Why Did Gypsy Rose Blanchard Have Her Teeth Extracted?

Gypsy Rose Blanchard had her teeth extracted, and the reason behind it reveals the grim extent of her mother’s abusive ways and tactics of manipulation. The incident provides a glimpse into the horrendous abuse she endured before being released from prison and finding her way toward healing and understanding.

In the labyrinthine saga of Gypsy Rose Blanchard—a narrative rife with deception, manipulation, and the eventual murder of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard—one detail stands out as a grim symbol of control: the extraction of Gypsy’s teeth.

This act—a drop in the vast ocean that is her life’s story—hints at the depth of her mother’s deception and the extreme lengths to which she went to maintain the illusion of a gravely ill daughter.

For those familiar with Gypsy’s story, her journey from victim to convicted murderer is a testament to the dark corners of human behavior, where the lines between caretaker and tormentor blur. Using Munchausen by proxy syndrome, Dee Dee crafted a reality so convoluted that Gypsy herself was entangled in a web of illnesses that never were.

Gypsy’s enforced vulnerability, characterized by unnecessary medical treatments and the eventual teeth extraction, served as Dee Dee’s method of ensuring Gypsy remained tethered to her, both physically and emotionally.

Now at 32 and having been granted an early release from Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri last year after serving eight years, Gypsy reflects on her actions and the circumstances that led her to participate in her mother’s murder with her ex Nick Godejohn, a decision fueled by years of psychological imprisonment.

In her recountings, Gypsy navigates the complexities of her past with a poignant mix of regret and understanding. She acknowledges the severity of her actions while shedding light on the desperation that drove her to such extremes.

The teeth extraction saga stands as one tragedy emblematic of the grotesque reality Gypsy was forced to endure. It is a reminder of the lengths to which Dee Dee went to perpetuate her lies and the physical and emotional scars Gypsy bears as a result.

As is widely known by the public, Dee Dee’s relentless fabrication of Gypsy’s medical conditions (leukemia, muscular dystrophy) extended to convincing doctors of illnesses that never existed, with the dental extraction being orchestrated as a result of the many unnecessary medical interventions Gypsy was subjected to.

Footage from several past interviews and documentary clips depicts a young Gypsy—trapped in a perpetual state of medical manipulation—finding herself powerless to alert healthcare professionals about the falsehoods being spun around her health.

With her mother’s omnipresent control, Gypsy was silenced; her pleas for truth were drowned out by the narrative Dee Dee orchestrated. Illuminating the physical manifestations of Dee Dee’s abuse, a news article from 2016 described Gypsy as “pale and skinny,” suffering from “crumbling and painful” teeth.

Similarly, the documentary-style series “The Act,” while a dramatization, sheds light on significant aspects of Gypsy’s health issues that her mother made up. In its second episode titled “Teeth,” it’s revealed that Dee Dee described Gypsy’s teeth as being like “swiss cheese,” attributing the condition to an underlying issue like acid reflux. Dee Dee also claimed that her daughter had a sugar allergy

However, the roots of Gypsy’s dental problems are deeper and more medically complex. In a past interview with Dr. Phil, Gypsy herself recalled how she was misdiagnosed with epilepsy and prescribed Tegretol, a medication that caused her teeth “to crumble.”

Gypsy’s confusion and lack of understanding about her deteriorating dental health highlight the profound impact of Dee Dee’s manipulations: “I just didn’t understand why my teeth were falling out, I had to have them extracted. I just knew I was losing teeth.”

Dee Dee’s claims of Gypsy suffering from tooth decay led to the removal of several of her teeth and salivary glands, leaving her with just 16 teeth, false teeth, and stainless crowns.

Compounding this tragedy is the recent outreach from Lamar Odom, who offered Gypsy a dental makeover through his company, Oxy Dental. According to a media outlet, the former professional basketball player reached out to Gypsy on social media after hearing about her story.

The same source said that Gypsy had expressed interest in Lamar’s offer to cover the procedure which amounts to approximately $30K, and had been communicating with him on social media.

Understanding how Gypsy’s rotting teeth and eventual extraction took place requires taking a look back at some of the horrors she endured under her mother’s roof.

Nestled on the corner of Hope and Volunteer Way stood a little pink house that, from the outside, epitomized charm and warmth. However, as revealed in an illuminating ABC News video, this quaint exterior belied the dark reality that unfolded within its walls.

Friends of Dee Dee expressed their dismay upon discovering the extent of the deception which highlights the betrayal felt by those who had been drawn into her web of lies under the guise of aiding a sick child.

Reflecting on her upbringing, Gypsy recounted her conflicted understanding of her health and her mother’s actions. Despite recognizing certain truths—like the fact that she didn’t need a feeding tube or a wheelchair, and could eat, and walk on her own—Gypsy’s reverence for her mother clouded her judgment.

She admitted, “For a long time, I believed that we were best friends […] I saw her as an angel that can do no wrong.” This belief was maintained despite Dee Dee’s increasing control and punitive measures, including physical abuse and starvation as Gypsy dared to explore life beyond the confines of their home.

The interior of the house revealed a chaotic hoard cluttered with piles of belongings and a staggering collection of medications. Gypsy’s attorney, Mike Stanfield, and her father, Rod Blanchard, painted a picture of a home overwhelmed by disorder, except in one disturbingly meticulous aspect—Dee Dee’s management of Gypsy’s supposed medical treatments.

In the aftermath of her mother’s death and before her release from prison, one of the many interviews Gypsy sat down for to discuss her life story uncovered a surprising revelation. Gypsy Rose Blanchard shared how her incarceration brought her an unexpected sense of freedom.

Recounting her first day arriving at the prison, Gypsy reflected, “The best memory that I have in my entire life is the day that I got to prison and I got to go out to the picnic tables and I’m like, ‘I’m free.’ I’m free to have friends, I’m free to do what I want. It might be in a controlled environment but this is nice.”

After her release, she was asked about how she feels about her mother now that everything is said and done on an episode of “The View.” Reflecting on the mother-daughter relationship, Gypsy expressed, “I felt very angry, at the beginning, after my arrest, uhm, and then after eight and a half years, I’ve come to realize that she suffered a lot from mental illness.”

She also spoke about how the anniversary of the crime is an ordeal she still finds particularly challenging and shared how she plays Dee Dee’s favorite song to commemorate her death and to allow herself to be vulnerable and cry.

Despite having experienced all that pain and trauma caused by Dee Dee, Gypsy explained how above all else, she finds herself missing her and still recognizes Dee Dee as her mom with whom she spent 24 years of her life.