Chen Qin, a 25-year-old woman from Enshi, in China’s Hubei Province, has been dubbed a ‘human 3D printer’ for her unusual talent of carving complex sculptures out of carrots, using only her teeth. The entire creative process is completed without the aid of carving knives or other carving tools, and Chen has already taken on the title of ‘world’s only tooth carver’.
Chen claims to have discovered tooth carving completely by accident. While streaming during last year’s Spring Festival, she started snacking on a carrot and decided to use her teeth to shape it into a simple shape. Her creation got a lot of praise from viewers, so she started experimenting with different vegetables.
The young streamer tried white and green radishes, but they were more likely to irritate her stomach, so she ultimately went back to carrots. They are easier on her stomach, have a vibrant orange color and are firm enough to be carved without damaging her teeth.
When working on her edible artworks, Chen Qin doesn’t cut or shape the carrots beforehand; instead, she uses only her teeth, mostly her incisors, but sometimes her canines as well, taking her time for the most detailed parts. The entire process relies mainly on her feel and experience to control the shape and details of the sculptures.
Chen Qin currently has more than 100 carrot artworks to her name, but her most popular creations are the edible versions of the Great Wall of China and Yellow Crane Tower, both of which feature intricate details, such as battlements and beacon towers. She has posted videos of herself carving them with her teeth, and insists that she didn’t use any other tools.
To protect her chompers, Chen Qin eats less sweets than she used to, avoids carbonated drinks, and brushes her teeth at least twice per day, in the morning and evening, and rinses her mouth after meals. She also takes breaks when she has been carving for too long. Still, she admits that she experiences tooth sensitivity when carving for a long time.
Accused of wasting food, Chen Qin clarified that she doesn’t let anything go to waste. She uses her sculptures as ingredients when she cooks, and the scraps are used as pig or poultry feed.
