# What's The Deal With Michael Phelps Teeth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846 "2008-08-21T20:26:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/41 "2012-08-03T03:20:17Z")
My prosthodontist mentioned to me once that he should have had a palate spreader to fix that. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/42 "2012-08-03T22:07:23Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Well, get used to those teeth- he’s sure to be in a slue of new commercials after the olympics, which is too bad, as he’s one of the least telegenic persons on the planet. How dare ugly people be good at sports? Why, I never! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/43 "2012-08-04T01:22:58Z")
The overbite lets a little choom out so he doesn’t cough when bonging. Plus, as already posted, the boy ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/44 "2012-08-04T02:41:39Z")
> [@KRSOradio](#): > > I was looking at photos of him and they seem to be OK, at least from a utility standpoint but something about it doesn’t look right > > If you look at this pic > > [Phelps Smile](http://tinyurl.com/phelpsteeth) > > It seems like his smile is too big for his mouth > > Is it just one of those things or is there an actual condition here? Only in America would someone even think of asking this question. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Kamaski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9d8465/32.png) [@Kamaski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamaski)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/45 "2016-08-13T01:49:03Z")
His whole face is very weird, and he has some abnormal bruise marks on his shoulders. ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/46 "2016-08-13T02:05:23Z")
See [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=800860](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=800860) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/47 "2016-08-13T03:47:07Z")
The real question is: Will this thread return in August 2020? ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/48 "2016-08-13T04:00:05Z")
> [@JillGat](#): > > You kinda wonder about Marfan Syndrome, though I think that usually causes longer legs instead of such a long torso. I think he might be part dolphin. There might be some [truth](http://www.theonion.com/article/michael-phelps-returns-to-his-tank-at-sea-world-2515) to that… ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/49 "2016-08-13T04:12:31Z")
If he has Marfan syndrome, he needs to be under the care of a cardiologist, because people with this disorder are at extremely high risk of dissection of the aorta. There was a female volleyball player who collapsed and died during a game for this reason, and nobody thought to investigate why she was so much taller than anyone else in her family; this is why it was never diagnosed until she was autopsied. ☹ Many historians believe Abraham Lincoln probably had it too. My SIL and I can’t be the only people who think this guy’s going to be revealed as Lance Armstrong 2.0 in a few years. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/50 "2016-08-13T07:31:23Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > Only in America would someone even think of asking this question. :smack: The relationship of Englishmen and teeth is proverbial as well. They should ask questions like this more often. GO USA! ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/51 "2016-08-13T09:23:32Z")
Dental malocclusions are pretty common and can be caused by a variety of things. If you look at pictures of Michelle Obama I’m pretty positive she has an anterior openbite. In high school, I can tell I had perfect occlusion from pictures but at some point in my early 20’s possibly a late growth spurt I developed an extremely bad bite: An anterior openbite, along with a crossbite and overjet. Only my back molar touched and I couldn’t chew properly. My upper jaw was too narrow for my lower jaw so because I was an adult and already done growing I had to have SARPE: Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatial Expansion, where they cut my Maxilla down the middle and then I had to expand it by turning a little key in an appliance in the roof of my mouth. Along with this and braces I had to have a second surgery, a Lefort I osteotomy, where they basically cut my upper jaw off from the rest of my skull and set it back at an angle so all my teeth would touch properly, it was quite an ordeal but worth it for me. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/52 "2016-08-13T11:14:20Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > The real question is: Will this thread return in August 2020? Not according to this: [Michael Phelps ready to retire after 100m fly silver - Sports Illustrated](http://www.si.com/olympics/2016/08/13/michael-phelps-silver-100-meter-butterfly-retirement-rio-olympics) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/53 "2016-08-13T11:19:02Z")
> [@DrJames](#): > > The man needs orthodontics to expand his abnormally narrow arch and misaligned teeth. Does he need that from a _functional_ point of view, or just cosmetics? Because if his teeth work just fine whether or not he gets them fixed is up to him, he doesn’t actually _need_ to do anything in that case. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846/54 "2016-08-13T11:22:55Z")
> [@Kamaski](#): > > His whole face is very weird, and he has some abnormal bruise marks on his shoulders. Those happened when he fell asleep on his medals. (No, actually it’s from “cupping”, which has apparently become a fad with the athletes. Hey, let’s deliberately cause bruising prior to competing in an Olympic event! THAT’s a good idea!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-michael-phelps-teeth/460846.md?page=2)