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Working with Swarovski crystals and celebrities from Swedish singer Seinabo Sey to model Iris Law , Anyamanee Chailom puts a creative spin into tooth gem artistry. Here is why you need her work on your radar
Teeth gem artist Anyamanee Chailom counts Swedish singers Seinabo Sey and Aida Lee and models Meadow Walker and Iris Law as just a few of her famous clientele. “I just see them as normal people,” she says of working with celebrities. “Maybe because our sessions are so intimate, I literally have my hands in their mouths.” When we speak, she makes a point of only mentioning paying customers. “A lot of celebrities and influencers expect their services to be free. I’m not a fan of that.”
Grow ing up in the small Swedish town of Hällefors, Chailom first discovered the art form when she came across various American tooth gem accounts on social media. At the time, she held a position in marketing, working as a lash technician on the side. “I was contemplating what else I could do that was a bit more creative than lashes. I wanted to leave my office job to pursue beauty,” she explains. “I remember asking my friend if I should start doing tooth gems or not. Needless to say, it turned out better than I could expect.”
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our sessions are so intimate, I literally have my hands in their mouths
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Photo: Alvaro Nates
The practice of embellishing our teeth can be traced through millennia of human history. There is evidence of ancient civilisations from Egypt to the Philippines, Japan to India, decorating their chompers. “I think humans as a species love art and beauty, so it’s only natural we decorate our teeth too. I don’t think it’s possible to claim who came first as I think a custom can repeat itself without outside influence,” says Chailom. However, she points out that today, the practice has been kept alive in minority communities. “Grills, especially, have gained in popularity thanks to African American communities and their influence on pop culture worldwide,” she says.
The techniques used are the same as when attaching braces. Depending on the design, it usually takes just under 10 minutes to apply a gem set. “I made myself known by doing creative and crazy sets,” she says. “I have done a crying smiley, a Pride tooth, the Gambian f lag, jade butterf lies...” Chailom trails off. A tooth for every taste.
