillers as part of her pre-villa beauty prep.
Not only this, but she’s also been open on her decision to visit a dentist in Turkey for her £4,000 veneers too.
The model explained that she had 10 teeth done at the top and 11 at the bottom.
Kady McDermott
According to reports, Kady underwent a ‘five-minute’ nose job, Botox and filler before heading back to the Love Island villa for the second time – and that’s on top of previous work she’s had done including veneers, lip fillers and two boob jobs.
Kady had her top eight teeth done and regularly shares snaps of her dazzling gnashers during trips to her dentist.
Posting online, she wrote: “Plastic surgery is such a personal thing and if someone wants to do it they should…But it’s up to the person at the end of the day.”
Olivia Attwood
She’s a Love Island icon and now Loose Women star, Olivia Attwood has been very open about her thoughts on surgery and back in 2021, had porcelain veneers fitted.
She joked that her old gnashers were “horrible little pegs” and explained that she previously only had 10 porcelain veneers on top and 10 composite veneers on the bottom fitted eight years ago which “never fully matched”.
Posting a video on social media, she penned: “So guys, long morning in the chair but the new teeth are in! They are white and new, shiny, and I’m very happy.”
Alex Bowen
Alex Bowen, who is now married to his Love Island partner Olivia Bowen, is another social media star that has transformed his appearance with a set of bright, glossy veneers.
But after showing the white gnashers with his followers on Instagram, back in 2017, he was subject to a barrage of negative comments.
Following this, Olivia wrote in her New Magazine column: “Alex had veneers applied recently and some people commented, saying he looked ‘generic’ after he posted a selfie on Instagram. It really angered me. He’s always felt insecure about his teeth, but hasn’t stopped smiling since he got his new ones.”
Nathan Massey
Nathan Massey, who also starred alongside Alex in series two of the much-loved show, is another who has splashed the cash on his smile.
In 2018, Nathan visited Dental Centre Turkey to get his veneers done.
As he thanked the company for his smile, he described the experience as “absolutely amazing.”
Cara Delahoyde-Massey
But Nathan didn’t go alone to get his teeth done – alongside him was his now-wife Cara Delahoyde-Massey.
Cara was also thrilled with her “brand new” smile and shortly after they had their teeth done, the pair were seen beaming as they took their new teeth for a spin on a romantic trip to Amsterdam.
Nathan and Cara couldn’t stop smiling and it could be seen from miles away thanks to their sparkling gnashers.
Luca Bish
Luca Bish, a former fishmonger from Brighton, decided to take the plunge and get his teeth done before he appeared on the dating show.
Prior to his TV appearance, Luca and his ex-girlfriend Sophie Floyd took a trip to a cosmetic clinic in Turkey.
The now influencer, who coupled up with Gemma Owen whilst on the show, confirmed that he had his top 10 and bottom 10 teeth refined.
Mollie Salmon
Mollie Salmon, who we saw enter Casa Amor in series eight, is another Islander that’s now known for her dazzling smile – and for good reason.
As she joined the show, the make-up artist revealed: “I’d say my best feature is probably my smile. I paid seven grand for my teeth so I like to show it off!”
Mollie later revealed that she spent a staggering £7,000 on her bright white gnashers.
Jordan Hames
But unlike Mollie, who proudly debuted her teeth on the show, Jordan Humes decided to get his teeth done after his TV appearance.
It came after he found himself as the butt of many teeth jokes during his time in the villa, with some fans even sharing a Shrek meme, comparing the character to Jordan’s gappy teeth.
After appearing on our screens, where he was coupled up with Anna Vakili, he shared an edited picture of Shrek and captioned it: “Yoooo word on the street, my man Shrek has followed the flex”.
Montana Brown
Montana Brown, now a mum-of-one, took a trip to Maison Dental clinic, where she had 10 composite veneers put in.
Back in 2018, Maison Dental also shared a video to their Instagram of Montana showing off her new teeth where they revealed the cost per tooth is £400 – £500.
While she’s always had a beautiful, white smile, Montana looked dramatically different with her now super straight teeth.
Laura Anderson
Laura Anderson was another Islander who was clearly blessed with great teeth before she entered the villa.
However, after leaving Love Island, Laura confirmed that she had veneers done.
Not only did she have her lips done and her nose corrected and straightened, but she also donned a beautiful, bright white smile too.
Harley Brash
Harley Brash claimed that she was trolled about her teeth following her stint in the dating show, which led to her having veneers put in at the Chelsea Dental Clinic.
She shared her teeth journey on Instagram and explained that after years of feeling self-conscious of her smile, she is now finally happy with it.
She said: “I’ve always been self conscious about my teeth and having a gummy smile since I was a young teen and it was something I had always planned on fixing when I felt I was old/mature enough to do so me and @drrhonaeskander had multiple consultations…In the end I decided to go with composite veneers as well as having my top gum lasered, both completely pain free.”
Ellie Brown
Harley’s pal Ellie Brown is another Islander who also had her teeth done.
The blonde beauty took to social media back in 2022 to show off her pearly white teeth after her dental transformation.
Captioning the gorgeous snap, she wrote: ‘I love them so much! Thank you @ringwaydental.’
Olivia Hawkins
Olivia Hawkins graced our screens in season nine, but since leaving the villa, was treated to a brand new set of teeth.
The 27-year-old revealed her huge smile transformation on TikTok after a visit to the dentist, as she shared: “New teeth day! Done by the amazing Dr Sonnie at Ruh Dental.”
Olivia – who had composite veneers and bonding done – added: “Obsessed with my new teeth.”
Dale Mehmet
We saw Dale Mehmet in season seven of the show, as he donned a bright, white smile.
After travelling to Turkey for his gnashers, Dale told OK!: “It was something I always wanted to do and not because I was insecure about my teeth or anything like that.
“I feel like you need to have your teeth done to know what I mean by that. It changes your face so much. For the career I wanted to pursue, it looks good – the perfect smile.”
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