DIY beauty hacks have evolved into a lifestyle throughout the past few months of quarantine. We had to become our own makeup artists, aestheticians, hairstylists, and dentists in Kips Bay, doing everything from clipping our bangs and dyeing our roots to combing our brows and painting our nails. This stay-at-home mentality has leaked into dentistry too.
TikTok Dental Hacks You Need to Avoid
Make Your Own Braces
Braces are costly, so it’s not surprising that inventive minds have attempted to duplicate the technique. A YouTube search for “gap bands” reveals people binding pairs of teeth along with rubber bands to draw them closer together and narrow the gap. When it comes to DIY braces, the stakes are considerably higher than when it comes to the outcome.
The state of your teeth, bone, and gums must all be considered when teeth are shifted. Straightening your teeth without treating all of these concerns could result in a lot of unnecessary discomfort and, in the worst-case situation, tooth loss.
Remove the Plaque at Home
Plaque scrapers are definitely available at your grocery or local drug store, but the majority of dentists advise against using them. It takes specific training to be able to scrape tartar and plaque off your teeth without hurting your gums. Moreover, hygienists and dentists must go through years of training to learn how to do it safely. If used incorrectly, these tools can quickly cause recession and gum damage because of their sharpness.
Bleach With Raw Hydrogen Peroxide
Some dentists say that acidic fruits, oil pulling, and activated charcoal are a hoax. They are among the strange tricks and chemicals used in the hunt for pearly teeth. Whitening treatments are more widely available than ever before, but product claims should be taken carefully.
Hydrogen peroxide is a carcinogenic. So, it can really be dangerous when used unsupervised. Just a simple contact with soft tissue will create damage to your dental health. Likewise, ingestion should be avoided.
While bleaching at home can cause significant enamel damage and gum recession, direct application to teeth with properly fitting trays or in a controlled manner lessens this impact.
Remove a Tooth
Pulling your own teeth, unless it’s a baby tooth, will cause you more harm than good. This practice may have been common in the 90’s, but it’s only done on baby teeth. Removing teeth without training or professional supervision can result in cavitation. It is an infection within a hole in the bone where the tooth used to be.
A dentist has the sterile instruments needed to enter and thoroughly clean the affected area. Self-extraction without enough training might result in root cracking before it’s completely out. Infection and the need for a surgical operation to correct it will soon occur.
File your Teeth
While it may appear that filing a chipped tooth with a nail file is harmless, attempting to smooth rough edges on your own has implications. Enamel can be removed if you don’t know what you’re doing. Once this happens, discoloration of your teeth and susceptibility to stains can occur.
Looking for a Dentist in Kips Bay
Doing dentistry without the supervision of a dentist can lead to persistent sensitivity and expose your dental health to infection. Contact Coliseum Dental to know how to take care of your teeth!
