'American Idol 5' second runner-up Elliott Yamin upgrades teeth

"American Idol" third-place winner Elliott Yamin has a new set of choppers to go along with his new songwriting deal, thanks to a California dentist.

Yamin received some $50,000 in porcelain veneers and other dental work during 20 hours in the dental chair of Dr. Davie Frey of Beverly Hills, who provided his expertise gratis, and found that the painful efforts were well worth it to put the beatific smile on his face.

Frey suggested that the changes to his mouth would help Yamin's muscle function and that alone could increase the volume of his voice.

"So if anything, he could become an even better singer," Frey told People magazine in its latest issue.

Yamin admitted that he was "long overdue for a dentist appointment." He also thought that if his teeth were better aligned, he could stop thinking about the mess his mouth was in and better express his emotions on stage.

The songwriting deal with Sony's publishing division should prove lucrative and there's a "soulful-sounding" debut album due early next year, People said Saturday.