Royal Teeth Secrets: How Did UK Queen Manage to Keep Her Smile Bright at 95 Without Dentures?

Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for 69 years, which makes her the longest-serving monarch in British history. And the fact that the queen's appearance doesn't seem to have changed much over the years has given rise to a stream of memes implying that she has literally existed since before the beginning of time as a constant.

Every year, we see the British monarch all across the UK, across all media dazzling with her shining teeth, but how does she keep them so white and straight at 95?

Well, we all know that teeth have a tendency to deteriorate over time, so it is perfectly reasonable to assume that at this age, the head of state probably relies entirely on dentures.

Expectations that the queen's smile would have deteriorated at this point in her life also stem from the fact that her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, was known for having poor teeth in her later years.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, waves to well-wishers from the balcony of Clarence House, in London, on Aug. 4, 1989, during celebrations marking her 89th birthday.

© AP Photo / Tony White

But no! Queen Elizabeth II, contrary to popular belief, has all of her own teeth and does not wear dentures, as the monarch herself insists.

There is still, however, no consensus in the media whether the teeth are completely hers or the queen had a treatment done to give them that pearly sheen.

Back in 2019, Matthew Rose, a restorative dentist at The UK Centre Hove & Hayward's Heath, told the Express newspaper that Queen Elizabeth must have had dental work done because her teeth were so white.

As per Rose, Her Majesty appears to have all of her own teeth, although she is likely to "have had dental work carried out such as crowns and veneers to help improve their appearance over the years as they do look in good condition for someone of her age."

The following year, the queen visited Royal National ENT and the Eastman Dental hospitals to commemorate the opening of the new buildings.

A teaching nurse offered her a dental wire brace to examine during her tour. And it was during that time, when the queen reportedly admitted that she "had wires, luckily a very long time ago." She resumed her tour by speaking with a ten-year-old on the ward who was having braces fitted, and assured the boy that she thought "it is worth it, in the end."

But how does the effect last for so long? Well, according to the UK's North West Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations (RFCA) message from 2016, a reservist colonel has been given the role of honorary dental surgeon to Her Majesty, making her dentist team of two highly professional stomatologists responsible for all the procedures and needed checkups.

Now it is no surprise that Her Majesty has such a great smile that continues to captivate admirers wherever she goes, thanks to this professional assistance, as well as an obviously meticulous personal dental routine the queen must follow on a daily basis, topped off with a little bit of cosmetic work now and then.