I knew an idiot in junior high school who so wanted to impress some girls that he removed his own braces with a pair of pliers. What a waste of his parent's money. A few years later, in 1985, another bright young mind was also desperate to get his braces off but thought better (or worse) of the DIY approach. From a Central New Jersey Home News article unearthed by Weird Universe:
The boy had apparently asked other dentists in the area to remove his braces before visiting Carstens' Mack Avenue office on Feb 8, "probably because he lives three or four blocks from my office," Carstens said. "He (came) in to see me and said he wanted them off. I said he wasn't finished with his treatment and I couldn't take them off without a letter from his parents and his regular orthodontist.
"I had him in the chair and he leaned over and pulled the gun out of his pocket and said, 'Would this make you change your mind?' and I said, 'Yes,'" Carstens said.
A dental assistant called the police, a scuffle ensued, shots were fired (fortunately into the floor), and ol' Tin Grin was apprehended.
Dr. Carstens died in 2016 at age 79 but I'm sure it was a story he told often. The boy is not named in the article but I'm curious how he, and his teeth, turned out.
