The internet has produced a variety of harmful viral trends that oversaturate children’s social media feeds with negative messages (The cinnamon challenge and eating Tide pods etc.). A new fashion mixes the powerful allure of a “life hack” with often risky home healthcare techniques has recently gained popularity. DIY dental care. The number of diseases and injuries brought on by poorly executed operations is rising due to this trend, and the number of false information sources is also rising.
What is dental DIY?
In the form of easily accessible videos and kits, DIY dentistry presents home-grown solutions to dental problems that qualified specialists should manage. This trend isn’t just being driven by kids attempting anything they see online because they’re teens; it’s also being pushed by those who have had to discover alternatives to conventional dental care due to their location or budgetary constraints.
The American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, the American Association of Orthodontists, and other organizations representing more than 160,000 dentists were compelled to launch public awareness campaigns to alert parents and children about this concern in late 2018.
“Our top priorities are public health and safety, which is why we are working to inform the public about do-it-yourself dentistry. DIY dental care is unneeded and harmful. I strongly advise anyone contemplating self-treatment to reconsider since it is too simple to exacerbate the issue, which might lead to more intrusive and costly therapy. Dentists also have a part to play in this and need to discuss DIY remedies with their patients”, according to the ADA president.
The scope of this problem extends well beyond professionals’ caution. Even major news organizations have come out against this trend and covered its risks, including Vice News, the New York Times, and several local CBS, NBC, and ABC stations. You may immediately understand this problem’s seriousness by searching Google Video for “Dangers of DIY Dentistry.” It pays to know what to look for since several of these processes have the potential to cause severe harm that would then need expensive surgeries and treatments to fix.
Dentistry DIY Techniques
The following are the most frequent and alarming reasons why creative minds could advise avoiding the dentist in favor of at-home treatments; however, it’s difficult to anticipate them all:
- Do-it-yourself cavity filling: These films promote anything from making your dental packing and adhesive materials to utilizing ordinary items like wax or household cleaners. Without Children Dental Center Indianapolis IN, you can’t determine the precise origin or location of the discomfort, even if you apply the safer temporary wax that you can always get at the drugstore. Using a do-it-yourself approach runs the danger of further concealing the pain’s root cause and increasing the time that expert treatment will be required to resolve the problem.
- Self-whitening: There are several secure DIY solutions in this field, but there are also a lot of unreliable providers. Even whitening treatments that have been professionally researched and proved by well-known brands like Colgate have text that strongly advises you to incorporate routine dental appointments and discussion of the usage of their products as part of a healthy oral plan.
- One-size-fits-all: It’s no secret that cosmetic dentistry treatments are known to be expensive. Given this information, it should be no surprise that related kit videos make up a significant amount of the DIY market. One size does not fit all, and a poor fit might cause harm to your gums and jaw, in addition to disguising an issue whose origin should be treated clinically. This is the problem with the widely used approach to veneers.
- Home-based dental alignment hacks: DIY braces and aligners may be the trend’s most hazardous examples. These hacks, which require the application of anything from rubber bands to more upscale commercial options like SmileDirect, have the highest risk of severe consequences since they involve the restriction of developing muscles and teeth. The American Association of Orthodontists quiz is an excellent tool for anybody thinking about a DIY approach of this kind to help you grasp what’s at risk.
- Tooth extraction: Some DIY publications advise doing your tooth extraction if the agony is so intense you cannot bear it any longer. However, tooth extraction is truly a type of surgery, and each operation has the danger of consequences. Yes, they recommend basic antibacterial procedures to lower the chance of infection. A single home extraction may cost you thousands of dollars and hours of agony if done without the direction and expertise of a qualified professional.
DIY dentistry is risky
Utilizing DIY teeth-whitening products has several dangers, including:
- Negative effects of the whitening chemicals on your health. If you have cavities in your teeth, this might result in gastrointestinal issues, oral ulcers, gum damage, and nerve damage.
- Bleach streaks or uneven whitening result from using the whitening product unevenly.
- It’s also not a good idea to utilize whitening trays that haven’t been custom-fitted by Childrens Dentist Indianapolis IN for your mouth since the hydrogen peroxide might seep out and irritate or burn your gums. The hydrogen peroxide may contact the exposed tooth root surface if your gums are receded, resulting in excruciating pain and, in rare circumstances, a terrible infection.
By this point, presumably, you are looking more closely at any DIY strategies you or your children are considering. While some of these hacks only carry a little risk of time and energy waste, others have far-reaching consequences. The risks of tooth loss, an irregular bite, and infection are significant for many of these do-it-yourself treatments. Your kitchen sink simply cannot replicate the sterile equipment and precisely regulated settings used by Kids Dentist Indianapolis IN. There is just no alternative to the regular treatment of a qualified clinician, no matter how much you desire to avoid being in the dentist’s chair.
Always start by seeing Pediatric Dentist Indianapolis IN
The bottom line is that you should only trust qualified dental and medical professionals with your teeth. Dentistry involves extensive training over many years and difficult-to-find specialized equipment. A complete examination, including an evaluation of any underlying pathology, detailed treatment planning, cautious execution, and continued follow-up and care, is required before starting any therapy.
Keep in mind that no amount of money saved by doing dental work on your own will be able to compensate for the discomfort and expenses of ultimately needing to treat these no-worsen situations in the dental chair. Know whom to rely on. Make regular Pediatric Dentistry Indianapolis IN appointments for your children to prevent the necessity or temptation for do-it-yourself solutions.
