I originally found the instructions to
do this on the CustomDolls
online magazine
in the Fall 2000 issue. I tried it out and it worked great!
This is a good picture of what a difference a simple Dental
Extraction can make....
Same doll, one straight out of the package, the other after a Dental
Extraction.
No repaint necessary!
Here is my version of the instructions:
This is my volunteer.
She arrived in a batch of distressed dolls I won at auction on e-bay.
Pre-OP:
The most important thing to consider before surgery is
what future plans your doll has for facials. If she is looking to
have a makeover soon, you will want to schedule surgery between her
acetone scrub and the new makeup application.
(laymen's terms: Remove any unwanted paint prior to doing
this procedure because the paint remover will undo the glue used to
close her mouth. You can do this procedure on an unpainted face or
on a painted face where you don't plan on changing the paint.)
As with any surgery the area should be cleaned before you begin.
supplies:
-
A Volunteer
-
X-acto Knife with a sharp new blade
-
Superglue with a fine tip point
Step One:
Once your volunteer is anesthetized and can't feel anything you can begin.
Use the knife to cut along the edge of the lip, from one corner to the
other.
I go along the lower lip first. Try not to use
a sawing motion as this gives an uneven cut. Just try to keep a
steady pressure pulling the blade gently along the lip edge. Go
slow so that you don't slice into the side of your dolls face when you
reach the opposite corner. I find it easier to make this first cut
with the head still on the doll body, it gives it more support.
Once you have separated the teeth from the lower lip remove the head from the body, if you haven't already done so, and repeat the same thing for the upper lip. You can clean up any rough edges as you go.
If you are using a painted face doll, try to remember to keep your blade from nicking the lip paint. Angle the blade away from the lips a little, you'll cut extra material from behind the lips but that's not going to show anyway.
Once her teeth are removed, you have an open mouthed doll. She looks like she is in the middle of a conversation, but since this isn't the look we are after we will continue.
Step Two:
Check and recheck. Gently push the dolls lower jaw up to close it, and take a look at her. This is what she will look like when your done so make sure your lines are clean. Do you need to fix something? Does she have a gap where her lips don't meet up perfectly? Do her lips look crooked? Is her lower lip too full? Now is the time to make all of these adjustments.
Once you have rechecked and made any necessary adjustments, get your glue bottle ready, then pinch the dolls face from the sides forcing her mouth to open wide.
Now glue along the inside of the lip. Try not to get too much on the front of the lips, depending on the glue it may give the lips a flat or glossy look. Also it tends to show fingerprints if you touch it before it is completely dry (major mistake!). Of course if you are using an unpainted face you will cover any of this over with the new paint, but it never hurts to be as neat as possible.
Try not to use too much glue, in this case it is easier to add more if you need it then to remove the excess. Once you have the glue in place, gently push her lower lip up and into place.
Some super glues work better if you get them tacky first by touching the two pieces together a few times before pressing into place. This is easily accomplished with just opening and closing her mouth a few times. Firmly press into place with even pressure from top and bottom until the glue dries.
If her mouth opens when you let go, it just means you probably didn't use enough glue (it's happened to me before). Just repeat this step.
Step Three:
Reattach head to body. If your volunteer was an unpainted face she can now go to the makeup center for her application.
TA-DA!!!
Your done...... Doesn't she look great!