by BR Tabatha
Let's be honest, TikTok's not exactly a hive of scholarly brainiacs. The content, while fun and amusing and, admittedly, at times educational, can easily veer into the ridiculous and, at times, the dangerous. Such as recently, when I was faced with a video where a youth took an emery board to their teeth in order to file them down to create an even smile. Something that is quite simply a Very. Bad. Idea. Why? Where to start...
First of all - enamel does not grow back (despite what a host of YouTube ads keep trying to tell me). When you file away the enamel you expose your teeth to all sorts of potential problems including:
Sensitivity. No more icecreams without pain for you! No more sipping on a hot chocolate without indulging in a bonus case of the owwies!
Cavities. Once the enamel is removed your tooth is exposed to bacteria, as well as any and all food you eat (such as sugary treats), therefore becoming a sitting duck for cavities, which only leads to more time in a dentist's chair and more dollars being flung their way.
Permanent regret. Say the DIY tooth shaving goes wrong... There's a chance you've ruined your smile permanently, or it'll cost even more money to fix your fail, and no one needs that in their life.
In a nutshell, any and all teeth issues - including tooth shaving aka cosmetic recontouring - should be dealt with by professionals, and not made into internet fodder for clicks and insta-fame. Yes, dentists and orthodontists are expensive. Yes, we all wish we didn't have to shell out huge wads of cash in order to create a 'desirable' smile, let alone the basic point of the dentist: a healthy mouth. Yes, sometimes DIY seems like the only option... but not when it comes to our teeth. Ever.
So, my beauties, would you consider filing your teeth at home? Or at all? Or is there no amount of anything you love best in the world that would see you let yourself or a dentist near you with a file of any sort? Get chatting below!
Yikes! That's so bad - and sad!!!