Now 74, Perrine suffers from a devastating case of Parkinson's disease.
Valerie Perrine has a new smile and new outlook on life, thanks to a recent dental procedure.
Perrine is best remembered as Lex Luther’s girlfriend Ms. Teschmacher in the original 1978 Superman movie opposite Christopher Reeve and Gene Hackman. She was also one of the hottest sex symbols of the 70s.
Her beauty and exquisite face made her a sought-after Hollywood sensation, but today, her life has taken a dramatic turn.
She is now 74 years old and suffers from a severe case of Parkinson’s disease.
Brain surgery to stop the shaking was unsuccessful. Now, medication she takes to manage her Parkinson’s is making her teeth so brittle that they're falling out.
Unable to eat solid foods, she's also malnourished.
Inside Edition was with Perrine as she sought to restore her once-perfect smile.
Beverly Hills periodontist Sanda Moldovan used implants to permanently replace her upper teeth. The teeth were made by Sam Alawie, the president and founder of the Beverly Hills Dental Laboratory.
“You’re going to smile, you’re not going to have to remove it and you'll be able to eat and enjoy everything,” Dr. Moldovan explained to the actress before the procedure.
As the actress was sedated, the doctor began by removing all Perrine’s remaining upper teeth with a special tool. She then straightened her jaw and harvested some unneeded bone from her mouth.
“We are going to use the bone that we harvested from other areas and we’re going to plug it up in the whole where the teeth used to be and that will help maintain the shape of the jaw,” the doctor said.
After six hours, the surgery was completed, and it was a success!
“Her procedure went great," the doctor said. "I had a hard time with her bone — it was so soft her teeth were breaking down — but she was sleeping and I was able to do my best work."
One week after the operation, Inside Edition checked in with Perrine to see how she is doing.
Perrine said the teeth are “perfect” and the actress who once graced the silver screen is able to smile again.
Perrine's procedure was provided courtesy a charity called Smile Fairies, which provides dental care to people who otherwise cannot afford it.
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