A dental surgeon is warning Australians about the health dangers of taking cosmetic advice from TikTok – particularly irreversible treatments – amid an alarming number of highly viewed videos on the platform that promote unqualified and harmful dental health treatments.
Dr Heath Fraser is the founder of free national dental comparison platform AirSmile and has more than 15 years’ experience in the dental industry leading a team of more than 20 across his three businesses.
A passionate advocate for accessible, affordable and quality dental care for all Australians, Dr Fraser is alarmed about the level of unprofessional health advice rampant on the platform, likely causing great concern among registered dentists who understand the severity of potential consequences.
He says: “Amassing over 1 billion active monthly users, many of whom are young and impressionable, TikTok holds enormous influential reach over the minds and decision-making behaviours of its audiences. In recent years, concerning dental health trends have been posted to the platform and viewed by millions of users: these include teeth-whitening with toxic cleaning products, DIY teeth shaping, and encouraging users to self-treat cosmetic procedures after seeing ‘great’ aesthetic results from other users on the app. Following these trends can lead to serious health risks, even irreversible damage to one’s health and cosmetically.”
Professional dental treatments and over-the-counter products must pass rigorous testing and approvals by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, as does any product or procedure that results in ‘modification of anatomy’. This testing process is crucial to ensure the health and safety of every user, as the consequences of poor dental treatments are often irreversible due to the sensitive and fragile nature of teeth and gums.
Dr Fraser acknowledges that professional dental health treatments can mean significant out-of-pocket cost for many Australians. A recent survey commissioned by AirSmile found that 40 per cent of Australians are delaying cosmetic dentistry, such as whitening or veneers, and 32 per cent are delaying teeth straightening, due to the rising cost of living.
However, he warns turning to DIY cosmetic treatments to save on costs is not a viable alternative, and is even dangerous. “Not only could individuals who follow advice from influencer get serious burns, poisoning and cuts from these treatments, but there is a good chance the aesthetic results will turn out differently than intended, and patients may have to fork out on expensive treatments to repair their teeth or gums.”
Below, Dr Fraser provides his professional expertise to debunk some of the strongest-trending dental ‘hacks’ on TikTok.
The dental hack: Shaving down teeth with a nail file. Many TikTok users who were unhappy with the shape of their teeth took the issue into their own hands, by re-shaping and shaving down their teeth at home with a nail file. The original video promoting the ‘hack’ amassed over 800,000 views and has been replicated by other users on the platform hundreds of times.
Dr Fraser’s warning: Dr Fraser has observed that, while many users were originally pleased with their results, followers of the hack often posted later complaining about the repercussions of tooth sensitivity. Other users were even worse off, accidentally filing their teeth too far until they became short and uneven.
He says: “Teeth are covered by enamel, a thin tough barrier that protects teeth from decay, sensitivity, painful tooth abscesses, discolouration and cracked or chipped teeth. Using any object to intentionally erode the surface of a tooth is highly irresponsible; once tooth enamel has been removed it is impossible to regenerate. Even when performed in the dental chair by a professional patients run the risk of eroding their tooth enamel. Patients who try DIY tooth shaping may require invasive procedures such as fillings, crowns, veneers and even root canal treatment to resolve the erosion issue.”
The dental hack: Raw charcoal tooth brushing. Charcoal tooth products have become a phenomenon across a variety of social platforms. Many TikTok users have detail their experience using activated charcoal to whiten their teeth, showing significantly brighter before-and-after results.
Dr Fraser’s warning: “Ironically, while initial results may reveal whiter teeth, using highly abrasive surfaces against teeth will wear down enamel and expose the yellow dentin underneath, causing them to permanently appear more yellow. Charcoal is an incredibly abrasive surface that can cause a yellow appearance and sensitivity in the long run.”
The dental hack: Whitening teeth with Magic Eraser. Another Tik Tok user recently went ‘viral’ with a video tutorial on teeth whitening that involved using a ‘Mr Clean Magic Eraser’ product to whiten her teeth. One of the trend followers amassed over 400,000 views on her video alone, featuring comments “I bought some this weekend to try”, and “Just did it. No regrets”. Advertised as a product to remove tough stains from walls, furniture and floors the microfibre scrub sponge has a similar texture to fine sandpaper and can leave rashes or burns on skin even from gentle rubbing.
Dr Fraser’s warning: “Similar to brushing with charcoal brushing, the magic eraser wears down a stained layer of enamel with a highly abrasive surface, and whilst this may cause teeth to appear initially whiter in a short TikTok video, , the long-term consequences of wearing down enamel can result in discoloured, sensitive and, in rare cases, cracked or chipped teeth. There are many safe TGA approved ways that patients can whiten their teeth at-home or in a dentist surgery, to protect the enamel on their teeth.”
The dental hack: DIY braces. Having straight teeth is a cosmetic priority for many Australians. As braces can be an enormous out of pocket expense, some individuals have taken to social media to show how they can straighten teeth at home. Across YouTube and TikTok the trend to straighten teeth using tight elastic hair bands has become alarmingly popular, with videos amassing millions of views.[7] One TikTok user with 33.3 million followers purchased a traditional braces kit on the internet and assembled the product on his own teeth, amassing 9.7 million views as he administered the brackets with Gorilla super glue.
Dr Fraser warns: “Using elastic bands may work to move your teeth, but not in the aesthetic way you probably desire. The thin, tight elastic bands used by users on social media can penetrate the gum, severely damaging the soft tissue in your mouth which may ultimately lead to serious irreversible damage, including your tooth falling out from the root. Using toxic substances and attempting to administer your own braces may also lead to serious health consequences such as severe poisoning and tooth loss.”
The dental hack: Teeth whitening with hydrogen peroxide. DIY teeth whitening using hydrogen peroxide became another popular dental trend on TikTok after one user encouraged viewers to apply the supermarket-bought bleaching agent directly to their teeth. The original user pointed out that a low percentage of hydrogen peroxide is commonly found in supermarket teeth whitening products, insinuating the safety of hydrogen peroxide for at-home treatments.’
Dr Fraser’s warning: “Using high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide on your teeth and gums poses irreversible risk to the health of your teeth and can lead to tooth sensitivity, irritated gums and lips. While many dentists do use the same bleaching agent, the concentration and application is much safer when administered by a professional. Having whiter teeth does not necessarily correlate to healthy teeth, and patients should prioritise the health of their mouths to avoid painful consequences.”
