Dangers of filing your teeth yourself

We are in the days of trend making videos — different simple and complex acts that become a viral sensation. Most common among the young ones, hit videos of influencers quickly become a practice in various homes and offices. From dance routines to various DIYs, the entire world in an instance become latched unto these trends without a question or concern about risk factors or negative consequences.

One of such was a TikTok video by a pretty young lady, filing her teeth with a nail file. The video, which has been seen over 436,000 times, is one of the early examples of what has become a TikTok craze in recent months — much to the chagrin of dentists who warn that the dangerous self-modification might cause long-term harm to teeth. Another similar video has received over 8.4 million views on the social media network. 

Dio, a college student and self-described influencer, said she didn’t expect anybody to view her initial TikTok. 

“I was just sort of capturing this insane notion that I had at 4 a.m.,” she explained, describing her efforts as “quarantine DIY.” Dio said she was scared to go to the dentist for a routine operation because of the new coronavirus outbreak. As a result, she made the decision to take matters into her own hands.

Aislinn Rendulic, 16, of USA, took the fad to the next level by gaining millions of views for her teeth-filing procedures. However, she has come to the conclusion that her action has taught her a valuable lesson. 

Rendulic, a frequent TikTok user, claimed she was reading through the app last month when she came across a viral video of another young lady shaving down her front teeth using a standard-looking nail file. Rendulic said she thought about TikTok while she lay in bed bored one night a few weeks later and decided to give it a try. 

“I’ve always been self-conscious about my somewhat crooked teeth,” she explained. “I thought it would be an easy repair to make them seem straighter.”

That turned out to be a mistake, according to Rendulic. 

“I probably filed it down much too much since it was the most crooked,” she explained, “so I filed it till it was in line with the rest of my teeth.” That’s the tooth that now gives Rendulic the most pain when she eats or drinks anything cold, a condition she didn’t have before she filed her teeth. 

Th risk of chronic sensitivity

Sensitivity is only one of the problems that people who try to straighten their teeth on their own might face. 

Enamel is a thin, hard covering that coats the outside of teeth, according to Mackie. Dentin, which is less dense than enamel and encases the pulp, the soft tissue that houses a tooth’s nerve center, is the next layer. 

“Your nails come back after you file them, but your teeth don’t,” she explained. That outer layer of enamel does not regrow. That’s it after it’s gone.

Cavities and nerve damage are likely to occur when your enamel is ground down and the tooth structure is permanently removed. People should seek aid from their dentists, who are trained to remove little portions of enamel and may help them prevent irreversible damage or costly repairs like root canals, crowns, veneers, and fillings. Enameloplasty is the name of the cosmetic operation.

Enameloplasty, also known as dental recontouring, is one of the most conservative cosmetic procedures performed by dentists. This minimally invasive process entails modifying the tooth by removing a little portion of enamel in order to provide a more attractive aesthetic or a more balanced smile. Enameloplasty is a procedure that can be used to slightly shorten teeth or remove a small overlap between two teeth. It is much easier for dentists to perform as well as for patients. It does not necessitate the use of anesthetics, and the removal of a little portion of enamel from the tooth has no known long-term consequences.

How does it work? 

Several x-rays of your teeth will be taken by your dentist to verify that the pulp of the tooth is not too close to the surface to be affected by the enameloplasty. If your enamel is too thin or your tooth is not a suitable candidate for enameloplasty for any other reason, your dentist will most likely prescribe veneers as an alternative to enameloplasty. Once your dentist is satisfied that the operation is safe to conduct, a tiny diamond-tipped drill or sandpaper will be used to file away a little amount of enamel.

To finish the treatment, your dentist will shape and polish the tooth. Because your dentist will not be contacting the pulp of your tooth or any nerves during the operation, you will not need to be numbed or put to sleep, saving both time and money and making the procedure one of the most cheap cosmetic dentistry procedures available.

There are little dangers.