LeAnn Rimes had an alarming dental mishap onstage, but she handled it like a true professional.
During a “story time”-style TikTok, Rimes explained how it all went down, calling the incident “the most epic example” of the old saying, “The show must go on.”
It’s also a master class in how to handle embarrassing moments onstage. As long as you level with the audience about what’s going on, Rimes says, you can get through any sticky situation.
Rimes explains that she was in the middle of performing her hit “One Way Ticket” when she “felt something pop in my mouth.” She “panicked,” excused herself and ran side stage to figure out what was going on.
“If you’ve been around, you know I’ve had a lot of dental surgeries and I have a bridge in the front,” Rimes said in her video. “It fell out in the middle of my song last night.”
So while she was offstage, she popped it back in, and came back to keep singing. But that wasn’t the end of her teeth troubles. According to Gentle Touch Dentistry, a bridge that loosens or falls out requires professional attention from a dentist — it’s not something a layperson can easily reinsert on their own.
That meant that Rimes’ teeth were still loose and sliding out as she continued to sing. In order to continue her set, she needed to reach up and push the teeth back in “every couple lines,” she admits.
“I just had to get real with everybody and tell them exactly what was happening,” she admits, “or else I would’ve had to walk offstage.”
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Some songs were especially difficult, like “Can’t Fight the Moonlight,” which Rimes jokes had a surprising number of “ef” “th” and “sh” sounds in the lyrics. But because she was upfront with the crowd about what was happening, she was able to finish the show.
“It was the most epic experience ever. I don’t usually have firsts in my career. Um, that was a first, and hopefully a last,” she summed up, giving her next show’s audience a joking warning that if they’re close to the stage, they might want to watch out for flying teeth.
“If you catch them, please return them,” she joked.
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Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
