Dental Care

Danger! DIY Dentistry

Hudec Dental
Written by Hudec Dental

The U.S. is seeing a troubling rise in “DIY dentistry”—a dangerous trend that tends to do more harm than good!

Not everyone has ready-access to a family dentist; some folks are financially limited. There are many reasons why one might turn to home-dentistry, but we can’t stress this enough—it’s a dangerous path that more often than not ends up causing far more problems than solutions.

DIY Braces

It’s true—a troubling trend of people are attempting to close gaps in their teeth using small, elastic bands. A cheap alternative with massive long-term cost: the bands rub against the teeth and gums, causing the wearing down of enamel, inflammation, and even infection of the gums. Over time, this leads to irreparable damage to teeth, and eventually tooth loss. Not to mention that teeth move on their own! Even after braces are worn, a retainer is required to keep them there to avoid braces again.

DIY Fillings

There are at-home tooth repair kits specifically for use on loose caps or lost fillings, yes. They’re a quick alternative if a dental emergency happens and access to a dentist is not readily available (outside office hours, out of town, etc…). The mistake comes when folks attempt these methods for long-term solutions that should really be left up to the professionals. Avoiding a dental visit when there’s a real problem will only lead to worse, long-term issues.

DIY Braces Removal

Removing braces is a tricky, tedious, time-consuming process even for your highly-trained, properly equipped orthodontic professional. While you may be able to get your brackets off by yourself, you may break your enamel, leave behind bracket glue, and so on that can cause any number of serious dental problems. And in the end, your teeth will remain misaligned. It’s not worth it!

DIY Tooth Removal

This is the big one. Tooth removal at home is one of the biggest “no-no’s” out there. Even in children, the trend of tying a string around the tooth and the other end to a doorknob then slamming the door is rampant. Sure they get something for the Tooth Fairy, but pulling a baby tooth before it’s ready can cause soft tissue damage or infection. But even grown-ups are guilty of this one—pulling a troublesome tooth (via any number of tools, including pliers and even screwdrivers! Yikes!), should be left to your dental professional! Infection. Broken teeth. It’s all bad! At-home tooth removal is likely to land you straight in the ER, seeking costly and emergency treatment.

Remember, your teeth are precious! Treat them right, and make sure they get all the tender-loving-care they need from both you and your dentist!

About the author

Hudec Dental

Hudec Dental