A New York-based cosmetic dentist, Dr. Thomas P. Connelly is gaining ‘street cred.’ Having designed Ye’s $850,000 titanium mouthpiece that the hip-hop artist unveiled in January, Connelly’s no stranger to glitter – both in the clinic and the celebrity world. The dentist’s high-end clientele boasts the likes of Post Malone and DaBaby.
Connelly’s niche involves crafting custom, diamond-encrusted dental work—you might not know it, but you have seen it. Having rappers on board like Kanye West and Lil Yachty, however, has come with certain high-end costs.
Despite previously enjoying a relatively glistening reputation, Connelly has lately been plagued by allegations raised by Milo Yiannopoulos, Kanye West’s former chief of staff.
Kanye West Chief of Staff suspects foul play
Yiannopoulos, initially hired by Kanye West for his short-lived 2024 Presidential Campaign, has accused the dentist of supplying West with nitrous oxide for recreational use. Nitrous oxide, notoriously referred to as “laughing gas,” is a typical find in a dentist’s clinic – an anesthetic often used in procedures to ease anxiety and reduce pain.
In a sharply worded tweet on X, Milo laid down some serious allegations about the dentist, stating,
For this, the doctor, according to the TMZ report, is said to charge Kanye West an eye-watering $50,000 per month. Yiannopoulos in a legal affidavit also linked the use of the gas to West’s “widely-reported bipolar diagnosis,” and his erratic behavior in recent memory – and there is quite some – stating,
Thomas Connelly is a dangerous predator who targets African-American celebrities—into whose mouth he puts fake diamonds, as I suspect he did to @lilyachty. He must be stopped. I filed a complaint with the California Dental Board last week to that end.
Serving as West’s chief of staff for two years before departing from the Yeezy team earlier in 2024, Yiannopoulos further claimed that West would frequently use nitrous oxide during meetings, appearing with an inhaler mask. ” [He] seemed to be in and out of the inhaler mask on a near-constant basis,” the artist’s employees have stated.
What would be more damning is the claim that West’s demeanor would become increasingly unpredictable because of the prolonged use, claiming that West would exhibit mood swings and communicate incoherently.
Yiannopoulos shared a copy of his affidavit, describing it as a “shocking read.” He also released an audio version – which includes evidence to his claims. While doing so, he also encouraged his followers to reach out with any questions, pray for Kanye West, and spread the story.
The doctor, for his part, has strongly denied wrongdoings of any sort (through a spokesperson though), describing Yiannopoulos’s claims as “factually incorrect” and “intentionally misleading.”
Response to allegations
The dentist’s team holds the belief that the former Yeezy Chief of Staff has malicious intent and is attempting to damage the dentist’s reputation and clientele. Connelly’s camp, however, also reiterated his dedication to upholding ethical and legal standards in his practice.
As of now, no legal action has been taken against Dr. Connelly, and it remains to be seen whether the California Dental Board will pursue an investigation into the matter. The dentist continues to practice and has shown no signs of stepping back from his celebrity clientele, despite the controversy surrounding him.
Rise to fame and work on Lil Yachty
Connelly’s claim to fame in the dental world began when he did some work with Post Malone around five years ago. Thinking of that memory, he says “We permanently installed diamonds in his fangs. I’m the first person to really do that. Rolling Stone did an article and it really stuck. If you Google it, it’s everywhere.” Since then, Doc Con has become a staple in the music scene. [See: Rolling Stone]
One of Connelly’s most prominent clients is the rapper Lil Yachty, whose charming smile has been the subject of much media attention. In all fairness, Lil Yachty is the perfect candidate for the kind of avant-garde dental work Connelly does.
The doctor helped install $1,050,000 worth of diamonds permanently into Yachty’s mouth—a project that piqued music and fashion worlds alike. The two diamonds, embedded in Yachty’s upper premolars, amounted to a staggering 16 carats.
This signature diamond grill, which truly sparkles in modeling shoots and music videos, has further provided Connelly with some leverage as the go-to dentist for custom and coruscant designs – something of plenty use in the world of music.
Who is Dr. Thomas P. Connelly?
“Father of Diamond Dentistry” – a rather succinct title, Dr. Thomas P. Connelly’s career in dentistry stretches over two decades, and his academic pedigree is impressive. As mentioned on his website, he trained at the prestigious Mayo Clinic and attended the University of Detroit Mercy and Louisiana State University.
His reputation as a dental expert was further solidified with his role as a clinical professor at Harvard University Dental School and Columbia School of Dental Medicine. “People always ask, ‘What do you do?!’ It’s almost always the same thing: UFC fighter,” says the doctor rather amusingly. Many express such surprise when they learn that his heavily tattooed, bodybuilder physique hides a dentist beneath the surface.
Connelly’s dual careers as a professional bodybuilder and a dentist are, perhaps, as eccentric as the creations he installs in his clients’ mouths. He quips, “I’m that guy that’s a complete mystery when you meet me.”
Dentistry came first to Connolley when asked which of the two he wanted to be, stating
I worked out when I was a kid, dabbled in working out and lifting weights. Really became a professional bodybuilder later in life after becoming a dentist.
Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, he went straight to dentistry school in Detroit and then moved to the East Coast. Talking about his journey, he says “New York. Boston, practiced there for a while. Moving to Los Angeles will be a decade later”.
With offices located in the upscale neighborhoods of SoHo in New York City and Beverly Hills, Connelly has proactively positioned himself to cater to a celebrity clientele, who often seek a certain level of exclusivity that his services tend to provide. Or as he puts it,“$100 grand. I’ve been doing this for 26 years, that’s all I do.”
