Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine describes undergoing an extensive dental reconstruction at the age of 59, after decades of poor tooth health left her mouth, in her words, "no longer fit for purpose". The piece is a personal account of how cosmetic and restorative dental work can transform not just appearance but also long-standing physical problems, and highlights how such treatment has become an increasingly common, if costly, route to a more youthful look.

Vine explains that her teeth had been weak since childhood, likely due to genetics, leading to a mouth full of fillings by her early twenties and a lifelong fear of the dentist. Years of night-time grinding, cracked crowns and gingivitis culminated in painful jaw locking, which temporary fixes such as Botox in her jaw muscles failed to resolve. Over nine months and at a cost of thousands of pounds, she had her teeth entirely rebuilt from the roots up using 3D scanning technology, leaving her with a straighter jawline, fuller-looking lips and, she says, a newfound lack of dental anxiety.