’Talking With Teeth’ Meaning
On TikTok, ‘talking with teeth’ means showing teeth when you talk. The phrase is usually expanded to specify talking with your top or bottom teeth. According to TikTok, you’re considered a top teeth talker if your top row of teeth show when you talk. If the opposite is true, you’re considered a bottom teeth talker. These are not official dental conditions or terms. They were made up on TikTok to describe a random feature. While people have always shown teeth while talking, in 2022 and 2024, TikTokers turned ‘talking with teeth’ into a beauty standard. Users expressed preferences for or insecurities about talking with top versus bottom teeth.
Talking with teeth clenched indicates anger. When you read or hear that someone was talking with teeth clenched, it usually means they were seething or angry. However, talking with your teeth held together might also indicate frustration or pain.
TikTok’s Top or Bottom Teeth Talker Trend Explained
The ‘top or bottom teeth talking’ trend first went viral in 2022. User @lifecrisisinducedglowup posted a now-deleted video to TikTok with the text, “Megan Fox taught me to speak with my bottom teeth.” Other users decided talking with your bottom teeth showing was attractive and expressed insecurity if they were a top teeth talker. Some users compared talking with your top teeth to having ‘American Girl Doll teeth.’ American Girl dolls have painted, half-open mouths that show two perfect, white front teeth. In 2021, having American Girl Doll teeth became a beauty standard on TikTok. Users tried to show their top, central two teeth while holding their mouth slightly open, either considering it attractive or making fun of the dolls.
The teeth talking debate resurfaced in 2024. A TikTok of Megan Fox appearing on the podcast “Call Her Daddy” went viral in May 2024. Users once again fixated on how her bottom teeth showed when she talked. However, users decided this time that being a top teeth talker is more desirable because it makes you look more youthful. This reversal from 2022 caused some TikTok users and journalists to reflect on the arbitrary, fickle nature of TikTok beauty standards.
How to Tell if You’re a Top or Bottom Teeth Talker
Record yourself lip-syncing to “Hide Away” by Daya. On TikTok, users lip-sync to see which teeth show when they talk. In the app, record yourself lip-syncing or singing along to the chorus of Daya’s song “Hide Away.” Watch the recording and note whether your top or bottom teeth show more. This will tell you which teeth talker you are. User @ashlynkskaar suggested in a TikTok that the difference between being a top and bottom teeth talker is whether or not you’re smiling. Some users find that both rows of their teeth show equally. They call themselves ‘middle teeth talkers.’ Remember, talking with your top or bottom teeth doesn’t matter—it’s a made-up beauty standard. Don’t let TikTokers’ opinions make you feel insecure about how you talk.
Is Talking With Teeth Normal?
It’s normal to show your teeth as you talk or smile. Typically, you show the lowest edges of your upper teeth when you talk. The length of your teeth and lips, as well as the position of your jaw, affects how much of your top and bottom row of teeth are visible.
It’s normal to talk with your bottom teeth as you age. As you age, your teeth wear down, becoming less visible in general. From your 30s onward, studies show your lips begin to thin. Your upper lip may lengthen as your skin loses elasticity, making you show more of your bottom teeth when you’re older. It’s normal for your smile and teeth to change as you age.
Teeth Idioms Explained
Many English-language idioms involve teeth. Talking with teeth isn’t one of them, but there are several sayings that involve teeth. Some are abstract, while others refer to literal teeth movements. See common examples below. Lying through your teeth: When you lie through your teeth, you’re lying to someone knowing that what you’re saying is a complete falsehood. Like pulling teeth: If you say completing a task is like pulling teeth, it means it’s difficult and even painful. If you say getting someone to do something is like pulling teeth, it indicates they’re resistant and uncooperative. Cut your teeth on: When you say you cut your teeth on something, you’re saying that was your earliest training or experience with that thing. For example, you could say you cut your teeth on student theater before appearing in Broadway musicals. Show your teeth: Showing your teeth is a metaphor for showing your force, anger, or strength. When you say a competitor showed their teeth, you’re indicating that they were aggressive or surprisingly threatening. Long in the tooth: Calling someone long in the tooth is an informal way of saying they are old. It can also refer to things. For example, a long-running TV show may be described as long in the tooth.
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