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Zac Efron's dramatic Hollywood glow-up including teeth transformation explained

The Iron Claw actor's appearance has changed somewhat over the years

Actor Zac Efron is interviewed on the red carpet during "The Iron Claw" Dallas premiere at The Texas Theatre on November 8, 2023 in Dallas, Texas
Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
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Ever since he burst onto the scene in High School Musical in 2006, Zac Efron has been one of showbiz's biggest heartthrobs. And over the years, the 36-year-old has well and truly moved on from Troy Bolton and embraced the movie star lifestyle complete with a Hollywood glow-up.

The star, who is due to appear in the upcoming comedy movie Ricky Stanicky, has also been the subject of headlines about his appearance after reports began stating that he had cosmetic procedures, however, Zac was keen to stress this wasn't the case.

But Zac, like many A-listers, has embraced his glow-up in other ways. HELLO! spoke to an expert about his transformation.

Zac Efron attends "The Greatest Beer Run Ever" Premiere during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 13, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario© Rodin Eckenroth
Zac Efron is a Hollywood heartthrob

Zac Efron's teeth transformation

Leading cosmetic dental expert and celebrity dentist Dr Sam Jethwa of Bespoke Smile explained his verdict on the High School Musical star's changing smile over the years.

"The first thing I notice when looking at the before pictures is the gap in between the two front teeth, which is called diastema. The gap is creating a slight illusion that his teeth are crooked, but they are actually fairly straight, apart from some minor overlapping on the upper right side."

Dr Sam added: "The shape of the four front teeth has changed, especially the front two which appear much wider and shorter in the before picture. We can also see that the smile in the after picture is symmetrical and incredibly neat."

The Bespoke Smile boss also added that the 17 Again star probably underwent composite bonding. "[This] is non-invasive and involves the application of a tooth-coloured composite resin to the surface of the tooth, which is then shaped and polished."

Zac Efron© Michael Bezjian
Zac Efron in 2006

Hollywood glow-up

A killer-watt smile is commonplace in Hollywood, but part of Zac's charm is how he manages to flash his pearly whites while still looking natural.

"If not composite bonding, Zac may have had ultra-thin veneers on the upper front four teeth, we can see the shape of the canine teeth remain the same. His new smile is natural, and in keeping with his facial features," said Dr Sam.

Zac Efron on set filming 'AT&T's Life, Gig-ified' event on January 7, 2022 in Santa Clarita, California© Joe Scarnici
Zac Efron flashes his smile in 2022

"The pictures suggest that Zac has had teeth whitening, due to the brighter pantone. Teeth whitening is now a popular and safe treatment where we use peroxide gels or lasers to brighten and whiten your teeth."

Not only has Zac brightened his smile, but the actor has also sported many different hairstyles over the years and, most notably, built up quite the physique, especially for his most recent role in The Iron Claw.

Zac Efron attends premiere of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile movie during Tribeca Film Festival at Stella Artois Theatre at BMCC TPAC© Pacific Press
The actor has changed quite a bit over the years

What Zac Efron has said about his transformation

But the star has been forced to address his changing appearance in recent times.

Fans were convinced that Zac had undergone facial plastic surgery after his jawline changed in shape and definition, however, he explained in a candid interview with Men's Health that this was the result of undergoing a procedure following a freak accident at home.

Sharing details of his shocking injury, Zac explained how he slipped on a pair of socks while running at home and crashed into a granite fountain, causing him to shatter his jaw.

Retired American Professional Wrestler, Kevin Von Erich and Zac Efron are seen on the red carpet during "The Iron Claw" Dallas premiere at The Texas Theatre on November 8, 2023 in Dallas, Texas© Getty
Retired American Professional Wrestler, Kevin Von Erich and Zac Efron are seen on the red carpet during "The Iron Claw" Dallas premiere at The Texas Theatre on November 8, 2023 in Dallas, Texas

Zac lost consciousness before eventually waking up with "his chin bone hanging off his face."

The actor recalled the traumatic healing process during which his muscles swelled to an abnormal size. "The masseters just grew. They just got really, really big," he said.

During his press tour for The Iron Claw, Zac also opened up to ET about his physical transformation to portray wrestler wrestling star of the 1980s, Kevin Von Erich.

Zac Efron is seen arriving to the National Board Of Review 2024 Awards Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 11, 2024 in New York City© Gilbert Carrasquillo
Zac Efron is seen arriving to the National Board Of Review 2024 Awards Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 11, 2024 in New York City

This movie's a true story, and that man, Kevin Von Erich right there, he really motivated me to get in shape for this movie," adding: "The physicality he brought to the ring every single day was really unique. It changed wrestling."

He went on: "I knew that was going to be the hardest [thing] for me to master and get right. So, I put everything I had into it," and confessed: "It was shocking at every point of the transformation."