Photo: Gaten Matarazzo/ Instagram
Gaten Matarazzois on the mend.
On Friday, shortly afterundergoing a fourth surgeryfor hiscleidocranial dysplasia, a rare genetic disorder that affects the growth of his bones and teeth, the 17-year-oldStranger Thingsstar shared that the procedure, which took hours, had gone well.
“Though my expression in this picture may not show it, the surgery was a complete success,” he wrote alongside a hospital photo whileflashing the camera a thumbs-up sign— a nod tothe pose he struck before the procedure. “This was such A big one, it may be the last one I need. Hopefully at least.”
The young actor went on to explain a bit more about the disorder and what the latest surgery entailed.
“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,” he wrote. “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,” he added, before encouraging anyone who wanted to know more information about the condition to visit the website of the non-profit organizationCCD Smiles.
A rep for the actor previously told PEOPLE that Matarazzo was doing “well” following the surgery.
Matarazzo previously told PEOPLE that while he has “a very mild case,” living with CCD can be “very difficult” — especially when it comes to casting.
“It’s one of the reasons why I haven’t been getting roles, because of my lisp, and the teeth situation, and my height,” he saidduring a 2018 appearanceonThe Doctors.
Matarazzo also explained that the disorder was why his character “was missing teeth in the first season” ofStranger Things.
Since landing the role of Dustin on the hit Netflix show in 2015, Matarazzo has used his platform to bring more attention to CCD.
source: people.com
