Vivien Leigh once said that kissing Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind “was not that exciting.” The reason? His dentures smelled awful. Turns out the King of Hollywood had lost nearly all his teeth to gum disease by age 32, and the fake ones came with some serious side effects.
Gum disease doesn’t care about your bank account or how famous you are. About 47% of adults deal with it at some point, and even people with access to the best dental care in the world can end up in trouble if they ignore the early signs. Some of these stories are cautionary tales about neglect, others are reminders that your body can betray you even when you’re doing everything right.
Here are five celebrities whose gum problems became public knowledge, and what we can actually learn from their experiences.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Scott Froum, DDS – Board-Certified Periodontist. Dr. Scott Froum, DDS is a board-certified implantologist and periodontist in New York City with a focus on prevention and regenerative periodontal care.
The Warning Signs These Celebrities Wish They’d Caught
According to Dr. Scott Froum, a periodontist who specializes in saving natural teeth, these are the symptoms that should send you to the dentist immediately:
- Bleeding gums when you brush or floss – This is the #1 early sign people ignore. If your gums bleed, you have an infection. Healthy gums don’t bleed.
- Gums that look red, shiny, or swollen – Healthy gums should be pink and firm. If they’re puffy or glossy, that’s inflammation.
- Tenderness around multiple teeth – Not sharp pain in one tooth (that’s usually a cavity), but a sore, tender feeling across several teeth. That’s your gums, not your teeth.
- Gums pulling away from your teeth – If you can see more of your tooth than you used to, or if your teeth look longer, that’s recession. The bone underneath is being destroyed.
- Persistent bad breath – If you brush, floss, use mouthwash, and your breath still smells off, it could be bacteria festering in gum pockets.
- Teeth that feel loose or are shifting – This is late-stage periodontitis. The bone is so damaged that your teeth don’t have solid support anymore.
The tricky part is that gingivitis often doesn’t hurt. You might have bleeding and swelling but feel totally fine otherwise. That’s why regular dental checkups matter—your dentist can spot the early signs before you’re even aware there’s a problem.
| Stage | Symptoms | Pain Level | Reversibility |
| Healthy Gums | Pink, firm, no bleeding. | None | N/A |
| Gingivitis (A-Rod) | Redness, swelling, bleeding during flossing. | Zero to Low | 100% Reversible |
| Periodontitis | Receding gums, bad breath, pockets forming. | Mild Discomfort | Manageable, not reversible |
| Advanced Disease | Bone loss, loose teeth, severe infection. | High | Requires surgery/extraction |
Now let’s move towards 5 celebrities !
1. Whoopi Goldberg: When Bleeding Gums Turned Into Emergency Surgery
Whoopi Goldberg woke up one morning in late 2011 looking like she’d been in a fight. Her face was so swollen she described it as having “chipmunk cheeks,” and she couldn’t even tilt her head down to dial her phone. When she finally got to a dentist, the news was worse than she’d imagined: the infection in her gums had spread to her jawbone, and she was at risk of losing her front teeth.
But she did have awesome dental insurance all the while. She simply… didn’t go.
“I brought this on myself,” she told viewers when she returned to The View shortly after emergency gum surgery. Her face was still puffy, and she was brutally honest about what happens when you ignore “the minutia” in your mouth. For Whoopi, that minutia was bleeding gums when she brushed—something she, like millions of others,felt was merely normal. A little pink in the sink? No big deal, right?
Wrong. That bleeding was her body screaming that bacteria were actively destroying tissue. By the time she felt actual pain, the infection had already eaten away at the bone holding her teeth in place.”I’m losing teeth because I’m losing bone,” she explained on air, using her platform to warn people that gum disease isn’t just about your mouth. It’s connected to heart disease, kidney problems, even stroke risk.
What She Ignored:
- Bleeding gums during brushing (the #1 early sign)
- Years of skipped dental appointments despite having insurance
- Minor swelling that gradually got worse
The Damage:
- Emergency surgery to save her jawbone
- Risk of losing her two front teeth permanently
- Weeks of recovery and ongoing periodontal maintenance
Her takeaway was simple but stark: if your gums bleed, you have an infection. Full stop. It’s not “sensitive gums” or brushing too hard. It’s gingivitis at minimum, and if you keep ignoring it, you end up needing bone grafts and emergency surgery like she did.
