Let this be a cautionary tale about Halloween accessories.
Sugar overload isn’t the only danger to a partier's teeth during the spooky holiday. Wearing “fangs” can take a frightening turn, as a woman painfully found out after her “devil teeth” became stuck and required an emergency visit to the dentist.
Anna Tew, who lived in Mobile County, Alabama, bought the accessory for about $3 to complete her zombie costume and applied the glue that came with the product, WKRG reported last year.
With a bridge of spiky fangs attached to her upper jaw, the look was perfect for a Halloween event. But when it came time to take out the fake teeth, they wouldn’t budge. Tew tried to remove them until 2 o’clock in the morning, with the situation becoming ever more painful.
Finally, she made an emergency appointment at a dentist. Tew, who did not reply to a TODAY request for comment after the 2018 incident, described what happened next to WKRG.
"He talked about drilling. They had a saw, talked about taking [them] off in sections, and they couldn't numb it because they were scared they would actually pull my teeth out," Tew told the station. "So he went in and picked and pulled and I squealed like a baby and they got them out."
Dr. John Murphy of Alabama Family Dental, who finally removed her zombie fangs, told WKRG that the natural state of a person’s teeth and gums can sometimes cause an accessory like that to get stuck.
If you’re planning to apply any “extra teeth” for a spooky look this Halloween, the American Dental Association cautioned it’s always a good idea to run your plans by a professional.
“Before applying any chemical or appliance to your teeth as part of your Halloween costume — or any time of year — it’s important to check with your dentist and make sure it won’t negatively impact your oral health,” the ADA told TODAY in a statement.
It’s better to use fake teeth that don’t require an adhesive because the glue can cause problems with dental work, advised Dr. Craig S. Armstrong, a dentist in Houston, Texas.
It’s also best to avoid sticking anything to your teeth if you have veneers, braces, sore gums, sensitive teeth or have just had your teeth cleaned, he added. Read any warning labels on the accessory.
Tew, who ended up being stuck wearing the fake teeth for almost 24 hours before being freed, said she has learned her lesson.
“I will never put those things in my mouth again, period,” she told McClatchy.