Already have an account?
Get back to the
Health

He Didn’t Brush His Teeth for 20 Years, But Today He Has a Brand New Smile

We could forgive you for forgetting to brush your teeth at the end of the day, but not brushing your teeth for 20 years is taking it to a whole new level. So what happens when you don’t brush your teeth? You end up like Jay, a 21-year-old Brit whose teeth hadn’t seen a toothbrush or string of floss for 21 (21!) years.

Jay was featured on the British TV show Embarrassing Bodies because after more than two decades years of poor dental hygiene, his teeth had rotted to stumps. The young man said that his parents had never preached the importance of brushing and flossing, so today Jay is paying the price.

“I’d like to work in sports or physiotherapy,” Jay said in the program, “but because of my teeth it doesn’t really feel right to do it. I feel embarrassed to tell somebody how to look after themselves when I haven’t really taken care of my teeth.”

MUST-SEE: After Years of Teasing, Bucktoothed Boy’s Makeover Makes Him Smile Even More

So Jay overcame his fear of dentists to see Dr. James Russell. Because Jay neglected his teeth for so long , Dr. Russell had a hard time seeing under the plaque and tartar. After a dental hygienist cleaned Jay’s teeth, Dr. Russell determined that although the roots of the teeth were pretty healthy, Jay would still have to lose at least 11 teeth. Yikes!

MUST-SEE: Doctors Say Holding on to Baby Teeth May Save Your Life

Once he gave Jay the news, Dr. Russell told him that in order to get implants Jay would need to promise to make some lifestyle changes. No more soda or sweets and a concerted effort to brush and floss more were his recommendations. Fortunately, Jay agreed to buckle down and get healthy. Today, Jay has his implants, and his smile has never looked better.

Teeth Makeovervia YouTube

“I’m a much more happier person,” Jay said. “I’m definitely going forward to fulfill my dreams.”

The beard and unkempt hair he kept to distract from his crooked, rotting teeth are all gone, and in their place? A big, bright, happy smile.

h/t Huffington Post

More from FIRST

Check Your Toothpaste! There’s a Good Chance It’s Missing the Most Important Ingredient You Need to Be Brushing With

Hooray! No More Root Canal Thanks to This New Way of Filling Teeth

Cavity Breakthrough! The Simple Thing You Can Do in Your Sleep to Prevent Them–And Make Teeth Less Sensitive

Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items. Use right arrow key to move into submenus. Use escape to exit the menu. Use up and down arrow keys to explore. Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.