2. Clark Gable: Hollywood’s Leading Man Lost His Teeth at 32
That famous smile of Clark Gable’s, it was completely phoney. The man who played Rhett Butler and, for many, was the ultimate Hollywood male in the old tradition had hardly a natural tooth left by the time he was in his early thirties.
In 1933 while filming Dancing Lady, Gable’s neglected gum problems caught up with him in a big way. He had dealt with pyorrhea — now known as severe periodontitis — for years but always postponed treatment. Then the infection became generalized. It spread to his gall bladder, poisoning his blood and putting him into hospital for weeks. In order to save his life one desperate dental specialist had to extract almost all the teeth Gable’s mouth in a single long session.
The studio was outraged by the production delays, by the thousands of dollars lost. As punishment, MGM loaned him out to a small studio to make what they thought would be a forgettable low-budget comedy. That movie was It Happened One Night, which won him his only Oscar. How funny things turn out.
But here’s the squirm-inducing part: those dentures solved the aesthetics of his smile but presented a permanent problem. Bad breath. Very bad breath.
Permanent Damage:
The denture technology of the 1930s was not great. Food particles would be caught under the plates, bacteria would grow on them, and no amount of mouthwash could remove the smell. Vivien Leigh was famous for telling how she had dreads every time she had to shoot a kissing scene with Gable in Gone with the Wind. She admitted later that the experience was not that exciting’ because his dentures smelled something awful.’
Many co-stars complained the same thing addressed him him of them during his career, but what could he do? The teeth, was gone. The bone was gone. Because he had waited too long to tackle a solvable problem and his whole would stuck with dentures to end up his life.
Key Lesson:
Gum disease progresses in stages. Gingivitis is reversible—it’s just red, swollen gums that bleed. Periodontitis is are dangerous when the infection spreads deeper and destroys bone. Once that stage is reached then the bone never grows back again. Gable’s case is an example of what happens at the very worst end spectrum: total loss teeth, infectious an the whole em-and a lifetime of outcome consequences.
3. Alex Rodriguez: The Diagnosis That Shocked a Pro Athlete
In May 2023, Alex Rodriguez went in for a routine dental checkup expecting to hear “everything looks great.” Instead, his dentist told him he had early-stage gum disease. A-Rod was shocked. He brushed twice a day, flossed regularly, worked out like a maniac, and his teeth looked perfectly healthy. How was this possible?
Turns out, gingivitis is sneaky. It doesn’t hurt. There’s no throbbing pain like you’d get from a cavity, no obvious sign that something’s wrong. Rodriguez said it himself: “Looks can be deceiving.” His gums were inflamed and infected, but because there was no pain, he had no idea.
Why He Didn’t Feel Anything:
Gingivitis attacks the gum tissue first, and that tissue doesn’t have the same pain receptors as your teeth. You might notice some redness or slight swelling, maybe a bit of bleeding when you floss, but it’s easy to shrug off as nothing. By the time gum disease progresses to periodontitis and starts destroying bone, you’ve already lost ground that can’t be recovered.
Rodriguez admitted he had some “weird routines” as a baseball player—like chewing up to 36 pieces of gum per game. If that gum had sugar in it, it could’ve fed the bacteria causing the problem. But he also pointed out that genetics matter, and that gum disease is more common in Latino and Black communities, which often have less access to preventive dental care.
What He Did About It:
The diagnosis was a wake-up call. He didn’t just get his gums treated; he overhauled his entire approach to health. Lost 32 pounds through pilates and yoga, changed his diet, and partnered with a health campaign to educate other men about oral care. Men are statistically way less likely to go to the dentist than women, and Rodriguez wanted to fix that.
Here’s a breakdown of how gum disease progresses, based on what periodontists like Dr. Scott Froum see in patients:
| Stage | What’s Happening | Pain Level | Can You Reverse It? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthy Gums | Pink, firm, no bleeding | None | N/A |
| Gingivitis (A-Rod’s stage) | Redness, swelling, bleeding when flossing | Little to none | 100% reversible with good care |
| Periodontitis | Gums pulling away from teeth, bad breath, pockets forming | Mild discomfort | Damage is permanent, but you can stop it from getting worse |
| Advanced Disease | Bone loss, loose teeth, severe infection | High | Requires surgery or extraction |
A-Rod caught his at the reversible stage. If he’d waited another year or two, he might’ve been looking at permanent damage.
