Top 15 celebrities with bad teeth in 2026 (with pictures)
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
One celebrity with bad teeth is Steve Buscemi. He turned down dental surgery on principle. His overlapping, stained smile is his most recognisable feature. Besides Steve, there are other celebrities with bad teeth. From Hollywood actors to rock icons. Some corrected their smiles, while others chose to keep them.
Key takeaways
- Steve Buscemi's teeth are his most recognisable career asset, and he has deliberately refused to fix them.
- Johnny Depp underwent one of the most dramatic celebrity dental transformations of 2024, replacing years of decay with veneers and crowns.
- Vanessa Paradis, Anna Paquin, and Jewel are among the most prominent female celebrities with bad teeth who have kept their imperfect smiles by choice.
- Shane MacGowan had some of the most severely decayed teeth in music history. He received full implants in 2015 and passed away in November 2023.
- Kirsten Dunst and Keira Knightley are also among female celebrities with imperfect teeth who achieved major careers without cosmetic correction.
How this ranking was determined
This list was compiled from long-term entertainment media coverage, dental clinic analyses, and interviews given by the celebrities themselves. Rankings draw on reporting from outlets including Nicki Swift, IcyHealth, and established dental health publications.
15 celebrities with bad teeth at a glance
Celebrity | Dental issue | Fixed? |
Hilary Duff | Buck/chipped teeth | Yes — porcelain veneers |
Anthony Davis | Misaligned lower teeth | No |
Charlie Sheen | Decayed teeth, gold cap | Partially |
Vanessa Paradis | Gap between front teeth | No |
Tom Cruise | Off-centre "mono-tooth" | Yes — full cosmetic surgery |
Anna Paquin | Gap between front teeth | No |
Kirsten Dunst | Snaggle tooth | No |
Jewel | Crooked snaggletooth | No |
Keira Knightley | Crooked, wonky teeth | No |
Madonna | Gap teeth; gold tooth grill | Partially |
Michael Strahan | Prominent gap-toothed smile | No |
Lindsay Lohan | Chipped, discoloured, decaying | Yes — improved by 2018 |
Johnny Depp | Decaying yellow teeth, gold caps | Yes — veneers/crowns (2024) |
Shane MacGowan | Severely decayed, missing teeth | Yes — implants (2015) |
Steve Buscemi | Misaligned, overlapping, stained | No |
Here is a breakdown of profiles of celebrities with bad teeth.
15. Hilary Duff (buck and chipped teeth)
- Full name: Hilary Erhard Duff
- Date of birth: 28 September 1987
- Age: 38 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actress, singer
Hilary Duff's teeth were repeatedly chipped during her Disney years. Microphone impacts during concerts caused multiple fractures. She later had porcelain veneers fitted, transforming her smile.
Her wedding day added the most dramatic chapter. A veneer fell out just three hours before the wedding ceremony. Emergency dental work saved the day, and the event photos.
14. Anthony Davis (misaligned lower teeth)
- Full name: Anthony Marshon Davis Jr.
- Date of birth: 11 March 1993
- Age: 33 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: NBA basketball player
NBA star Anthony Davis is famous for two features: his untamed unibrow and his severely misaligned lower front teeth. Critics once called his lower teeth some of the "worst in the NBA".
Davis has never addressed his dental appearance publicly. He is one of the most recognisable male celebrities with bad teeth who has never sought correction.
13. Charlie Sheen (decayed teeth and gold cap)
- Full name: Carlos Irwin Estévez
- Date of birth: 3 September 1965
- Age: 60 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actor
Charlie Sheen had a gold tooth cap fitted in 2010. This reportedly covered decay linked to substance abuse. His response to public attention on his smile was direct. He said, via Nicki Swift.
"I don't care. It's the other people that have the problem."
The cap addressed one tooth. Broader decay remained visible for years afterwards.
12. Vanessa Paradis (a smile she calls her own)
- Full name: Vanessa Chantal Paradis
- Date of birth: 22 December 1972
- Age: 53 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: French
- Profession: Singer, actress, model
French actress Vanessa Paradis has a prominent gap between her two front teeth. The French call this dents du bonheur — "teeth of happiness." She has never sought to close it. She said via Nicki Swift.
"Why would I fix them? I was born with them."
