What Happened To The "David After Dentist" Kid?

Few visits to the dentist have been as epic as that of David DeVore Jr., who we know better as the star of "David After Dentist." In May of 2008, then 7-year-old David had just braved a procedure to remove an extra tooth, and was given an anesthetic for the pain. And while everyone gets a little loopy after coming out of that dreaded dentist's chair, not everyone has the aftermath filmed by a loving father. When David DeVore Sr. took his Flip video camera to the dentist's that day, he had no idea he was about to capture some seriously hilarious history.

Seven months after the ordeal, the elder David DeVore decided to share it with his friends and family. First taking to Facebook, DeVore intended only a few people to see his son's outrageous and existential reaction to his anesthetic. After finding that many of his relatives did not have Facebook profiles, DeVore decided instead to use YouTube to make the video more easily accessible, and allow more people to watch David Jr. ask, "Is this real life?" Great question, little buddy — I still don't know. And perhaps this was the question that sparked a million views. 125 million, to be exact.

Let's take a trip down and back up memory lane together and check out where little David has been, where he is now, and where he's going.

What is this video?

Only one of the cutest things ever to hit the Internet!

The approximately two-minute long video shows the 7-year-old fresh out of oral surgery asking the important questions and life, and then making some pretty important discoveries. After all, sometimes it takes a lot to recognize that we do, indeed, have two fingers. Then there is also the classic, "Why is this happening to me?" A question that, truly, haunts every day of my existence. Why is there no more peanut butter? Why are there stitches in David's mouth? Why, oh God why, does his father have four eyes?

This video could also be used as a serious warning — drugs do crazy things, kid, and this is the legal kind.

How did this even happen?

You mean the video or the fame? As for the video, little David's father uploaded it to YouTube and neglected to set the privacy settings on high (which at the time, would've meant that only 25 people could see the video). As such, when "David After Dentist" hit YouTube, it hit hard, and within the first week of its debut, it had already garnered 3 million views.

In 2009, YouTube viewers watched David philosophize about life more than almost any other video on the site, with only Susan Boyle's appearance "Britain's Got Talent" managing more hits. The fame was just the next logical step — after all, who doesn't adore a kid with a missing front tooth?

What's happened to the family since?

Before little David became a YouTube sensation, the elder David was in real estate in their home of Orlando, Florida. But after they hit the Internet jackpot, David's father decided to turn his attention to their newfound fame. He produced T-shirts, stickers, and other dentist-y paraphernalia that has now been shipped to over 20 countries and has produced over $150,000. The majority of this sum, however, comes from YouTube licensing deals, including one giant Vizio Super Bowl ad that highlighted a number of YouTube stars, including the guy from the "Numa Numa dance" video. Oh, Beyonce was in that video too.

Is David Jr. Being Exploited?

This has been a point of contention since the video first came to light in early 2009. David's father, in particular, has been accused of using his son for cashflow — after all, he did quit his job to manage his son's newfound fame. The DeVores have appeared on several talk shows, including the Tyra Banks Show, The O'Reilly Factor, and the Today Show, where they were pressed about their decision to show their son's outlandish behavior to the world.

Mary Mitchell of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote a column that has since been removed criticizing David's parents, writing, “Videos of children on drugs cross the line — in fact, officials with child welfare agencies should be concerned.” But the DeVores have taken everything in stride, with David's mother remarking on the Today Show, “For me, it’s a naked baby picture; for his generation, it will be the funny videos from when they were kids. And I hope when he gets married, we’ll play this video and others, all rolling on the floor laughing.”

Is David still making videos?

Well, not as prolifically as say, the "Charlie Bit My Finger" clan, but yes he is! In fact, he even has his own IMDB page, which claims that DeVore is known for his role in the upcoming The Chronicles of Rick Roll . I'll be honest, I'm not exactly thrilled for that one to hit theaters.

Does David have any celebrity lookalikes?

How funny you should ask! Perhaps you have seen Joseph Gordon-Levitt's phenomenal recreation of the entire video, which really, really shows off his acting chops. I mean, if he doesn't deserve an Oscar for this performance, he really doesn't stand a chance.

Images: YouTube / DavidAfterDentist.com