A SHOPPER was left in stitches after finding two boxes of used dental moulds on sale in a charity shop for 50p each.
Laine Hart couldn’t believe her eyes when she stumbled across the bizarre items on sale at the Magik Incorporated Resource Centre in Newtown, Powys last week (17 NOV).
Perched on a shelf lay two plastic containers filled with dozens of tooth moulds belonging to random strangers.
Baffled by what anyone would do with used gnasher moulds, the 50-year-old snapped a photograph and posted it on Facebook – leaving hundreds of people equally as confused.
Laine, from Birmingham, West Midlands, wrote: “Recycle charity shop in Newtown, Powys. I can’t think of a suitable pun but I am sure there are some.”
The post gained over 1,200 likes and more than 700 comments from baffled members of the shopping group, with many quick to chip in with toothy puns.
One said: “Go on, son! Sink your teeth into that!”
Another wrote: “Do you swear to sell the tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth”.
A third quipped: “This one broke the mould”.
Another replied: “They’ll put a smile on someone else’s face”.
A fifth added: “Why do I want to make Christmas decorations out of them and hang them on the tree?”
And another person simply asked: “Why????”
Speaking today (WED), Laine said: “I was in my favourite shop when I came across boxes of dental moulds – it was absolutely brilliant.
“I thought this was perfect for any Halloween projects or ‘curiosities’ cabinet. It was also a brilliant option for recycling, and so unusual.
“It’s a fantastic place, so environmentally aware and perfect for any crafter. The shop sells most things that would normally end up in the bin but something that someone can reuse and recycle – I just love the ethos.
“The response [to the post] has been overwhelming. Most people have responded positively and think that they are cool but then some find it all quite gruesome.
“I have had people contact me and ask me to buy and post to them, which I will do next time I am there. I really hope that it has raised the profile of this fantastic little shop.”
Chris Thomas, 50, of the Magik Incorporated Resource Centre, said: “Our ethos is recycle, reuse, re-love.
“We try to offer open-ended resources that can be reused and upcycled, things that you wouldn’t normally find on your normal high street.
“We try to encourage people to be creative and resourceful to stop as much landfill as we can to help the environment.”
It is estimated that around 5-6% of adults within the UK have lost all their natural teeth, with 23% of 75-years-old and above using dental moulds in replacement of their real teeth.
Dental moulds, which are made from gypsum rocks and sulphate, are banned from being disposed of in normal landfills.
The Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010 Act for England and Wales, states that that any and all dental moulds must be disposed of in a separate area for high sulphate waste.