She reportedly can direct a jet of water through the gap. Paradis is one of the most recognisable female celebrities with bad teeth to embrace her natural smile.
11. Tom Cruise (the mono-tooth)
- Full name: Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
- Date of birth: 3 July 1962
- Age: 64 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actor
Actor Tom Cruise's front tooth sat at the centre of his face, not between his two front teeth as is normal. This created a noticeably asymmetrical smile. The feature became widely nicknamed the "mono-tooth."
Cruise underwent extensive dental surgery over his career. The mono-tooth was corrected through orthodontics and cosmetic procedures. He is now counted among celebrities with bad teeth before and after complete smile transformations.
10. Anna Paquin (the gap she refuses to close)
- Full name: Anna Paquin
- Date of birth: 24 July 1982
- Age: 44 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: New Zealand-born Canadian
- Profession: Actress
True Blood actress Anna Paquin has a prominent gap between her front teeth. She has made it clear this will not change. Anna finds questions about why she hasn't closed the gap rude. She once said.
"I don't really care about my teeth."
Paquin is frequently named when people ask which actress has bad teeth. Her imperfect smile has become a personal trademark.
9. Kirsten Dunst (the snaggle tooth)
- Full name: Kirsten Caroline Dunst
- Date of birth: 30 April 1982
- Age: 44 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actress
Kirsten Dunst has a single protruding upper tooth, which dental professionals call a snaggle tooth. She has never sought to have it corrected.
Her career spans the Spider-Man franchise, Melancholia, and The Power of the Dog, all built without any cosmetic dental work. Dunst is one of the most prominent young female celebrities with imperfect teeth to rise to stardom without conforming to Hollywood's veneer era.
8. Jewel Kilcher (the snaggletooth that became a selling point)
- Full name: Jewel Kilcher
- Date of birth: 23 May 1974
- Age: 52 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Singer-songwriter
Singer Jewel has a crooked, snaggletooth smile, one that reportedly advanced her career. She was hired for a 1999 film role specifically because directors wanted an actress with authentic "period teeth."
"I've never felt like it didn't make me sexy."
Multiple cosmetic dentists have reportedly approached her. She has declined them all. Her natural smile is part of her identity as an artist.
7. Keira Knightley (proudly wonky)
- Full name: Keira Christina Knightley
- Date of birth: 26 March 1985
- Age: 41 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: British
- Profession: Actress
Keira Knightley describes her own teeth as "wonky." No agents or directors pressured her to change them. A tabloid once published an unflattering description of her smile, a comment she reportedly took in stride.
Her career across the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Pride & Prejudice, and Atonement was built entirely with an uncorrected smile. The British actress stands out among celebrities with imperfect teeth who never yielded to industry pressure.
6. Madonna (gap teeth and gold grills)
- Full name: Madonna Louise Ciccone
- Date of birth: 16 August 1958
- Age: 68 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Singer, actress
The American actress and singer has had a recognisable gap between her front teeth throughout her career. In recent years, she began wearing a decorative gold tooth grill. More fashion statement than dental fix. She reportedly had to learn to eat while wearing it.
The gap has never been closed. Madonna remains one of the most recognisable female celebrities with bad teeth who made their dental quirks part of a wider personal aesthetic.
5. Michael Strahan (the gap that became his brand)
- Full name: Michael Anthony Strahan
- Date of birth: 21 November 1971
- Age: 54 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Former NFL defensive end; TV presenter
NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan almost closed his famous gap, then changed his mind. He has credited his children as part of that decision.
"For me, I made the conscious effort to say 'This is who I am.'"
The gap is now central to his media persona. Strahan is among the best-known celebrities with missing teeth who turned an imperfect smile into a bankable feature.
4. Lindsay Lohan (decay and a comeback smile)
- Full name: Lindsay Dee Lohan
- Date of birth: 2 July 1986
- Age: 40 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actress
Lindsay Lohan's dental decline was widely documented during her most troubled years. By 2011, her teeth appeared chipped, stained, and visibly deteriorating. Reports linked the damage to substance abuse and a period of poor overall health.
By February 2018, she returned to public events with a markedly improved smile. Lohan is one of the clearest celebrities with bad teeth before and after dental recovery in modern entertainment.
