With more and more people turning to TikTok as a primary source of health information, a variety of health-related trends and challenges have taken off in recent years.
While some can be beneficial – like healthy salad recipes – others can be straight up disastrous, like the infamous NyQuil Chicken.
Now, a recent trend on TikTok is focused on do-it-yourself (DIY) dentistry, with many people on the platform citing the high cost of dental care in the U.S. as a reason to take care of your own teeth at home.
While that notion may sound enticing, it’s resulted in the proliferation of some quite dangerous trends.
“I’m my own dentist,” TikToker @baileyniblett proudly states in his caption on a dubious video in which he claims he’s using pliers and a flashlight to “cut those gums out.”
Here are some of the most prominent DIY dental trends circulating on TikTok — and which ones to avoid at all costs.
DIY filling teeth and dentures
If you search “DIY filling teeth,” more than 393 million views pop up.
One video with more than 8,000 likes notes “It only takes 10 seconds to fill a tooth with your own hands.”
The video then shows a person dissolving a vague substance in water and moulding it into a tooth.
Another video touts what appears to be Eelhoe thermal forming false teeth as a temporary filling.
However, according to LeJeune Family Dentistry, DIY tooth-filling is dangerous — whether it’s permanent or temporary.
“DIY fillings break and fall out easily, which leads to increased jaw pain,” the dental clinic says on its website. “They also contribute to further tooth decay, which may cause more serious health issues.”
DIY teeth whitening
Another trend involves using hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth.
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound that’s used as a bleaching agent and antiseptic – but has gained a reputation as being a cheap, at-home teeth whitener.
While it is technically safe to rinse your teeth with hydrogen peroxide in very low concentrations, and diluted with water, applying too much of it — or too high concentrations of it — can be damaging to teeth, according to Healthline.
The risk of tooth damage is higher if you’re using a strong hydrogen peroxide mix, with concentrations over 3%. There are also concerns when you leave it on your teeth for a long time — i.e. longer than about a minute or two of swishing. If you’re applying it too often, too, you may see some tooth damage.
TikToker Kishen Godhia, who notes in his profile that he’s a “restorative and cosmetic dentist” (yet includes a disclaimer that he doesn’t provide medical advice), touted such a mix of baking soda, toothpaste and hydrogen peroxide mix to his more than 700,000 followers.
In another video, TikToker @prettywithlee holds the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide mix in place on her teeth with aluminum foil for five minutes, sparking concerns in the comments.
“I’m a dental assistant don’t do this please,” one commenter wrote.
Healthline recommends you speak with your dentist first before attempting DIY hydrogen peroxide whitening.
Filing teeth
Somehow, using hydrogen peroxide on your teeth at home is one of the less dubious dental trends on TikTok.
One of the more dangerous trends involved people filing their teeth with a nail file.
In a video with 1.5 million likes, TikToker @kylethomas begins filing down on composite bonded vampire teeth.
“We’re going to have to file them off,” Thomas says in the video. “I have no clue where to start, but this one is definitely longer, so I’m just going to try to file as much as I can without breaking my tooth… OK, it’s working, but this makes me so uncomfortable, I don’t know why.”
Since then, other TikTokers have tried to file their teeth in an attempt to make them more even – some with dire results.
In one video, a girl describes what happened after she attempted to file her teeth. The action landed her at the dentist’s office after she had filed down into her nerve. She subsequently needed several dental procedures to fix the issue.
In another video, TikToker Chloe Johnson confesses she’s attempting to shave down her front teeth with a nail file because dental care is so expensive.
“I don’t even think it’s going to work,” Johnsson said. “But I don’t want to pay for a dentist, because they’re so f—g expensive.”
“OK, this trend needs to stop,” another reaction video by TikToker @dentistexplains said. “Not only does it sound annoying, it looks dangerous, because not only does it cause tooth sensitivity – it shortens your tooth. So now all of your teeth will look unproportional and you might cause a nerve exposure.”
Closing tooth gaps
Other people who are insecure about their tooth gaps – yet seek to avoid the dentist for whatever reason – are attempting to close their gaps with rubber bands or other DIY measures.
[Embed: https://www.tiktok.com/@miahnyc_/video/7002304509737209093?q=diy%20tooth%20gaps&t=1681500650945
“I saw a girl fill her own gaps on YouTube, and I impulsively ordered the stuff and I’m going to do my own gap, and I guess I’m going to show you,” TikToker @babybluebubbly says in her video.
While there are products that can address tooth gaps at home, these at-home remedies are often not as consistent or effective as getting care at a dentist’s office.
DIY mouth guards
Under the #diydentist hashtag — which has 3.1 million views — you’ll also find TikToker @racheldmark explaining how to develop your own DIY dental night guard at home, using dental products she bought herself.
Again, she cites the high cost of replacing night guards as the reason behind her digging into the process herself.
At the start of the video, however, @racheldmark places text that should probably be on each of the #diydentist videos: “I am not a dentist! This is NOT professional dental advice.”
