Dentists Warn Against Trying DIY Hacks From Social Media

The DIY hacks all have one thing in common, says Dr. Camesia Matthews of the University Dental Group: they generally cause permanent damage that could cost a lot of money to repair. "When you have people moving teeth at a certain rate, they're just randomly doing that," she says. "It’s scary. Your teeth can become mobile doing that. Loose teeth cause more pain, and depending on how far that goes, you may lose your teeth."

For example, the woman who used dental cement and an earring to close gaps will likely face much bigger issues down the road, Matthews says. "She's going to have problems flossing," the dentist says. "She’s going to have problems around her gums. She’s going to have problems with her function." The same goes for filing your own teeth. "If you file 2 or 3 millimeters, you may end up needing a root canal," Matthews says. "Now we're going down a more expensive path. We have to remove the nerve, we have to cover it with a crown -- all of which is thousands of dollars to correct."

Maryann Morgan

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