Did Haerin's Veneers Cost Her the Cat Smile That Made Her Famous?

NewJeans' Haerin showed up in the group's 4th anniversary content last month with teeth that looked different enough that fans immediately started asking questions. The canines that gave her a signature cat-like look were less prominent, and the speculation, laminates, braces, something, spread fast.

Then the dentists got involved.

Dr. Kim Geon-min, head of Yonsei Geonho Dental Clinic, posted a video to his SNS titled "Why Haerin's Laminates Are Upsetting, Analyzed by Dr. Kim" and ran a direct before-and-after comparison. His read: her original teeth had individual character, each one slightly different, and that variation was actually what made her smile attractive. "Each tooth had its own personality," he said, noting that the overall arch has shifted from a natural curve with defined canines to something closer to a flat, uniform line.

He's not the only one with an opinion. Dr. Kim Hyeon-mo of 2D Dental had previously named Haerin in a "prettiest idol teeth" segment specifically about front teeth, before any of this came up. That context is doing a lot of work in the current discourse.

Not every dentist landed on the same side. Dr. Kwon Su-jin of Seoul Wide Dental looked at the same before-and-after and came away less concerned. Her assessment: both versions are pretty, and based on what she can see, the amount of tooth reduction involved appears minimal. Essentially, she's not convinced this is as dramatic a procedure as some are framing it.

The fan reaction has leaned toward disappointment. Haerin's canines were a recurring talking point in how people described her look, the cat comparison was everywhere, and some fans feel that specificity is now gone. Whether that's a fair critique of dental work or just attachment to a very particular aesthetic is a separate debate.

There's also a precedent worth noting. In 2023, ADOR directly denied laminate rumors surrounding fellow member Hyein, stating that what had been done was a teeth-alignment program designed to preserve the original teeth as much as possible, not veneers. The agency drew a clear line between the two. No similar statement has come out regarding Haerin.

NewJeans is expected to return as a group, and Haerin's comeback is already anticipated. Given how closely fans track every detail, the teeth conversation is probably not going anywhere before then.