Nowadays, many people turn to TikTok to entertain themselves and relieve boredom. Its unique content and creators have made it successful, especially during the pandemic.
Unfortunately, it’s also a nest of misinformation, conspiracy theories, and dangerous social media challenges that are clearly against their community guidelines. Because there are so many people using the site and little enforcement of content moderation rules, it is easy for incorrect information to spread and harm others.
TikTok is also home to dangerous medical and dental trends and misinformation. These videos may be popular and well-liked, but their advice is often based on something other than a good understanding of dental science. Many of these videos also suggest that you do some of the treatments yourself. Following these videos can cause severe and permanent problems with your oral health.
Teeth shaving is one TikTok trend that has gained popularity on the app. In this trend, young people use sandpaper or nail files to shave their teeth to make them look straight and even. Some have also shown how they shaved their teeth into pegs in preparation for veneers.
How This TikTok Tooth-Shaving Trend Came To Be
The trend began when Mia Dio, a 19-year-old girl, decided to file her uneven teeth with a standard nail file in a TikTok video she posted in June 2020. This DIY teeth-shaving video was seen 436,000 times; another video garnered 8.4 million views.
Aislinn, a TikTok user, tried the trend but was less successful than Dio. She developed tooth sensitivity in shaving her teeth because she used a metal nail file instead of a foam one.
Tech-savvy dentists and other medical professionals have also taken up arms to combat this trend, using TikTok or Instagram to reach people and warn against bad advice and unsafe practices. They also use their platforms to educate their followers and offer better and safer oral care tips.
Dr. Suhail Mohiuddin (@dr.m_) of Illinois is one of these dentists. His video response to a DIY tooth file video explained what the bumpy ridges on teeth are and the steps dentists take before shaving teeth.
Arkansas dentist Dr. Ben Winters (@thebentist) also use his TikTok channel to answer questions about dental care. He explained that while dentists and orthodontists can shave teeth safely, doing it at home will only cause serious damage.
The Dangers of DIY Tooth Filing
DIY tooth filing isn’t as precise and controlled as a dentist’s. More often than not, teens remove too much enamel from their teeth, which can lead to damage. Unfortunately, enamel doesn’t grow back once it’s damaged or removed. This exposes a tooth’s pulp and nerves, making them more pain-sensitive.
According to a Pagosa Springs dentist, other reasons DIY tooth shaving is dangerous are:
1. Accelerated Tooth Decay
Enamel protects your teeth from cavities. Filing teeth down removes enamel and exposes the dentin layer, which is more sensitive and vulnerable to cavity-causing bacteria.
2. Increased Risk of Inflammation and Tooth Sensitivity
Thin enamel exposes the dentin and pulp to more stimulation and allows bacteria to enter your teeth more easily. This makes them more sensitive and prone to infection.
3. Expensive Repair Costs
The TikTok tooth-shaving trend causes severe damage that requires expensive cosmetic and restorative dentistry procedures. Patients may need crowns and implants that cost around $5000 per damaged tooth, and they won’t be the same as natural teeth.
4. Altered Bite
Filing your teeth also affects your bite. Shaving your teeth changes their shape, affecting their fit with one another, leading to jaw and tooth pain, sensitivity, and other problems that can impact your overall health.
What Is Teeth Filing?
Dentists do shave teeth for the following reasons:
1. Reshaping Damaged Teeth
A small chip in your teeth might not seem like a big problem, but you will notice it every time you look in the mirror. Dentists can shave your teeth to improve your smile and correct these slight imperfections.
2. Making More Space in Your Mouth
Crowded teeth can lead to misaligned or crooked teeth and jaw pain. Dentists can reshape some of your teeth to reduce crowding and pain.
3. Adding a Crown or Veneer
Crowns cover broken teeth or root canals. Veneers attach to the front of a tooth to change a tooth’s size, shape, color, length, and appearance and close any gaps. Dentists may slightly shave some of your teeth to make way for these restorations, ensuring a precise fit and preserving the patient’s bite.
4. Relieving Jaw Pain and Adjusting Bite
Research shows that treating bite disruptions or misalignments reduces or eliminates tooth pain and sensitivity, allowing the jaws to close properly. Your dentist may recommend contouring or shaving teeth to correct misalignments between your upper and lower jaws. Patients with TMJ disorder may also benefit from having their teeth shaved.
Key Takeaway
Dentists strongly advise against a recent TikTok teeth-shaving trend where young people shave down their teeth to make them look straighter. Some have even shaved them down to pegs in preparation for veneers. DIY tooth shaving only damages teeth that cost thousands of dollars to repair.
Dentists shave teeth to make more space between teeth, reshape damaged teeth, and relieve jaw pain. They also shave teeth before placing a crown or veneer to ensure a good fit and to preserve their patient’s bite.
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