Short on money but farewell coming up? Create your very own DIY dress! Friend’s birthday round the corner and not enough cash to buy something expensive? Make your very own personalized handmade present! Bored during summer vacations? Try the new DIY tutorials by your favorite YouTube celebrity.
Sounds familiar? This is the norm for youngsters and adults alike in this world that is dominated by internet in everyday life. But DIY or Do-It-Yourself tutorial videos and write-ups are more common among teenagers and young adults.
Yes, for most projects, these things are good fun. Like creating summer gardening plans, birthday bashes and fashion parties. But when it comes to dental experimentation and DIY, things are being taken a little too far.
It has recently been seen that many teenagers are trying to correct their misaligned teeth themselves with the help of small hair rubber bands, fishing lines and small paper clips. And where have they gotten this idea? Through social media of course!
According to expert orthodontics, this practice could lead to damage to their gums and teeth, irritation, more misalignment and even tooth loss in the long run. When you search on YouTube you will find quite a few videos that shows lots of teenagers acquiring perfect smiles through this homemade brace project, where they correct their own teeth. The worst part is that these fake guides make false claims of being able to straighten their teeth completely without any kind of damage or problem. They even swear to filling up any kind of spaces in between teeth. These DIY videos also recommend the use of over the counter molds and retainers that are easily and inexpensively available online.
As per statement of dentists, these ideas may sound miraculous at first, but can cause a lot of problems later down the road. And can end in needing treatments worth thousands of dollars. Imagine that is the rubber band moves from where it is placed, like into the gum line then it would be next to impossible to remove, without the help of a dentist. If the rubber band is not removed in time, it can lead to some kind of infection or weaken the teeth from the core. The damage that can occur because of these DIY braces can be extensive and needs to be avoided at all costs because sometimes it can be irreversible.
American Association of Orthodontists recently revealed a study that showed that 13% of the people that came to them were ones who had tried some kind of DIY teeth straightening method that had backfired. They also issued statement that reported, “some of these DIY teeth straightening attempts have caused severe damage including tooth loss and leading to costly repairs."
This is the reason why dentists are giving out more and more warnings to people, especially youngsters not to get involved in any such kind of DIY dental experimentations.
But there are still many people out there who are willing to take the risks and perform these kinds of things to align their crooked teeth because the alternative option of getting braces is too expensive. The cost of braces is too much for people who can barely make ends meet let alone invest in something this expensive. There is also regular visits to the dentists too when it comes to getting braces on.
The reason why people are willing to take the risk of putting on “gap band” is that they are too conscious about the way their teeth look. It shatters their confidence and the chance to have a perfect smile is attractive for people of all ages, particularly teenagers.
Yes, some people get lucky with the DIY gap band, but it is definitely not worth the huge risk of health and money. Better to visit the dentist by saving up and investing in something that is proper and long lasting once and for all. This is the reason why youngsters needs to be educated on this regard so that they are more concerned about their dental health.
