Japan's Yaeba Trend: Paying for Crooked Teeth

While most of the world straightens their teeth with braces, Japan has embraced the opposite aesthetic. Yaeba—literally "double tooth"—refers to the charming imperfection of slightly crooked canine teeth that jut out, creating a small-fanged look. Far from being a flaw, this dental quirk has been celebrated as incredibly cute.

The look is deeply tied to Japan's concept of kawaii (cuteness). Yaeba gives faces a youthful, playful quality—like someone who never quite grew out of their baby teeth. It's considered approachable, innocent, and endearingly imperfect.

Dental Procedures for Imperfection

In the 2000s, the yaeba craze reached new heights. Japanese dental clinics began offering procedures specifically designed to create crooked teeth. No orthodontic mistake here—people were actively paying to undo nature's straightness.

These procedures typically involve two options:

• Temporary caps: Removable dental caps fitted over the canines for around $300-400, giving an instant yaeba look without commitment
• Permanent modifications: Some clinics offered bonding or other cosmetic work to permanently reshape the teeth, with prices up to $540 for Swarovski crystal-enhanced versions

Tokyo's Dental Salon Plasir became particularly famous for their tsuke yaeba service—custom-fitted removable caps that could transform any smile into the coveted crooked look.

Cultural Roots

Yaeba connects to wabi-sabi, the traditional Japanese philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection and transience. Perfectly straight teeth can feel artificial or overly controlled, while yaeba represents natural, unpretentious charm.

Japanese media amplified the trend throughout the 2010s. Pop idols like Tomomi Itano from the girl group AKB48 became style icons partly because of their yaeba smiles. Fashion magazines and TV dramas portrayed characters with crooked teeth as symbols of natural beauty and relatability.

The Trend Today

Yaeba's popularity has waned in recent years as younger Japanese generations increasingly adopt global beauty standards favoring straight teeth. Western influence through social media has shifted preferences, making orthodontic treatment more common.

Still, the yaeba phenomenon remains a fascinating cultural moment—proof that beauty standards are entirely subjective and culturally constructed. What one society spends thousands to fix, another pays hundreds to create. The next time you see someone with slightly crooked canines, remember: somewhere, that's peak cuteness.