A dentist has slammed a few of TikTok‘s hottest DIY dental hacks as harmful and claims lots of them will find yourself ruining your smile.
From submitting your tooth right into a ‘good’ form to utilizing a magic eraser to take away cussed stains, there appears to be a hack for each beauty dental concern.
However a lot of the low-cost tips will really break your tooth and will price hundreds to repair, veteran dentist Dr Heath Fraser informed FEMAIL.
Persons are utilizing TikTok to share their DIY dental hacks, together with submitting down their very own tooth and utilizing rubber bands to ‘make them straight’ however consultants warn it may trigger lasting injury
The Queensland based mostly defined whereas among the hacks have been round for a very long time the actual fact they’re now being broadcasted over TikTok is regarding.
‘Amassing over one billion lively month-to-month customers, lots of whom are younger and impressionable, TikTok holds monumental influential attain over the minds and decision-making behaviours of its audiences,’ he mentioned.
‘In recent times, regarding dental well being traits have been posted to the platform and considered by tens of millions of customers: these embrace teeth-whitening with poisonous cleansing merchandise, DIY tooth shaping, and inspiring customers to self-treat beauty procedures after seeing ‘nice’ aesthetic outcomes from different customers on the app,’ he mentioned.
Including that anybody who follows the traits should not solely placing their smile in danger – however in lots of case their total well being.
Dr Fraser has been within the dental business for over 15 years and needs folks to grasp therapies utilized in clinics are rigorously examined and constantly up to date to make sure they’re secure and efficient.
They’re additionally carried out by highly-trained medical professionals.
Dr Heath Fraser, pictured, informed FEMAIL the highest 5 DIY traits on TikTok are harmful and can result in enormous issues
The trending TikTok hacks, together with utilizing a nail file to realize your most popular tooth form, should not.
Nail file shaping hack
In a single video a girl will be seen saying ‘no’ again and again as she information down her tooth.
She went on to say the video was shot two years earlier than she uploaded it on TikTok – and he or she ‘loves her smile’ and hasn’t had any unfavorable unwanted side effects from the DIY job.
Dr Fraser seemed into the pattern and mentioned whereas folks have been initially happy with the outcomes they complained about tooth sensitivity over time.
It is because they put on down the enamel, which finally results in elevated tooth decay, discolouration and injury together with chips and cracks.
‘Utilizing any object to deliberately erode the floor of a tooth is extremely irresponsible; as soon as tooth enamel has been eliminated it’s unattainable to regenerate,’ he mentioned,
Utilizing the TikTok hacks is extra prone to result in severe dental issues in the long term – together with completely stained and cracked tooth
‘Even when carried out within the dental chair by an expert sufferers run the danger of eroding their tooth enamel.
‘Sufferers who strive DIY tooth shaping might require invasive procedures similar to fillings, crowns, veneers and even root canal remedy to resolve the erosion challenge.’
Uncooked charcoal brushing
Charcoal tooth merchandise have grow to be a phenomenon throughout a wide range of social platforms.
Many TikTok customers have element their expertise utilizing activated charcoal to whiten their tooth, displaying considerably brighter before-and-after outcomes.
However there’s a threat of discolouration and injury when used long run, he defined.
‘Sarcastically, whereas preliminary outcomes might reveal whiter tooth, utilizing extremely abrasive surfaces in opposition to tooth will put on down enamel and expose the yellow dentin beneath, inflicting them to completely seem extra yellow,’ he mentioned.
Some folks have taken to utilizing magic erasers to realize a pearly white smile – however Dr Fraser says this too will do nothing however destroy your tooth in the long term.
Utilizing a magic eraser
One video displaying off the magic easer pattern obtained 400,000 views in a matter of hours – with dozens of individuals commenting to say they deliberate to strive the hack at dwelling.
Dr Fraser mentioned utilizing one thing like a magic eraser would possibly seem to work – however results in yellowness long run
Extra commented after testing it out, praising the trick and saying that they had ‘no regrets’ about utilizing the eraser on their tooth.
‘Just like brushing with charcoal brushing, the magic eraser wears down a stained layer of enamel with a extremely abrasive floor, and while this may occasionally trigger tooth to seem initially whiter in a brief TikTok video, the long-term penalties of carrying down enamel may end up in discoloured, delicate and, in uncommon circumstances, cracked or chipped tooth,’ he mentioned.
The following tooth whitening hack is to brush with peroxide.
Brushing with peroxide
This turned an enormous pattern after one TikTok influencer purchased the chemical from the grocery store and utilized it on to her tooth.
The lady mentioned the chemical is commonly present in dentist-approved whitening kits, insinuating it’s secure. However Dr Fraser says that is removed from the reality.
‘Utilizing excessive concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in your tooth and gums poses irreversible threat to the well being of your tooth and might result in tooth sensitivity, irritated gums and lips,’ he mentioned.
‘Having whiter tooth doesn’t essentially correlate to wholesome tooth, and sufferers ought to prioritise the well being of their mouths to keep away from painful penalties,’ he added.
The ultimate TikTok hack hated by Dr Fraser is DIY braces.
DIY rubber band braces
He understands having straight tooth is a precedence for a lot of Australians however says it ought to at all times be left to an expert.
Dr Fraser says the rubber band hack has been fashionable due to the excessive price of braces – however provides it’s going to probably price extra in the long term.
One such video confirmed a person sticking a standard braces equipment to his tooth utilizing Gorilla glue.
The video was seen by greater than ten-million folks displaying how rapidly ‘dangerous info’ can unfold on the platform.
Some folks use DIY braces kits – however Dr Fraser says these kits are solely efficient when utilized by an expert – and may by no means be hooked up with Gorilla glue
‘The skinny, tight elastic bands utilized by customers on social media can penetrate the gum, severely damaging the delicate tissue in your mouth which can finally result in severe irreversible injury, together with your tooth falling out from the basis,’ he mentioned.
And whereas your tooth will in all probability transfer Dr Fraser says the consequence will not essentially be higher, aesthetically talking.
The Gorilla glue is ‘next-level’ based on the dentist.
‘Utilizing poisonous substances and trying to manage your personal braces might also result in severe well being penalties similar to extreme poisoning and tooth loss,’ he mentioned.
Dr Fraser additionally runs dental comparability community, AirSmile, a platform the place folks can evaluate dentists of their space to fins one who fits their wants.