4. Jessica Simpson: Pregnancy Hormones and Daily Bleeding Gums
The less glamorous aspects of motherhood have never been sugarcoated by Jessica Simpson. In 2019, she shared pictures of her swollen feet that appeared to belong to someone else while she was expecting her daughter Birdie Mae. However, she also discussed pregnant gingivitis, a condition that many women experience but fail to discuss.
Every day, her gums bled. Significant bleeding during usual care, not just a little pink when she brushed. It wasn’t because she stopped brushing her teeth all of a sudden. Hormones were to blame.
How Your Gums Are Affected by Pregnancy:
Your progesterone and estrogen levels soar throughout pregnancy. All of your mucous membranes, including your gums, receive more blood flow thanks to these hormones. They enlarge and become extremely delicate due to the additional blood. They bleed even when you brush softly.
It’s not only the swelling, though. In fact, many bacteria that cause gum disease are encouraged to proliferate when progesterone levels are high. Additionally, your body’s immune system overreacts to plaque that wouldn’t typically cause any problems, resulting in redness and inflammation. Some women even get pyogenic granulomas, which are tiny, non-cancerous lumps on their gums that sound alarming but typically disappear after giving birth.
Gingivitis affects between 60 and 75 percent of pregnant women. Many mothers realized it wasn’t only them since Jessica was open enough to discuss it in public.
Why It Matters Outside of Your Mouth:
Preterm birth and low birth weight have been linked to severe gum disease, and untreated gingivitis during pregnancy can develop into periodontitis. Although no one is claiming that bleeding gums will inevitably lead to problems, there is a correlation, and it is important to be aware of it.
The good news? Pregnancy gingivitis typically goes away on its own after giving birth and your hormones stabilize. Jessica attested to the fact that when Birdie was born, her gum bleeding ceased. However, even if you’re experiencing morning sickness, you still need to keep up with your dental treatments during pregnancy.5. Johnny Depp: Even Pirates Need Gum Surgery
5. Johnny Depp: Even Pirates Need Gum Surgery
Johnny Depp’s teeth have been tabloid fodder for years. In 2023, photos from the Cannes Film Festival went viral showing his visibly yellowed, deteriorating smile. Dental experts took one look and said it was likely advanced periodontal disease—the kind where teeth start shifting, darkening, and loosening because the bone underneath is being destroyed.
Depp has never pretended his teeth were perfect. Back in a 1995 interview, he said “I’ve got loads of cavities… I like my smile.” At the time, it probably seemed like a quirky character trait. But decades of smoking, red wine, constant travel, and skipped dental appointments turned those cavities into something much worse.
What Happens When You’re “Too Busy”:
Depp’s story is what happens when a small problem gets ignored for years. A cavity that could’ve been filled in 30 minutes turns into an infection. Gingivitis that could’ve been reversed with a professional cleaning progresses to periodontitis. Once the bone starts going, you can’t get it back. You’re looking at bone grafts, gum surgery, and possibly implants if the teeth can’t be saved.
By late 2024, Depp showed up in the Bahamas with a completely transformed smile. He’d clearly undergone major restorative work—probably gum surgery, bone grafting, and new veneers or crowns to replace what couldn’t be saved. That kind of reconstruction takes months and costs a fortune, even for someone with his money.
The Takeaway for Regular People:
You can’t “buy back” your original jawbone once gum disease has destroyed it. Even with all the resources in the world, Depp had to go through extensive surgery and recovery. The bone grafts, the gum therapy, the dental implants—all of that could’ve been avoided if he’d just gone in for cleanings twice a year.
His transformation proves that restoration is possible, but prevention is way easier (and cheaper, and less painful). A cleaning costs a couple hundred bucks and takes 45 minutes. Full-mouth reconstruction? You’re looking at tens of thousands of dollars and multiple procedures over several months.
What Actually Is Gum Disease? (And Why It Starts)
Gingivitis is the early stage. Your gums get inflamed and bleed because bacteria in plaque are releasing toxins that irritate the tissue. At this point, the damage is reversible. Get a professional cleaning, brush and floss consistently, and your gums will heal.
Periodontitis is what happens when you ignore gingivitis. The infection spreads below the gumline and starts eating away at the bone that holds your teeth in place. Gums pull away from the teeth, creating pockets where more bacteria collect. This stage is not reversible—you can stop it from getting worse, but you can’t undo the bone loss.
