Floyd Mayweather $25K Mouth Guard
Most parents who have kids who play football or lacrosse are used to shelling out anywhere from $20 to $100 for a mouth guard, and if you want a guard that is custom fitted by a dentist you may end up spending as much as $200. However, Floyd Mayweather let it slip in the weeks leading up to his fight against Manny P. that his guard cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $25,000!
So what made his mouth guard so much more expensive? For starters he had his favorite dentist flown to Las Vegas for a custom fitting so the he could be sure the guard would not slip during the big fight. However, custom fitted mouth guards are pretty common and rarely cost more than $230. The real price inflator was the material used in the guard. Flecks of gold, diamond dust, and chopped up one hundred dollar bills were all added to the gel and baked into the guard.
Was this expense worth it? Well, that depends on who you ask. Mayweather would probably say yes, considering he won the fight and got half of the richest boxing payday ever. Any little bit of extra hype these money infused mouth guards lent to the pre-fight hysteria was worth it. The real question is what he will do with the mouth guards after he retires, which is reportedly only one fight away. Will he keep them for nostalgia purposes, auction them off, or melt them down and recover the gold and diamonds? Whatever happens, he can rest easy and knowing that his custom mouth guards did their job and protected his flawless smile.
Dubai Dentists Craft $150K Dentures
If you thought Mayweather’s mouth guards were excessive, you won’t believe this next piece. A dentist from Dubai has made a set of dentures out of gold and encrusted it with 160 diamonds in an attempt to really make your smile sparkle.
The dentist said the piece was not made for any specific client, instead it will be auctioned off at a charity event benefitting the Dubai Autism Centre. It should be noted that the $152,700 valuation of the dentures reflects the value of the diamonds and gold used to make them, and the actual amount that someone might pay for them could be considerably higher. The dentist who made them is hoping that the notoriety they are gaining will lead to more orders for similar dentures, but so far purchases have been scarce.
Once a buyer does purchase the piece, it will take two fitting sessions to customize the dentures so they can be worn. Fitting them will not require any drilling or filling of teeth, which is good news for any young buyers. However, the dentist also said that these dentures are not meant to be worn while you are eating. Which makes you wonder why anyone would buy a set of dentures that they would have to switch out during every meal, it seems to defeat the purpose of dentures, but I guess fashion is king nowadays!
Dr. Mike Malone and his team practice expert cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, LA. Dr. Malone is the former president and current accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants. Check out his website for more information.