A tooth diamond is bonded to the tooth surface using dental adhesive without drilling.
Wanting to fix a smile usually means a lot more than just whitening or straightening it. At present, many of our patients at Lema Dental Clinic in Istanbul, Turkey, are interested in that extra “sparkle”—literally a sparkle. Be it a small natural diamond or a glittering Swarovski crystal, the question that we hear most often in the consultation room is: “How do you actually put it on without ruining my teeth?”
Truth be told, although the appearance is daring, the procedure must be extremely gentle. Under the leadership of Professor Doctor Coşkun Yıldız, we emphasize the “Health First” approach. Your dental jewelry should not be at the expense of your dental health.
The Method: Bonding vs. Drilling
In the beginning, some dentists even drilled the tooth because dental “grills” and piercings were so unfamiliar to them that they could hardly imagine them. We want to stress this point very clearly: at Lema Dental Clinic, we never drill into healthy enamel for a gem. The enamel of your tooth can be compared to the floor of a palace which has been beautifully polished marble. If you want to put a carpet on the floor, you don’t drill a hole in the marble; you just put the carpet. We give your teeth the same kind of respect. Dentist Polen Akkılıç and her staff apply a bonding technique that was specially developed and is totally non-invasive.
The Clinical Process Step-by-Step
Here is what you can expect when you sit in our chair for a “Lema Sparkle” treatment:
Enamel Preparation: We thoroughly clean the tooth surface. A mild medical-grade acidic gel is left on for a few seconds to “etch” the surface. This produces a microscopic texture—to compare it with a painter’s work, like when the painter puts a primer on the wall before the paint gets the bond to work effectively.
- The Adhesive: We use a light-cured composite resin for this. Essentially, it’s the same material, just in a different form high-strength, which is being used for dental fillings and braces.
- The Placement: Using precision instruments, the diamond or gem is placed in the resin.
- Curing: A specialized UV light hardens the resin instantly. That is what seals the gem in place.
- Polishing: Any leftover resin is taken off so the gem will feel as natural as your lip.
Does It Damage the Tooth?
This leaves us with the question: Is this permanent? The great thing about bonding is that it can be undone. Since we don’t drill, your tooth’s “armor”—the enamel—remains untouched.
Professor Doctor Coşkun Yıldız is always saying that the gem itself is not dangerous, but the biggest risk is these “DIY kits” that are sold online. Those kits usually contain industrial glues that can cause chemical burns or permanent discoloration. In a clinic in Turkey, the materials we are using are biocompatible which means the body recognizes them and doesn’t respond with inflammation.
Comparing Your Sparkle Options
| Feature | Professional Dental Bonding | DIY Home Kits | Invasive Drilling (Obsolete) |
| Safety Level | High (Clinic Controlled) | Dangerous / Low | High Risk of Infection |
| Reversibility | Easily removed by a dentist | Risky / Messy | Permanent damage to the tooth |
| Durability | 6 months to 3 years | Days to weeks | Permanent (unless tooth breaks) |
| Enamel Health | Preserved | Risk of chemical erosion | Destroyed |
| Price in Turkey | Affordable & Professional | Cheap but risky | Not recommended |
Why Opt for Turkey in Aesthetic Dentistry?
Numerous patients decide to come to Lema Dental Clinic not only to get gems, but also for the complete makeover of their smile. It doesn’t matter if you are going to use porcelain veneers or just put a tooth diamond, the level of technological integration is top-notch worldwide. Dentist Polen Akkılıç and her team handle a gem placement with the same surgical precision as a full-mouth restoration.
But if we go towards the maintenance of the few. A tooth diamond is not “set and forget.” It needs to have the same hygiene as the rest of your mouth. There could be food particles trapped around the edges of the stone, so thorough brushing is the key to avoiding plaque formation around your new accessory.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Well, yes, at first. Your lip is very sensitive to new things. But since we grind the bonding material to a perfect finish, most of our patients report that they forget the diamond is there within 2 days. It feels like a tiny, smooth bump.
However, you must not halt your regular dental cleanings. It is not only that our dental hygienists do a thorough job cleaning your teeth but also without causing any damage to them. Actually, it is a good idea to keep the gem very clean so its freshness does not fade with time on the contrary.
The truth is the stones we use are extremely tiny and non-toxic. Therefore, in case a stone falls off when you are eating and you happen to swallow it by mistake, it will just pass through your body naturally and you will be alright. We would then place a new one for you.
From our clinical standpoint, it completely changes with the type of bite and the diet of the patient. On average, the diamonds are on for about 1 year, but there are instances when they have lasted much longer. If you get tired of the trend, it is possible to remove it in a matter of seconds and then the dentist can polish the tooth to make it look like it never had a diamond.
Neither natural diamonds nor Swarovski crystals of high quality lose their shine. But if a layer of plaque forms around the diamond, it might appear dull. A thorough brushing or professional cleaning at Lema Dental Clinic can restore that original sparkle.
- Featherstone, J. D. (2008). Dental caries: A dynamic disease process. Journal of the American Dental Association.
- Mazzoleni, S., et al. (2014). The longevity of tooth ornaments: A clinical study on bonding techniques. International Journal of Esthetic Dentistry.
- Walsh, L. J. (2003). Lifestyle dentistry: The cosmetic and the clinical. Australian Dental Journal.
- Pini, N. P., et al. (2012). Advances in dental adhesive technology: A review of bonding systems. Journal of Applied Oral Science.
- Turkish Dental Association (TDA). (2025). Clinical Guidelines for Non-Invasive Aesthetic Procedures.