What Causes It:
- Poor oral hygiene – This is the big one. Plaque builds up along the gumline, hardens into tartar (which you can’t remove with brushing), and the bacteria go to town on your gums.
- Smoking and vaping – Both mess with blood flow to your gums and make it harder for your body to fight infection.
- Hormonal changes – Pregnancy, menopause, even your menstrual cycle can make gums more sensitive to plaque.
- Certain medications – Anything that dries out your mouth (antihistamines, antidepressants, blood pressure meds) reduces saliva, which normally helps wash away bacteria.
- Stress and poor diet – Your immune system can’t fight infection as well when you’re run down.
- Genetics – Some people are just more prone to gum disease, even with good hygiene.
Can You Actually Reverse It?
If you catch gingivitis early (like A-Rod did), yes. Completely. Get a professional cleaning to remove the tartar, brush twice a day, floss daily, maybe use an antimicrobial rinse, and your gums will heal within a few weeks.
If it’s progressed to periodontitis (like Whoopi’s case), the bone loss is permanent, but you can stop it from getting worse. Treatment usually involves:
- Scaling and root planing – A deep cleaning where they scrape off tartar below the gumline and smooth out the tooth roots so bacteria can’t cling to them as easily.
- Antimicrobial therapy – Sometimes they’ll put antibiotic gel directly into the gum pockets to kill bacteria.
- Laser treatment – Some dentists use lasers to remove infected tissue and promote healing.
- Surgery – In severe cases, they might need to graft new bone or gum tissue to replace what was lost.
The key is catching it before you’re at the Clark Gable stage, where the only option left is extraction.
Why This Matters for More Than Just Your Smile
Your appearance changes dramatically if you get gum disease. Receding gums will make you look older and older-looking than your years. If you start missing lots of teeth then of course this affects how you look and feel about yourself. But bad breath can be murder on any sort of social life, let alone your dating prospects. And it may also be associated with major diseases.Not to mention its consequences.
There is now statistically significant proof that chronic gum inflammation is associated with heart disease, diabetes, stroke and even Alzheimer’s. Bacteria from the mouth can reach into a person’s bloodstream elsewhere in his body where they produce inflammation. What Whoopi was saying about gum disease killing people was no exaggeration–because it does.
For people like Jessica Simpson who are pregnant, severe periodontitis may cause an early birth and result in lower birth weights. And for those with diabetes, gum disease is making their blood sugar more difficult to control. That in turn aggravates the problem of gum disease, creating a vicious circle!Your mouth is not isolated from your body. If there’s an illness in one place, well…
What You Can Do Starting Today
You don’t need a celebrity budget or a high-end periodontist to avoid gum disease. You just need to be consistent.
- Brush twice a day – Use a soft-bristled brush and actually spend two minutes doing it. Most people brush for like 45 seconds and wonder why they have problems.
- Floss every day – Yeah, everyone hates flossing. Do it anyway. It removes plaque from between your teeth where your brush can’t reach.
- Get professional cleanings twice a year – This removes tartar buildup that you can’t get rid of at home. If you’re prone to gum problems, your dentist might recommend cleanings every 3-4 months instead.
- Don’t ignore bleeding gums – If you see pink in the sink, book a dental appointment. It’s not normal, and it’s not going to go away on its own.
- Quit smoking – If you smoke or vape, your risk of gum disease is significantly higher, and your body has a harder time healing.
- Manage other health issues – If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar under control. If you’re on medications that dry out your mouth, drink more water or ask your doctor about alternatives.
The celebrities in this article all learned the hard way that wealth and fame don’t protect you from gum disease. Whoopi ended up in emergency surgery. Clark Gable lost all his teeth. Even A-Rod, with his perfect athlete routine, got caught off guard.
But the flip side is that it’s preventable. If you catch it early, it’s fixable. And if you stay on top of basic care, you probably won’t have to deal with it at all.
If you’re dealing with bleeding gums, swelling, or any other symptoms mentioned here, don’t wait. Book an appointment and get it checked out before a minor problem turns into something permanent.
For more information on periodontal care and treatment options, consult with a board-certified periodontist like Dr. Scott Froum, who specializes in prevention-focused care and saving natural teeth whenever possible.