John Lennon's 'Gruesome' Tooth Sells for Nearly $32,000 at Auction

Of all the weird aspects of the John Lennon tooth auction, we suppose that a dentist being the winner makes the most sense.

As the BBC reports, Canadian dentist Michael Zuk won the late Beatle's discarded, discolored molar with a winning bet of $31,200 U.S. (£19,500) at the Nov. 5 auction. The tooth was originally expected to fetch about $16,000.

"Once I heard it was up for sale I had to have it," Zuk told the BBC. "Some people will think its gross, others will be fascinated by it." (Consider us in the former category.)

Zuk, who authored the book Confessions of a 'Former Cosmetic Dentist' in 2010, revealed he'll put Lennon's tooth on display in his office and show it off at events at dental schools and other offices.

Lennon originally had the tooth pulled in the late '60s and then gave it to his housekeeper, who saved it as a rare piece of memorabilia for her daughter. Somehow, the molar ended up in the possession of Alan McGee, the music executive who managed Oasis and the Libertines, among others.

As you can see above, the tooth is not a pristine artifact by any means. "It's rather gruesome, yellowy, browny with a cavity," said Karen Fairweather, a spokesperson for Omega Auctions.

If you need us, we'll be brushing our teeth and trying not to gag over that horrible picture.

Huffington Post's News Report on the Auction

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