Dental Care and Social Media: Don’t Fall For Life Hacks
The internet and social media has given the world the ability to connect with people like never before. In the blink of an eye, someone in Europe can connect with someone in the United States. Even a person in a remote Alaska location could hop on a quick video call with someone in the Caribbean Islands! While this has been an incredible advancement, it comes with just as many drawbacks and dangers. One of those dangers happens to be “trends”, where people post about something they often call a “life hack”. The trend then goes viral, and before long, hundreds of thousands if not millions of people believe in the trend.
Unfortunately, the dental world is not immune to these trends. The internet and social media has paved the way for people with absolutely no training or knowledge of the dental field to claim they’ve “hacked life” and found do-it-yourself dental work. But do these trends have any merit?
No, they don’t, and that isn’t even the worst part.
Most Social Media Health Trends Aren’t Just Wrong, They’re Dangerous
Providing false and unsubstantiated claims about how people can carry out their own dental care is extremely detrimental to people’s health. Most of the people posting these “trends” are even aware that the information they’re giving out to the world is completely bogus! In fact, many of them do these trends simply because they know just how viral the video could go, and a viral video usually means more followers. And of course, as followers grow, so do the opportunities to make money through sponsorships.
Whether it’s dental care or health and wellness, there are so many trends it’s nearly impossible to even keep up with them all. A quick search through sites like TikTok and even Facebook, and many people will be scratching their heads at these so-called trends. You’ve probably seen some yourself and immediately questioned it. If so; good! You should be questioning these viral videos that seem ridiculous, because almost all of them are. But not only are these trendy videos false and unproven by science, many of them can actually be very dangerous to your health.
Examples of Past Dental “Trends”
Household cleaning products. Yes, you are reading that right. People have claimed that using household clean products were used to whiten their teeth! And sure, you might remove stains with the use of some of these household chemicals, but you’re also going to remove enamel in the process and likely become very ill. Not to mention the very real possibility of chemical burns. One TikTok video, which was eventually deleted, showed a young woman that claimed she had been using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to whiten her teeth!
Another viral video, since taken down, garnered almost 10 million views while claiming to achieve do-it-yourself orthodontic results using hair ties. It was so badly done that many dentists that reacted to the video all agreed that the elastic ties could have resulted in less blood flow, which could even lead to tooth loss. One trend also involved the filing of teeth to either be fitted with crowns, or to even give the illusion of having “fangs”. From dental hygiene to cosmetic dentistry, there are tons of destructive trends out there that people should be aware of.
Get Dental Care By Real Experts, Not Internet Strangers
Many of these unsafe trends that get posted online are not only dangerous and unhealthy, but will likely cause long-term adverse effects. Don’t let the internet fool you into cheap, do-it-yourself dentistry! Trust the experts at Prosper and Smile Dental Care for safe, science-backed dental care. From your routine visits to the dentist to a great at-home dental care routine, we’ll ensure you get set on a path to a happy, healthy smile.