It has been 17 years since the ‘David after Dentist’ video was uploaded to YouTube and since then it has been viewed 143 million times — and the Mirror has spoken to the viral kid who is now an adult
A video of seven-year-old David has been seen 143m times on YouTube(Image: David Devore Jr)
A viral sensation known as ‘David after Dentist’ is now 25 years old — and still gets recognised 17 years on from his hilarious post tooth removal surgery ramblings.
David DeVore, from Florida in the US, was seven when he famously asked “is this real life” while his dad filmed his loopy reaction to anaesthetic treatment. The YouTube video has been seen a staggering 143 million times — and it is considered to be one of the platform’s first homemade viral hits.
Almost two decades on, David spoke to The Mirror about what life looks like now, and whether he is still recognised as being the kid from the dentist video. He told us: “People have actually recognised me a bit more in recent years now that I have done interviews etc as an adult. It’s been a fun change of pace!”
David spoke to this reporter three years ago while he was in his fourth year at the University of Florida. And asked for a life update, he now said: “Things have been great! Since we last spoke, I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in computer science.
“Following graduation, I started working a remote job that allowed me to follow my girlfriend to Atlanta, Georgia, and enjoy post-grad life in a fun city.
“I also recently started my master’s degree, also in computer science, at Georgia Tech. It’s been a fun season of life, learning a lot and enjoying being on my own as I build my life. I have also gotten to travel a ton!” The famous video is still available to watch on YouTube but it only made it onto the streaming platform by chance.
David’s father initially filmed it solely because his wife was out of town. However, after showing it to friends and relatives and gauging their reactions, he then decided to put it on YouTube seven months after it was recorded.
In the memorable video, David was asked how the tooth extraction went and he replied: “I didn’t feel anything… I feel funny… is this real life?” He added: “You have four eyes. I feel funny. Why is this happening to me?”
His dad said “it’s okay bud, it’s just from the medicine” — before David asked: “Is this going to be forever?” However, the clip ended up being everlasting, and it garnered three million views within three days.
David described it as the “biggest blessing” and life changed in an instant. Him and his family were even flown to LA to be on the red carpet with other viral kids for the Ralph Breaks the Internet premier.
Speaking to this reporter in March 2023, he said: “There are nothing but positive experiences. We have gotten to do things, see things and go to places we never would have.
“And some of the most bizarre interactions with strangers were a lot closer to the time the video came out.
“When we were in New York for the Today show people were spotting me across Times Square. Then when I was 13, like six years later, my family was at a restaurant and the chef in the kitchen saw me through the kitchen window and recognised me somehow. It was crazy stuff like that.”
David also felt fortunate that it became viral in 2009 when he was only seven as opposed to something like that happening in today’s world.
He said he had no comprehension of how big the video became at the time and that this allowed him to “just go with the flow” and not let it become a bigger part of him than it was.
David acknowledged that it could have influenced his thinking had he been older and he is thankful it never became his personality.
He has gone through life without telling peers about the video, but inevitably they often find out.
And in 2021 he hit the headlines after the original unedited version of the clip was sold as an NFT for $11,600 (approx £8,700).
This money helped pay for David and his brother’s education and despite not liking to dwell on it, he did make one confession.
He laughed: “I try not to take advantage of it too hard but to get into the University of Florida you have to have certain academic merit but they also put a lot of emphasis on the essay you have to write…
“So I really milked the ‘David After Dentist’ thing in the essay and I got in so I don’t know whether it did or didn’t have an impact but I tried.
“You had to talk about something unique in your life that had an impact on you and taught you something that has been valuable as a potential student.
“So I used that to talk about some of the unique things I was able to experience and things like that.”
