Sierra Kusterbeck uses her wisdom teeth as plugs
When I had my wisdom teeth removed a few years ago, I was asked whether I wanted to keep the teeth. The choice was obvious – why would I want to throw away something as awesome as my own teeth! Of course the next question is, what do you do with a tooth? And it occurred to me that it would be really awesome to have them silver-plated and turned into jewelry. I still haven’t done that, mostly because I am lazy but I also because I have no idea how one even goes about finding someone to silver-plate a tooth.
Its seems I’m not alone in thinking that wisdom teeth would make great jewelry. Sierra Kusterbeck skipped the step of having them made into jewelry and just put her wisdom teeth into her stretched earlobes as plugs. Responding to criticism over her odd choice of jewelry, Sierra wrote: “If you’ve had your wisdom teeth taken out, you know how it’s the opposite of cheap. This is basically the most expensive jewelry I own!”
Sierra did of course sanitize the teeth before putting them in her ears, but they still aren’t the most practical choice of jewelry. I’m no expert on stretching, but I’ve heard that using plugs which are not round is bad for your ears since the pressure is not applied evenly. And there is nothing to hold the teeth in place. In fact, Sierra says “they fell out from rolling around on stage too much.” I hope she didn’t lose them, because they still could make really awesome plugs if she had them put into a setting.
Ke$ha is also a fan of wearing teeth, though she has an extra resource to tap – she’s asked her fans to send her their teeth. It started with one bizarre gift. She told Rolling Stone magazine “Somebody sent me their tooth, which I now wear as an earring. It’s a molar, I think. I love it when people send me body parts.” Ke$ha decided to take things further, posting on her Twitter a call for fans to send her their teeth along with a PO Box to send them to.
“I’ve received 1 tooth from a fan. I made it into a neclace. But now I really wanna make a fan tooth necklace to wear to an awards show.”
“So. What I’m getting at is please send me your teeth. I’m dead serious. I need your teeth.”
“Wisdom teeth?? Cmon. Yall got some of those laying around.”
It seems to have worked. Ke$ha now has a stockpile of teeth, but still needs to get them made into something wearable.
“THANK U!!My amazeballz fans haveSOfar sent in teeth coming to 164 teeth total. Oh…and one cut off dread.”
“i recycle bodyparts. im looking at all my crazybeautiful fans teeth right now!! i got a box of em and ive never been so excited !!!”
human tooth jewelry by Polly van der Glas - etsy.com/shop/vanderglas
Two Etsy sellers have taken to crafting human teeth into jewelry with very different aesthetics. Polly van der Glas sets her pieces in smooth silver bands that give a modern look and let the teeth speak for themselves. She says “Teeth are sentimental, recycled, beautiful and somehow unusual. We see teeth every day, but in this context they are incredible.” Loved to Death plays up the perceived creepiness of the teeth by adorning them with intricate filigree in a gothic Victorian style.
human tooth jewelry by Loved to Death - etsy.com/shop/lovedtodeath
What do you think – is turning teeth into jewelry awesome or vile? Would you wear your own teeth? Or someone else’s?
