What Is the Bottom Teeth Smile & What Does It Mean on TikTok?

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Dentist Nidhi Pai, DDS, shares how the trend started

Co-authored by Nidhi Pai, DDS and Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: November 14, 2025 Fact Checked

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• What is a bottom teeth smile?
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• What is the TikTok trend?
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• Meaning in Literature
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• Is it normal?
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• How to Do It
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

You may have recently come across the latest trend among book lovers on TikTok: reaction videos of people reading the line, “he smiled at me with his bottom teeth” or “she smiled at him with her lower teeth.” The reader typically reads the quote, pauses, and offers their version of a bottom teeth smile, which is both unnatural and hilarious. But does this match the author’s description of what a bottom teeth smile looks like? And what exactly is this unusual way of smiling supposed to mean? We talked to dentist Nidhi Pai, DDS so we could answer all your burning BookTok questions!

Smile With Bottom Teeth Meaning

Dentist Nidhi Pai, DDS, says that the bottom teeth smile is a BookTok trend where young people mimic an awkward smile. They read a phrase like, "He smiled with his bottom teeth" (often indicating ill intentions), then try to smile using only their lower teeth, resulting in a silly and unnatural expression.

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Section 1 of 5:

What is a bottom teeth smile?

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1. 
   A bottom teeth smile shows off most of the bottom row of teeth. Although some of the top teeth may peak through, a bottom teeth smile mainly reveals the bottom teeth. This may be due to someone’s facial structure, muscle movements, or other genetic factors. An underbite, for example, may result in a bottom teeth smile. In some contexts, a bottom teeth smile is called a low smile.

   • If a bottom teeth smile is a result of a misaligned jaw or severely crooked teeth, it may be corrected with cosmetic procedures.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Nidhi Pai, DDS is a board-certified cosmetic dentist who specializes in smile makeovers. She’s also the founder of ZEROBrush, a custom oral care solution for maintaining healthy smiles.
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Section 2 of 5:

What is the bottom teeth smile trend on TikTok?

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1. 
   1
   This trend has users trying to smile like the main character in a book. Dr. Pai says that the bottom teeth smile trend “emerged from BookTok and other social media platforms.” She says it started when “young people began mocking unusual or awkward smile descriptions that commonly appear in modern romance and fantasy novels.” The trend pokes fun at fiction writers who try too hard to describe their characters in unique ways, especially in online fanfiction communities.

   • The trend has taken off, although “this particular expression is not rooted in a specific book,” as Dr. Pai points out.
   • Many TikTok users, like @zachhill509 and @gabrielam96, have posted videos sharing their confused reactions upon reading this line in a book. Then, they attempt a smile with only their bottom teeth showing, which creates a silly, forced look. Tons of people have joined in the fun, chiming in with their own interpretations of a bottom-teeth smile.
   • There are other versions of the quote with reaction videos, including this one posted by @paolaalberd (“She smiled at him with her lower teeth”) and this one from @icy.mikey888 (“He licked his top teeth and smiled with his bottom teeth”).
   • Another TikTok video on the same subject stars the @vorostwins. Twin A approaches Twin B, saying, “I saw someone smile with their lower teeth.” Twin B asks, “How does that work?”
     • The moment it seems that one of them will demonstrate, they turn to the camera and pretend to snap a picture of the viewer, who is presumably trying to smile with their bottom teeth. Zing!
2. 2
   The bottom teeth smile trend is mostly about having fun. Dr. Pai says that trends like this are “playful ways for individuals to express themselves and connect with their peers.” She says this trend is “part of a broader cycle” where “youth adopt quirky, ironic facial cues.”

   • Dr. Pai compares the bottom teeth smile to previous fads like sticking out your tongue, rolling your eyes, or making duck face, saying they’re “cultural symbols of personality and group identity” and “a living record of youth culture’s creativity and social commentary.”
   • “These fads typically rise from memes, pop culture, or collective jokes about what is considered cringe or awkward,” says Dr. Pai, pointing out that they often reflect an “ongoing desire to stand out, be humorous, and bond with others in ever-changing digital communities.”
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Section 3 of 5:

What does “he smiled with his bottom teeth” mean in literature?

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1. 
   In literature, a bottom-teeth smile may convey resentment or ill intent. To describe a character as smiling with their bottom teeth is definitely a choice, and often, an intentional one made by authors. As opposed to characters who have “bright, pearly smiles” or “warm, assuring smiles,” characters who are written to smile with only their bottom teeth are likely to be forcing their smile or keeping secrets. Perhaps they have an evil plan brewing, or maybe they’re just trying to hide the fact that they hate their new stepmother.

   • “A bottom teeth smile can reveal subtle cues about a person’s emotional state or confidence, often suggesting feelings of tension, nervousness, or forced politeness,” says Dr. Pai. “Unlike the genuine smile that displays upper teeth and signals joy or friendliness, showing primarily the lower teeth may indicate someone is feeling guarded or self-conscious, perhaps even masking uncertainty while trying to appear polite or engaged.”
   • “Body language experts note this smile can arise from facial features, such as lip shape or jaw position,” adds Dr. Pai, “but its social and psychological meaning tends toward the tentative and awkward rather than truly open or relaxed.” She says that this expression can reveal “layers of social nuance and unspoken emotion.”
   • Dr. Pai notes that in some cultures, a bottom teeth smile might “signal quirky charm or playful intent,” adding that “among peers, it can be adopted as part of humorous or ironic trends that highlight personality or mood.”

Section 4 of 5:

Is it normal to smile with your bottom teeth?

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1. 
   Yes, it’s normal for people’s bottom teeth to show when they smile. Smiles are genetic, and they vary depending on bone structure, lip shape, and muscle movements. People with complex smiles, for example, usually have large spreads, revealing both the top and bottom rows of teeth. Lots of celebrities have these big, toothy grins, like Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, and Marilyn Monroe.

   • In Marilyn Monroe: Private and Confidential, author Michelle Morgan writes about how Monroe was coached on how to smile:
     • “She smiled too high, that’s what was wrong, and it made deep lines around her nose. We taught her how to bring her smile down and show her lower teeth.”
   • Aging, as well as jaw and bite alignment, can also affect the way a smile appears on the face, rendering every smile as unique as the human it belongs to.
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Section 5 of 5:

How to Smile With Your Bottom Teeth

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1. 
   Relax your face and focus on pulling your lips upwards. If you want to achieve a more natural-looking bottom teeth smile, start by relaxing your face. Practice stretching out your lips as wide as possible and pulling the corners of your mouth upwards. This should clearly reveal your top row of teeth, a small space between the rows of teeth, and at least the top half of your bottom teeth.

   • There are lots of perks to bigger smiles. Wide, toothy grins can make you appear friendlier, more attractive, and can even boost your mood.
   • Practice your widest smile in front of a mirror to help you feel more confident until you perfect it.
   • Allow your tongue to rest behind your teeth for a beaming but balanced look.
   • Use your eyes to express even more emotion.

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