It was the gap heard ‘round the world. Well, maybe not the world, but definitely the corner of the internet that cares about Hollywood dental charts.
In 2019, Dakota Johnson stepped onto the red carpet for the premiere of The Peanut Butter Falcon, and something was missing. Not her talent, not her bangs, but that trademark space between her two front teeth. The internet, being the internet, went into a total tailspin. People were mourning the "death" of the gap like it was a beloved sitcom character. It sounds dramatic, but for a lot of fans, that little space represented a break from the cookie-cutter "perfection" we usually see on screen.
Dakota Johnson Teeth: What Actually Happened?
Honestly, the truth is way less scandalous than the "secret plastic surgery" rumors suggested. Most people assumed she’d run off to a Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist for a set of porcelain veneers. We see it all the time. A star gets famous, and suddenly their unique features are sanded down into a row of identical white piano keys. But Dakota’s story involves a lot more biology and a lot less porcelain.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Dakota finally cleared the air. She hadn't gone looking for a "perfect" smile. In fact, she was kind of bummed about the change herself.
She explained that she’d had a permanent retainer glued to the back of her teeth since she was about 13 years old. Fast forward to her late twenties, and she started dealing with some serious neck and jaw pain. If you've ever dealt with TMJ or chronic neck tension, you know how much it sucks. Her orthodontist suggested removing the retainer to see if her jaw would naturally expand and relieve the pressure.
The result? Her jaw relaxed, her teeth shifted, and the gap closed all by itself. No drills, no bonding, just the weird way the human body reacts when you remove a piece of metal that’s been there for fifteen years.
The Science of the Spontaneous Shift
It’s actually pretty common for teeth to move throughout your life. Dentists call that gap a diastema. While some people spend thousands of dollars to close one, Dakota’s teeth basically did a "U-turn" the moment they were free.
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- The Retainer Factor: Permanent retainers are great for keeping things in place, but they can also "lock" the jaw into a position that isn't naturally comfortable for the muscles.
- Muscular Relief: Once the wire was gone, her jaw found a new resting point.
- The Closure: When the jaw expands or shifts, the teeth often follow the path of least resistance. In Dakota’s case, that path led her front teeth right next to each other.
She joked with Fallon that she now has to deal with a "whole new world of problems," like getting food stuck in her teeth. Apparently, when you have a gap, the food "just slides right through."
Why the Internet Was So Upset
You might be wondering why anyone cares about a stranger's incisors. It’s a fair point. But Dakota Johnson’s teeth were a bit of a symbol. In an industry where everyone looks like they were built in the same factory, that gap felt authentic.
She even did a video for Vanity Fair a few years back where she demonstrated how many things she could fit in her tooth gap—a credit card, a cherry stem, a twig. It was her "only party trick." Losing that felt, to some, like she was conforming to a standard she never seemed to care about before.
Before and After: The Visual Difference
If you look at "before" photos from the Fifty Shades era and compare them to her look in Madame Web or Persuasion, the difference is subtle but definitely there. Her smile is tighter now. It’s more symmetrical. Some dental experts, like Dr. Victoria Veytsman, have noted that while the gap is gone, the actual shape and character of her teeth remain. This supports the idea that she didn't get veneers. Veneers usually involve reshaping the natural tooth or adding bulk, which would have changed the "vibe" of her smile more than a simple closure did.
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Dealing with Diastema: Your Options
If you’re looking at your own smile and wondering if you should "do a Dakota," it’s worth knowing that you have options that don't always involve a total overhaul.
- Invisalign or Braces: This is the most common way to close a gap. It’s a slow process that moves the roots, not just the tops of the teeth.
- Composite Bonding: This is a quick fix where a dentist adds a little bit of tooth-colored resin to the sides of the teeth to fill the space. It’s non-invasive and usually takes one appointment.
- Veneers: The "nuclear option." It’s a permanent change that involves covering the front of the tooth. It’s pricey and requires some maintenance.
- The "Dakota" Method: Sometimes, if your gap is caused by a specific orthodontic appliance, removing or changing that appliance can cause a shift. But don't go ripping out your own retainer—talk to a professional first.
Actionable Insights for Your Smile
If you're noticing changes in your own teeth or dealing with the kind of neck pain Dakota described, here’s how to handle it:
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- Check Your Retainer: If you’ve had a permanent wire for over a decade and you're having jaw tension, mention it to your dentist. It might be time for a change.
- Consult a Functional Dentist: Look for someone who focuses on the relationship between your teeth and your jaw alignment (neuromuscular dentistry).
- Embrace the Unique: If you have a gap and you like it, you don't have to "fix" it. Plenty of icons—from Madonna to Lauren Hutton—have made it their signature.
Dakota Johnson’s teeth might look a little different these days, but she’s still one of the most interesting actresses working today. Whether she ever tries to get the gap back (she told Fallon she was "working on it"), the saga serves as a weirdly human reminder that even Hollywood stars are at the mercy of their own biology.