It’s something that’s instilled in us from an early age and, as this guy proves, for a good reason – you’ve got to brush your teeth, kids.
It might seem like a chore when you’re young, but it’s not something to be overlooked. Imagine not being able to enjoy ice cream, only having room-temperature drinks, and missing out on that fresh minty feeling that comes after a good old brush. It’s the small things in life…
I get it, sometimes it’s pretty tricky to remember how important it is to keep your smile at its sparkling best. Let’s face it, we are all guilty of forgoing flossing and dodging the dentist.
However, you will not be prepared for what it looks like when a person neglects to brush their pearly whites for two whole decades.
Rolling in after a night out and going straight to bed without brushing is fairly common. But you know the awful way your mouth feels after a night like that – the weird, kinda fuzzy, kinda dry feeling with breath so bad you could knock out a dung beetle? Imagine living with that for 20 years.
Well, this guy’s experience may just sharpen up your own dental routine…
21-year-old Jay revealed his teeth on Embarrassing Bodies after admitting he hadn’t ever really looked after them at all. Jay was sadly not nagged to brush his teeth as a youngster, which is something that many of us take for granted.
Speaking with the Embarrassing Bodies team, Jay made the following confession:
Over the years, I’ve eaten the wrong food, I’ve drank lots of fizzy drinks and I haven’t really taken care of them, I haven’t really brushed them or flossed or anything like that.
Once Dr James took a good look in Jay’s mouth, it was evident that decay had built up over the course of many years and his teeth had ‘rotted into stubs’.
His teeth were so badly covered in tartar, hardened food debris and bacteria, that a hygienist had to give his teeth a thorough blast before the dentist could even see the full extent of the problem.
Amazingly, it wasn’t all bad for Jay. Though he had to lose around 11 teeth, it was found that the roots of his teeth were surprisingly healthy, making him suitable for dental implants, a high tech alternative to dentures.
However, Jay had to really commit to changing his lifestyle before he was put forward for this pricey treatment.
Luckily, he was able to turn his dental hygiene routine around and after two gruelling procedures, both his mouth (and his confidence) were completely unrecognisable.
A beaming Jay looked like a brand new person as he made the following remarks on his dental journey:
I’m a much happier person and I’m definitely going forward to achieve my dreams really.
A dazzling conclusion all round, and a row of pearly whites Ross from Friends would certainly be proud of.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk
Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.