If you’ve ever watched Justified, The Righteous Gemstones, or the Fallout TV series, you’ve probably spent a good five minutes staring at Walton Goggins' mouth. It’s hard not to. The man has a smile that basically acts as its own supporting character. It’s bright, it’s big, and it feels almost too perfectly calibrated for the charismatic-yet-unhinged villains he plays. Naturally, this leads to the big question: are Walton Goggins teeth real, or are we looking at some of the best dental work in Hollywood?
The answer isn't a simple yes or no. Honestly, it’s a bit of a saga involving a baseball, a swimming pool, and some seriously old-school 1970s dentistry.
The Childhood Accident That Changed Everything
Walton Goggins didn't start his life with a Hollywood-ready grin. In fact, he spent a good chunk of his youth without his front teeth at all.
He’s been pretty open about this. Back in 2016, he went on Conan and told a story that makes most people’s skin crawl. When he was in fifth grade, he showed up late for baseball practice. He was running across the field, someone called his name, he turned around, and—BAM. A baseball caught him square in the mouth.
His two front teeth didn't just crack; they ended up on the grass.
It gets weirder. This was 1979. Instead of the high-tech implants we have now, the emergency room doctor basically just shoved the teeth back into his gums. No Novocaine. No fancy surgery. Just raw, excruciating pain. Miraculously, the teeth actually took. The roots reconnected, and for about a year and a half, young Walton had his original teeth back.
Then Came the Pool
You’d think after having your teeth knocked out by a baseball, you’d be careful. But kids are kids. About 18 months after the baseball incident, Goggins dove into the shallow end of a pool, hit the bottom, and knocked those same two teeth out all over again.
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That was the end of the line for his natural front teeth.
The Years of the "Flipper"
For the rest of his high school career, Goggins didn't have permanent replacements. He wore what’s known in the dental world as a "flipper"—essentially a removable retainer with two fake teeth attached to it.
He’s joked in interviews that he used to use it to freak out girls he was dating. He’d just take his front teeth out mid-conversation. It’s a very "Walton Goggins" move if you think about it. That sense of mischief and willingness to be a little bit "off" clearly started early.
By the time he hit his 20s and started acting, he moved on to more permanent solutions. In his early roles, like in The Shield, his smile looked a bit more "natural" or "lived-in." You could see the slight imperfections that come with dental bridges or older crowns.
Are They Veneers Now?
If you look at him today—specifically in his role as Uncle Baby Billy in The Righteous Gemstones—those teeth look nuclear. They are incredibly white, perfectly shaped, and very prominent.
It’s widely speculated by cosmetic dentists and eagle-eyed fans that Goggins eventually upgraded to high-end porcelain veneers or a full set of implants. This is standard procedure for actors who have dealt with trauma-related tooth loss. Over time, bridges can wear down, and the bone in the jaw can change.
In The Righteous Gemstones, the production actually leans into this. His character is a flamboyant, aging fame-seeker, so having "too much" teeth works for the role. Sometimes, he even wears dental prosthetics over his real (or reconstructed) teeth to make them look even more absurdly perfect for the character.
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The Ghoul and Dental Prosthetics
In the Fallout series, Goggins plays The Ghoul. If you’ve seen it, you know he doesn't have a nose, and his mouth looks... rough.
For this role, he actually had to wear a dental appliance that clipped over his teeth to give him that rotted, post-apocalyptic look. He mentioned in interviews that it actually changed the way he spoke, giving him a slight lisp that he had to work around to maintain that cool, cowboy drawl.
So, when people ask are Walton Goggins teeth real, the most accurate way to put it is:
- The front ones? Definitely not. Those have been prosthetic in some form since he was about 12.
- The rest? Likely a mix of natural teeth and high-quality cosmetic work (veneers or crowns) to match the front replacements.
Why It Matters for His Career
Most actors want to look like a Ken doll. They want everything to be symmetrical and boring. Goggins has always used his "imperfect perfection" to his advantage. Because his teeth are a little larger than average and his smile is so wide, it gives him a predatory, manic energy that makes him one of the best actors of his generation.
He doesn't have a "fake" smile. He has a reconstructed one that he’s learned to use as a tool.
What to Do if You Have Dental Trauma
If you’ve ended up like young Walton—losing a tooth to a ball or a pool—here’s the modern path:
- Find the tooth: If it’s whole, put it in a container of milk (the pH helps keep the root cells alive).
- Get to an ER or Dentist immediately: You have a small window to potentially save a natural tooth.
- Explore Implants: If the tooth is gone, dental implants are the gold standard today. They fuse to the bone, meaning you won’t need a "flipper" like Walton had in the 80s.
- Veneers for Symmetry: If you have one fake tooth and it looks "off," veneers on the surrounding teeth can help everything blend together for that seamless look.
Walton Goggins' dental history is basically a masterclass in making the best of a bad situation. He took a traumatic childhood injury and turned it into one of the most recognizable features in Hollywood.
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If you are dealing with similar dental issues, your first step should be consulting with a cosmetic dentist who specializes in restorative reconstruction. They can help determine if you need a simple crown, a bridge, or a permanent implant to restore both your bite and your confidence.
Actionable Insight: If you've suffered dental trauma, don't wait for the damage to worsen. Schedule a consultation with a prosthodontist to discuss permanent implant options that prevent bone loss and maintain your facial structure over time.