While Dylan Dreyer is known for her picture-perfect pearly whites today, the NBC host hasn’t always had the straightest smile – and her transformation is truly remarkable. The meteorologist recently opened up about having braces as a preteen during an episode of the TODAY Show. After the segment aired, Dylan took to Instagram to share a side-by-side photo of her current smile alongside a childhood snapshot – highlighting just how far her teeth have come. The left photo, taken from the episode, shows Dylan wearing a navy button-up shirt, her blonde locks styled in soft waves. Her radiant smile is accentuated by a bold pink lip, adding a vibrant pop of color to her polished look.
Meanwhile, the right photo captured a young Dylan as a preteen, smiling proudly for the camera with her train track braces on full display. Embracing the era’s style, she rocked a classic '80s perm and wore a metallic jacket accessorized with bold statement earrings.
In the caption, she penned: "Apparently braces are making a comeback! Glamour Shots at the mall? Not sure about that…" The next slide in the post featured a clip from the show, where Dylan candidly opened up about her smile makeover, sharing the story behind her orthodontic journey.
"I had braces," she said. "What grade did you have them in," asked her co-star, Sheinelle Jones. It seems it wasn't just braces that Dylan rocked back in her day. "Sixth grade. Braces and glasses at the same time," she admitted.
Clearly amused by her childhood photographs, Dylan’s co-hosts reacted in unison with a surprised and playful, "Wow." Craig Melvin couldn't help but poke fun at his NBC co-star as he made a joke about the picture. "You went to a mall in New Jersey for that picture for sure," he said.
However, Dylan made sure to flash her perfectly straight teeth as she proudly proved that all those years in braces were well worth it. "Look at that now," she said. Al Roker then asked her how old she was when the photograph was taken. "26," responded Craig, laughing.
"Only about 12, which is funny because I look like I'm about 35," explained Dylan. This isn't the first time the meteorologist has opened up about her appearance. During an episode of the TODAY Show back in April, Dylan revealed that she has long struggled with her eyesight.
She explained how both her and Carson struggle with wearing contact lenses. "You get contact issues. We talk about it all the time. When it drives you nuts, it drives you nuts," she said. "When you wear glasses and you keep it dark, it does make everything feel better, yeah. It's nice to live in a world where it's like a bar all the time. Even in the morning," replied Carson.
A month prior to the conversation, Dylan shared that she wore huge glasses when she was a child. Back in March, the meteorologist posted a slew of snapshots on Instagram of herself from 3rd grade to college graduation.
In the first few photographs, Dylan looked unrecognizable as she wore large spectacles. "My mom came to visit and naturally brought a bunch of stuff from my childhood," she penned. "I present to you, Dylan, from 3rd grade to college graduation. And some random art and a letter."