When a Makeover Goes Too Far
A new documentary revisits the extreme transformations of ‘The Swan’ and reveals how aggressive cosmetic dentistry left some contestants with lasting oral health problems.
In 2004, someone had the terrible idea of creating a reality TV show in which “ugly ducklings” would undergo extreme makeovers over a 3-month-period after which the contestants would become “swans” and compete in a beauty pageant. The show “The Swan” thankfully only lasted two seasons.
Today, a new documentary “The Swan: Behind the Mirror” takes an unrelenting look at what these contestants went through and how it has impacted them over the past 20 years. The contestants each had a team dedicated to their transformation that included a personal trainer, stylist, therapist, dentist, and cosmetic surgeon.
All of the contestants reported negative side effects to the extreme regimen required to “transform” them into swans, ranging from mental health issues to post-surgical complications. The work that garnered the most hurt was the cosmetic dentistry.
Participants reported they experienced temporomandibular jaw problems, tooth decay, damaged gingiva, and the need for additional dental work to ameliorate problems. And who was the dentist who provided this dental work? None other than Sherri Worth, DDS, of Newport Beach, California, who went on in 2017 to lose her dental license. And why was her ability to practice dentistry rescinded? Six patients (none of them “Swan” contestants) complained to the Dental Board of California that Worth had improperly diagnosed disease in healthy teeth, recommended unnecessary dental treatments, falsified dental records, and altered digital radiographs.
Several patients won lawsuits against Worth for the shoddy treatment. While her license was suspended on February 3, 2017, Worth permanently surrendered her license voluntarily on February 17, 2017, in order to avoid a disciplinary hearing. Click here to read more.
