Debunking Viral TikTok and Social Media Dental Hacks
Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube can be great resources for bite-size instructions, tips, and tricks for plenty of DIY projects. From cooking and cleaning cleaning hacks to interior design inspiration, there’s no shortage of ideas you’d want to try at home. However, our team of cosmetic dentists in Fairfax, VA, has found plenty of don’t-it-yourself trends you should steer clear of, especially regarding dental care.
Today, we’ll go over some of the most viral TikTok and social media dental hacks — from the seemingly innocuous to the obviously outrageous — that fall flat in terms of results (or worse, cause permanent damage).
Shaping Your Teeth With a Nail File
Uneven teeth or teeth with particularly bumpy edges can make you feel self-conscious about your smile. And what’s something often lying around used to smooth ridges out in the name of health and beauty? That’s right — a nail file!
DIY tooth filing can eliminate enamel, the layer responsible for protecting the inner layers of your teeth. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever, leaving you at a greater risk for tooth sensitivity, cavities, and fractures.
Honorable Mention: “Veneers Check” Posts
This trend involves creators showing off their filed-down natural teeth — picture nubs or pegs — before they’re off to the dentist to get fitted for veneers. Doing this at home is wholly unnecessary (this is a step carried out by professionals for dental crown preparation) and potentially harmful.
DIY Composite Veneers
Tutorials for composite veneers that use resin to cover or change tooth shape are also popular. Since the solution involves concealing a cosmetic flaw, dental veneers seem like something they can pull off on their own with a simple kit they find online and some spare time.
However, do-it-yourself composite veneers are made from cheap resin and are designed to be temporary. Even the DIY veneers that involve you taking molds of your teeth aren’t as custom as some video creators — including non-professionals advertising their own veneer application courses — may have you believe.
DIY Orthodontics With Rubber Bands
Some social media dental hacks go beyond “surface”-level cosmetic dentistry and delve into orthodontics. A popular viral trend includes wrapping small rubber bands around teeth to close undesirable gaps. This extremely dangerous “hack” will surely do more harm than good by forcing teeth into uneven, crooked positions. Bands can also cause irreparable damage to gum tissue that can cut off circulation and lead to infection, resulting in tooth decay or tooth loss.
While we strongly advise against tying rubber bands you have at home around your teeth, we understand the desire for discreet orthodontic treatment. That's why Fairfax Family Dental Care offers Invisalign® clear aligner treatment.
The Best “Dental Hack’? Partnering With Trusted Dentists
TikTok and its contemporaries can be effective platforms for helpful tutorials and guides on nearly everything; car care, home renovation, makeup application — the list goes on. However, it’s clear that some “hacks” capitalize on the idea of convenience and cost-effectiveness as opposed to education and long-term viability — especially when it comes to dentistry and orthodontics.
If you’re unhappy with your smile or have an oral health concern, receiving professional treatment at our Fairfax, VA, dental office is the only way to go. The fact of the matter is, it takes real training and professional care for quality dental work.
Visit Fairfax Family Dental Care for Proper Dental Treatment
For more information about how our team can give you the smile you’ve always wanted — and safely — get in touch with us today.
