Dental surgeon shuts down teeth whitening and straightening hacks

Dentists have issued a grim warning to keep away from hoping stylish TikTok “hacks” on their enamel.

Creators behind viral teeth whitening and straightening tricks could be placing viewers in really serious risk by advertising and marketing damaging remedies, well known Australian dental surgeon Dr. Heath Fraser has argued.

Between the worst offenders was a female who filmed herself filing down her teeth working with a nail file and promoted the tactic as a low cost way to get a straight smile.

The strange method amassed close to a million views and was replicated hundreds of situations by other creators certain they weren’t producing any long-expression hurt.

Comments to the authentic article proposed if not even so, with a lot of viewers indicating they ruined their tooth by attempting the nail file “hack.”

Dr. Fraser exposed individuals who filed their tooth could be placing on their own up for “invasive procedures these kinds of as fillings, crowns, veneers and even root canal therapy to solve the erosion difficulty.”

He explained submitting tooth as “highly irresponsible” and spelled out that “once tooth enamel has been taken off it is difficult to regenerate.”

“Even when performed in the dental chair by a professional, clients run the threat of eroding their tooth enamel,” he mentioned.

Other problematic “hacks” noticed millions of TikTok users exposed to hugely harmful teeth whitening procedures involving the use of house cleaners as tooth scrub.

1 video promoted the use of a Mr. Thoroughly clean Magic Eraser, which is advertised as a item to clear away hard stains from walls, furnishings and flooring.

Dr. Fraser stated there ended up tremendous effects for people today who used it on their teeth.

“The Magic Eraser wears down a stained layer of enamel with a extremely abrasive surface area, and whilst this may cause tooth to surface originally whiter in a small TikTok video, the long-phrase consequences of putting on down enamel can outcome in discolored, sensitive and in uncommon instances, cracked or chipped enamel,” he spelled out.

Concerning remarks to the viral online video came from hundreds of folks who had either by now tried using the hack or have been intending to give it a go.

“Just did it. No regrets,” 1 wrote, although a further mentioned: “I experienced superb benefits too.”

Dr. Fraser stated constructive final results would be short-lived, and folks wanting whiter teeth need to look for TGA authorised methods or talk to their dentist.

An additional hazardous system was making use of hydrogen peroxide right on teeth which Dr. Fraser said posed “irreversible challenges to the health of your enamel.”

“Using superior concentrations of hydrogen peroxide on your teeth and gums poses irreversible danger to the health and fitness of your teeth and can guide to tooth sensitivity, irritated gums and lips,” he mentioned.

“While numerous dentists do use the identical bleaching agent, the focus and software is significantly safer when administered by a experienced. Acquiring whiter enamel does not always correlate to balanced teeth.”

Other TikTok people were selling the use of raw charcoal as a tooth whitening resource, showing off massive differences in ahead of and after footage.

“Ironically, when original outcomes may possibly reveal whiter teeth, working with very abrasive surfaces against enamel will use down enamel and expose the yellow dentine underneath, triggering them to completely surface more yellow,” Dr. Fraser stated of the hack.

“Charcoal is an amazingly abrasive floor that can lead to a yellow physical appearance and sensitivity in the lengthy run.”

Consumers determined to straighten their enamel also shared how they tried out utilizing elastic hair bands in position of braces.

One particular TikTok user with 33.3 million followers purchased a braces kit online and assembled it himself at home for a video that has because been considered near to 10 million instances.

Dr. Fraser condemned the method and its promotion throughout the app as a secure and helpful way to get straight enamel on the low-cost.

“Using elastic bands may perhaps function to move your teeth, but not in the aesthetic way you almost certainly want. The thin, tight elastic bands utilised by people on social media can penetrate the gum, seriously detrimental the gentle tissue in your mouth which may in the end direct to major irreversible problems, such as your tooth slipping out from the root,” he reported.

“Using harmful substances and trying to administer your possess braces may possibly also guide to critical well being outcomes these as intense poisoning and tooth decline.”