'The Fridge' gets his toothless smile fixed

~ the famous former Bears lineman had dental work done through a donation.

GENEVA, Ill. -- Former Chicago Bears defensive lineman William "The Refrigerator" Perry began his football career with a famous gap-tooth grin.

Then he spent two decades avoiding the dental chair, eventually losing half his teeth as they fell out, got knocked out or were pulled out by Perry.

Now, after months of intense work that involved pulling his remaining teeth and implanting screws into his jaw bone, the 45-year-old finally got a winning smile this week.

"It's wonderful," he said after Tuesday's procedure. "They look great. It's unbelievable. And I love them."

Perry, who now lives in Aiken, S.C., agreed to the total oral overhaul only after his remaining chompers began to ache.

"I got tired of my mouth hurting all the time," said Perry, who famously scored a touchdown from the 1-yard line for the Bears in their Super Bowl XX win over the New England Patriots.

Sunrise Dental Care in Geneva donated the $60,000 procedure, which was necessary because Perry's mouth was plagued by infection.

"He had infections in the gum line under the bone that would have affected his overall health over the next few years," said dentist Timothy Driscoll, who began treating Perry in August. "When we saw that on the film we told him he needed to be in better health. He had to go this route."

Despite his new look, fans should still recognize him.

"He looks years younger now," Driscoll said. "This will help him in the long run to help him chew food and how he feels about himself. He was getting a little embarrassed."