Scots can smile like diamond geezers Kanye West and Lil' Wayne

HIP-HOP legend Kanye West has them, US rapper Lil' Wayne has them, and now Scots can have them too, rap stars or not. A Glasgow dentist is offering Scotland's first diamond-encrusted teeth for the ultimate in bling.

The Berkeley Clinic, a cosmetic dentistry practice which treats some of Scotland's biggest celebrities, including singer Paolo Nutini and actor Robert Carlyle, has teamed up with upmarket Glasgow jewellery retailer The Diamond Studio to provide the new service.

Kanye West provoked a storm of controversy when he recently unveiled he had had his entire bottom row of teeth replaced with gold and diamond implants, at an estimated cost of $120,000. He attracted protests from dentists who feared they would be deluged with fans requesting lookalike diamond teeth. Critics say that as diamonds are harder than natural teeth they could cause breakages. Others have questioned how hygienic West's implants are as they could be difficult to clean.

Previous stars to go for the starry smile include Buddy Guy, the blues guitarist, and Mick Hucknall, the lead singer of Simply Red.

However, Dr Jamie Newlands, clinical director at The Berkeley Clinic, said the veneers and crowns that they will be providing were safe. "Our work complies with the highest standards in the UK," he said.

Initially their work will be aimed at patients undergoing luxury "smile" makeovers, which can range from a set of veneers at 5,000 to a full set of implants at 60,000, but those who wish individual inserts will also be considered, with a single veneer and diamond inset costing up to 800.

Newlands said: "When we're doing a smile makeover for our patients we are going to offer to have a diamond inserted in their cap, crown or veneer. They can also have a diamond inserted inside the tooth so nobody knows it is there - it is the ultimate in luxury.

"It will be something we offer when someone comes in for a full set of veneers or crowns which costs between 5,000 and 12,000 depending on the number of teeth. It will be part of the package."

While Newlands admits his diamond inserts "will not be for everybody", he believes there will be demand from trendy patients. "Glaswegians are a stylish bunch of people," he said. "And it is not meant to be on show, although if someone wants a diamond to be on show we can do that too."

Dr Nick Sisodia, president of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, said the addition of tooth jewellery presented no risks if the work was carried out correctly. "The controversy has tended to be around salons and boutiques doing it who are not dentists," he said.