3. Johnny Depp (decaying gold caps to a 2024 transformation)
- Full name: John Christopher Depp II
- Date of birth: 9 June 1963
- Age: 63 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actor
Johnny Depp appeared on Hollywood red carpets for years with visibly yellowed, worn teeth. Heavy smoking, alcohol, and reported bruxism (teeth grinding) all contributed. He wore gold dental caps for his Pirates of the Caribbean role, and was photographed with them off-set too.
In 2024, footage from the Bahamas showed Depp with a dramatically different smile. Dental experts analysed the images and suggested porcelain veneers and crowns, possibly alongside root canal treatments. This is now one of the most-searched celebrity dental transformations.
2. Shane MacGowan (music's most legendary bad teeth)
- Full name: Shane Patrick MacGowan
- Date of birth: 25 December 1957
- Died: 30 November 2023 (aged 65)
- Nationality: Irish
- Profession: Singer-songwriter; frontman of The Pogues
Shane MacGowan, writer of Fairytale of New York and frontman of The Pogues, had what many regard as the most legendarily decayed teeth in popular music history. Decades of substance use left his mouth severely damaged, with most teeth missing or beyond saving.
In 2015, he underwent nine hours of dental surgery with Irish surgeon Darragh Mulrooney. The result was 28 new teeth on a titanium frame, with a gold front tooth fitted at his own request. The procedure was documented in Shane MacGowan: A Wreck Reborn. He passed away on 30 November 2023.
1. Steve Buscemi (Hollywood's most famous bad teeth)
- Full name: Steven Vincent Buscemi
- Date of birth: 13 December 1957
- Age: 68 (as of August 2026)
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Actor, director
Steve Buscemi is the definitive answer to the question of which celebrities have imperfect teeth, and made them famous. His teeth are misaligned, overlapping, stained, and feature a prominent snaggletooth. He has kept this appearance entirely on purpose.
Multiple cosmetic dentists have reportedly offered to fix his smile at no cost. He has declined every approach, explaining his reasoning clearly:
"I won't work again if you fix my teeth."
His career, across Boardwalk Empire, Reservoir Dogs, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski, was built on his distinctive look. Buscemi is the most recognisable male celebrity with bad teeth in cinema history. His imperfect smile is, by his own account, his most valuable professional asset.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the actress with bad teeth?
The most recognisable actresses known for imperfect teeth are Anna Paquin (True Blood), Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man), and Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean). All three built major careers without cosmetic dental correction. Paquin is particularly well known for refusing to close her prominent front gap, saying it is no concern of hers.
How do actors get good teeth after having bad teeth?
Most celebrities use porcelain veneers, dental crowns, orthodontics, or teeth whitening, often in combination. Veneers are fitted over the existing tooth surface and correct colour, alignment, and shape in one procedure. Johnny Depp's 2024 transformation is a recent high-profile example of this approach.
Which celebrities have lost teeth?
Shane MacGowan lost most of his teeth to decades of substance use before receiving full implants in 2015. Demi Moore lost both front teeth to stress-related bruxism and had them replaced with implants. Ed Helms already had a missing tooth before filming The Hangover; the production removed his crown for the scene to keep it authentic.
Which celebrities have imperfect teeth?
Steve Buscemi, Anna Paquin, Kirsten Dunst, Jewel, Keira Knightley, Michael Strahan, Vanessa Paradis, and Madonna all have or had notable dental imperfections. Most have kept them by choice. Their imperfect smiles became personal trademarks rather than flaws to be corrected.
Do actors get dental work done for film roles?
Sometimes. Johnny Depp wore gold caps for Pirates of the Caribbean, playing into his natural dental condition for the character. Ed Helms already had a missing tooth from real life when he filmed The Hangover; the production simply removed his dental crown for the scene.
Celebrities with bad teeth have had a hard time coping with their situation. But many have embraced their messed up teeth and are encouraging many not to fix them but to accept who they are. You can fail to put on a perfect smile, but you can afford a natural smile, not a fake one.
Tuko.co.ke shared an article about celebrity best friends in real life and their story. It is not entirely true that there cannot be celebrities who are best friends in real life. Some were friends before they became celebrities, while others met as celebrities and could not resist the chemistry.
Celebrities need friends with whom they can share their problems. There is no better person to be a celebrity's friend than another star. It is based on such mutual interests that most celebrity best friends forge life-long relationships.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.