West Maitland Dentistry Blog

Last year with quarantine in full effect, many people turned to the social media platform TikTok for entertainment.  With entertainment also came users coming up with “hacks” as a way to trend on the platform.  While some of the hacks give insight, such as how to clean your stove, when it comes to your oral health, a lot of TikTok Dental Hacks are not only misleading but can be extremely damaging to your mouth.  Here are some top trends to avoid.

Cleaning Your Own Teeth

You will find over the counter tools aimed at plaque removal.  However scraping plaque off teeth incorrectly can lead to enamel removal, damage to gums and possibility of injuring other parts of the mouth.  Long term complications can occur such as sensitivity or infections with the use of unsterile instruments.

Filing Your Teeth

A user posted a video of herself filing down her teeth with a nail file to make them straight and the video went viral.  Not only does this remove the healthy enamel that protects our teeth but it can lead to chronic sensitivity and an increase in the chances of getting cavities when you introduce bacteria into the mouth.  Also when you shorten your teeth you alter your bite.  When your bite is uneven this is called malocclusion.  Malocclusion causes wearing down and grinding of your molars and jaw pain in most cases.

Bleaching with Hydrogen Peroxide

The trend has followers using undiluted hydrogen peroxide to whiten their teeth.  What they fail to realize is that at high concentrations hydrogen peroxide is extremely corrosive.  This can not only strip your enamel but lead to burning of the gums and loss of them. Dental products containing hydrogen peroxide or professional whitening use a controlled amount of the substance to avoid such complications.

DIY Dentures

Users show moldable plastic used to replace missing teeth.  This is not only unhygienic but since it is not custom gaps can lead to food, plaque and bacteria being caught underneath the plastic.  Since the dentures cannot have a reliable fit it becomes a choking hazard risk as well.  Also since a professional isn’t checking your bite it will most likely be uneven.  This uneven bite leads to jaw pain, muscle pain and TMJ issues.

Hair Flossing

A TikTok Dental Hacks trend that is also harmful is using a piece of hair to floss in between your teeth.  This can lead to damage to the gums and introduce bacteria to the mouth.  It is important to use proper, ADA approved tools when it comes to your oral health.

February is National Children’s Oral Health Month.  It’s commonly known that brushing and flossing your teeth can help prevent cavities.  Did you know what you feed your child is just as important for a healthy mouth?  We’re celebrating National Children’s Oral Health Month by sharing some of our favorite healthy and nutritional foods and beverages!

Drinks:

• Make water your child’s go to drink.  It helps rinse off food and increases the pH of their mouth making it harder for cavity causing bacteria to live.

• Avoid soda, juice and other sugary drinks.  These drinks are fuel to cavities!

• Milk is a great option and has many benefits.  One of them is that it is rich in calcium which helps promote healthy teeth and bones.

• Limit juice to once a day.  For children 1 to 6 years of age no more than 6 ounces.  Children 7 and older should be limited to 12 ounces a day.  If possible try to dilute the juice with water.

Food:

• Offer up some crunchy veggies, think celery and carrots.  Both act like a natural teeth cleaner and carrots have the added bonus of having lots of vitamin C, calcium and keratins.

• Fruits, such as apples which naturally clean the teeth and pears which neutralize the mouth are great snack options.

• Cheeses and yogurts, just like milk, are calcium rich and help make bones stronger.

• Try to sneak in broccoli or leafy greens for a healthy, vitamin packed snack or side dish.

• Limit snacks that contain carbohydrates since they have lots of sugars in them. Try to substitute them out with some of the foods we described earlier.

Remember nothing replaces good oral hygiene which includes brushing twice a day for two minutes, daily flossing and regular dental check ups when it comes to children’s oral health.