The famous Pirates of the Caribbean actor has undergone a noticeable dental transformation over the years and has chosen not to wear dental veneers.
More and more stars, from Selena Gomez to Simon Cowell, entered the “wave of dental veneers”resorting to extensive dental interventions to achieve perfectly white smiles. A celebrity who refused this trend, however, is the star of Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Depp, who in recent years has sparked debate because of his visibly imperfect teeth, writes Hello! magazine.
Fans first noticed the change after the long and highly publicized trial with ex-wife Amber Heard when he made a public appearance at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival to promote Jeanne du Barry, in which he plays French King Louis XV.
Johnny Depp is known for throwing himself into his roles, and his portrayal of Jack Sparrow in 2003 was no exception. To accentuate the character’s rebellious pirate charm, he put gold caps on some of his teeth, a decision he says was met with reservations by studio management.
In an interview with the LA Times in 2003, he recalled meeting the production team before filming:
“Jerry (Bruckheimer, the producer) was a little uncomfortable, and the Disney executives weren’t exactly thrilled. . . . I said, ‘Look, these are my picks. You know my work. So either trust me or get me out of the project.’ Fortunately, they didn’t.”
Over time, fans speculated that the dental work done to step into the pirate’s shoes caused permanent damage to his teeth, leaving stains and forcing him to keep some of the gold caps, but the actor has never confirmed these rumors.
In a 2005 interview with Dark Horizons around the time of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Depp, who played Willy Wonka, talked about the importance of the character’s appearance:
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“It was incredibly important to get a clear feel for the character and to be able to put on that costume and get those veneers and teeth in the mouth, which really changed the shape of my face a little bit.”
During cross-examination in his defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp spoke openly about substance and alcohol abuse, claiming he used drugs to “self medication”. He admitted he became addicted to opioids after a painful injury, but sought help when he realized he was going down the wrong path.
According to experts at the American Dental Center, substance abuse can have devastating effects on oral health. Cocaine can cause receding gums and tooth loss, marijuana causes dry mouth, which promotes plaque build-up and ultimately severe tooth decay, and alcohol can numb tooth pain, causing problems to be ignored and worsened over time.
In addition to substance abuse, Johnny Depp has been a smoker since childhood. He joked in an interview with The Seattle Times that he wants to “to have one more mouth in my face so I can smoke more. Instead of three packs a day, I’d like to smoke six”.
Bespoke Smile’s Dr. Sam Jethwa — who didn’t treat Johnny Depp — is a leading cosmetic dentist and president-elect of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He commented on the transformation of the actor’s teeth for HELLO! magazine:
“From the photos we can see clear discoloration and damage to gold restorations that he may have had for personal aesthetic reasons in the past. The teeth show signs of aging, there appears to be possible nerve damage causing opacity in a front tooth, or trauma or tooth decay. There is tooth wear, a sign of enamel erosion, as the dentin (the bottom layer of the tooth) is exposed, which makes teeth to appear yellow. Dental erosion is often caused by acidity in the mouth.”
