The Story Behind Tom Cruise’s Unique Teeth And Smile

Tom Cruise has long enjoyed A-list Hollywood hunk status. From Top Gun to the Mission: Impossible series, he’s one of the few actors whom men want to be and women want to be with.

Perhaps that’s why he never hesitates to flash a mile-wide grin in front of cameras. However, if you’re a stickler for details, you may have noticed that Tom Cruise’s teeth aren’t exactly perfect. Experts suspect that his bright smile is a result of major dental work.

Here’s what we really know about Tom Cruise’s smile, and how he might have achieved it.

In 1983, Cruise earned his breakout role in the coming-of-age film Risky Business. The film kick-started a long career as a leading man with range. Cruise could easily shift gears, playing a bad-boy heartthrob (Top Gun), a heartbreaking war veteran (Born on the Fourth of July), and a sci-fi hero (War of the Worlds) with equal gusto.

But his role as a super-spy Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible launched Cruise into the highest echelon of stardom. The franchise has grossed over $3.5 billion to date and is rated as the 16th highest-grossing film series of all time.

There is no question that Cruise’s good looks and charisma play a huge part in his success. Some outlets estimate that the actor has a net worth as high as $600 million. It wouldn’t be a shock to learn that he’s tweaked his appearance over the years to maintain a top spot in Hollywood’s pantheon.

The earliest giveaway of Tom Cruise’s imperfect teeth is in the 1983 movie The Outsiders. To fit the role of working-class greaser Steve Randle, Cruise voluntarily removed a cap while filming (his front tooth had been chipped from a flying hockey puck—ouch!)

His chompers were also anything but pearly white. Check out his earliest roles in the 1980s and you’ll notice that his teeth are discolored with a yellow hue. However, it’s unlikely that Cruise turned to drugstore whitening strips to solve the problem. Dental experts believe that he had porcelain veneers applied for a fast makeover.

And who could forget Cruise’s brace-face era? At the 2002 premiere of Minority Report, the actor proudly flashed his mega-watt smile on the red carpet, revealing a set of wire-bound upper teeth. We credit him for being carefree about his efforts at self-improvement.

One particular flaw in Tom Cruise’s smile that people seem to obsess over is its misalignment. Look closely and you’ll notice that his teeth shift off-center. The result? The appearance of a “unitooth” that lines up dead-center with his cupid’s bow (it’s actually his right front tooth). To make matters worse, it’s significantly larger than his other front tooth, which draws attention to the asymmetry.

But braces, veneers, and caps—you name it, he’s probably done it—haven’t managed to fix this one issue. And that’s probably fine by him. As we all know, Tom Cruise’s teeth have hardly stood in the way of his fame. He’s already sealed his reputation as a Hollywood success story. We also suspect there are plenty of people who’d overlook a dental quirk to nab a date with him.