Jenna Lyons Reveals Why She Has Fake Teeth: See Before and After Photos
Jenna Lyons has been open about her genetic disorder on The Real Housewives of New York City.
If you’ve caught a glimpse of Jenna Lyons on the red carpet, you’ve likely seen a smile — but no teeth. The Real Housewives of New York City star is opening up about why a beaming grin was missing for so much of her life—and the steps she’s taking to fix that now.
“I grew up with horrible teeth and horrible teasing,” Jenna wrote in an Instagram post in August 2022. “I didn’t smile – ever – covered my mouth.”
What genetic disorder does Jenna Lyons have?
Jenna shared a rare childhood photo of herself in that August 2022 social media post, and her teeth were on display, with several of them missing.
“The first pic is me – little one- teeth shaped like cones,” Jenna wrote in the Instagram post. “I have a genetic disorder called Incontinentia pigmente. It affects the skin, teeth and hair.”
She also posted photos of her teeth now and the work she's done in the Instagram slideshow.
Besides having fake hair and fake eyelashes, Jenna recently told the hosts of The View that all her teeth are fake, and joked, “I paid a lot of money for them.”
Jenna alluded to childhood bullying in the social media post, and shared more about what she experienced during an elementary school assembly in an interview with Oprah Daily.
RELATED: What the OG New York Housewives Have to Say About RHONY Season 14 (UPDATED)
“I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, but they were snickering and saying stuff like ‘Bald!’ and ‘Why does she have that spot?’” Jenna said to Oprah Daily.
Discolored and scarred skin is part of her genetic disorder, but it ended up inspiring Jenna’s iconic fashion look. She told Oprah Daily she started wearing her iconic thick-rimmed glasses during photo shoots because it hid the scarring above her left eye. It’s also why she often wears long sleeves and pants.
“You will see behind closed doors why I cannot [show skin],” Jenna said in Episode 2 of The Real Housewives of New York City. “I have a pretty rare genetic disorder. That’s why I never show any skin."
Jenna shared images and X-rays of her teeth on social media, showing the crookedness and unevenness of the teeth. She also showed a snapshot of a doctor in scrubs, as well as a tray full of dental tools, alluding to the fact that she was getting work done on her teeth in August 2022.
She was very candid with her social media followers, showing a picture she took of her mouth open in the dentist’s chair, full of metal devices and screws, and another picture of her swollen lips, mouth, and jaw.
In a second Instagram post, also in August 2022, she wrote, “Today after 6 years, 13 surgeries, many photos of Julianne Moore—I got my new teeth. Sinus lifts – bone grafts – infections – removal – anesthesia – pain pills – it’s been insane – but I made it – and not without the help of many incredible people in my life.”
Jenna showed off several revealing photos of her mouth in the post, including her new, fake teeth, and all the blood around her teeth and gums. But she also smiled for a pic showing the final result.
Jenna’s added another oral surgery to that lengthy list since August 2022, telling Oprah Daily in April 2023 that she was up to 14 surgeries.
“What we originally thought was going to take two and a half to three years just to do the upper teeth has taken six years,” she said in the interview. “I literally could have bought a house with what those teeth cost me, and I still have a way to go.”
Watch more on Jenna’s journey to improve her teeth as new episodes of The Real Housewives of New York City air Sundays at 9/8c on Bravo and the next day on Peacock.
