With Queer Eye’s latest season hitting Netflix this month, the Emmy award-winning show is in once again in the headlines. In honor of the occasion, we thought we’d take a moment to highlight one of the most heart-wrenching and beautiful moments in the show, when a Queer Eye “hero” receives cosmetic surgery on her front teeth. Mary’s reaction when she sees her brand new smile in the mirror melted our hearts and made us wonder who was chopping onions. Below are more details on Mary’s dental issues, the procedure that was performed, and the effect it had on her life!
Mary lost her front tooth, and damaged the one next to it, during a bike crash in her childhood. She was able to repair the damage tooth with gold filling material, but the lost tooth was never replaced. The injury itself was traumatic, and Mary avoided seeking treatment for the same reason many cosmetic dentistry candidates do—she was afraid of experiencing more pain. As a result of her missing tooth, Mary developed the habit of covering her teeth whenever she spoke. In just one accident, the rest of her life was impacted.
It’s unlikely that Mary would’ve gotten her smile fixed if it weren’t for the Queer Eye stars. Upon noticing how her smile was affecting her confidence, Tan France and Jonathan Van Ness accompanied to Missouri dentist Dr. Holli Careswell, D.D.S.
Despite being a source of so much embarrassment, Mary’s problem was easy to fix. Dr. Careswell used a simple dental bridge to support the missing tooth. The two teeth on either side of the gap supported an artificial implant. In an interview, Dr. Carewell explained how challenging Mary found it to pursue treatment. “She didn’t know what to expect…For her, to think about dental work was just overwhelming. These fears were holding her back from pursuing the dentistry that she needed for many years,” Carewell said.
The impact of Mary’s dental bridge speaks for itself. If you haven’t already seen it, you can watch her heartwrenching reaction here. Not only was Mary moved to tears of gratitude, she gained the confidence to start making regular dental visits to take care of some of the other issues she had developed over the years.
You can probably see the point we’re getting at: if a childhood accident has kept you from living your best life, it’s never too late to seek care. Just like Mary, you can get a brand new smile that you never have to hide. To request an appointment for cosmetic dentistry in Charlotte, click here to fill out our contact form.
