Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo Undergoes Successful Surgery

Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo has undergone successful for a rare genetic disorder called Cleidocranial Dysplasia.

The disorder affects the number of teeth a child has at birth. Matarazzo had 14 supernumerary teeth extracted in order to help his adult teeth that were stunted. Matarazzo explained the situation in a post on Instagram:

“Though my expression in this picture may not show it, the surgery was a complete success?. This was such A big one, it may be the last one I need. Hopefully at least. Those who suffer from Cleidocranial Dysplasia usually have Supernumerary teeth, which are extra teeth that grow in the gums. I’ve had several surgeries to extract these teeth from within my gums and help expose the teeth that should have already grown in considering my age. In this surgery, the team of amazing medical professionals extracted 14 supernumerary teeth and exposed six of my adult teeth. I was under for four hours. My recovery for the past few days has been great and I can’t thank the team that did the surgery enough. Thank you all for your kind wishes and prayers. It means a lot. Again, if you’d like to learn more about Cleidocranial Dysplasia, you can go to ccdsmiles.org. Thanks again everyone”

Matarazzo has said the disorder has affected his ability to land roles: “It’s one of the reasons why I haven’t been getting roles, because of my lisp, and the teeth situation, and my height,” the actor said in an interview on The Doctors, according to The Blast. “That affected pretty much everything. I would go three times a week for auditions all the time and get constant ‘no.’ ”

You can find more information at ccdsmiles.org.