D.I.Y. Braces
The internet is an amazing place where trends can come from nowhere and disappear just as fast. Just because these trends are popular, it doesn’t mean they are always safe. Sometimes it can be quite the opposite, even proving fatal in a few rare instances. Luckily the new trend we are going to cover is not fatal, though it can do permanent damage to your teeth. Perhaps swept up in the modern D.I.Y. (do it yourself) or simply looking for a cheap fix, youTube videos are popping up showing people how to do D.I.Y. braces for straightening your teeth. While people are posting their D.I.Y. videos, dentists are responding with their own claims about how dangerous the practice is.
We won’t go too far into details about how to create D.I.Y. braces, but it is sometimes claimed that all you need is a rubber band. Why is this a bad idea? While for one it doesn’t come from highly experienced individuals with years of schooling in dentistry. You wouldn’t trust someone off the street putting a needle in your arm, and you shouldn’t trust a stranger off of YouTube to straighten your teeth. Secondary there are the health risks associated with the practice. Dentists use the braces they use, or Invisalign, because both are tested and safe. D.I.Y. braces don’t have to adhere to any safety standards.
Using braces that you created yourself can harm how your teeth grow, they can get underneath the gums and cut off blood flow, and cause your teeth to align wrong. Using rubber bands to move teeth makes it more likely to tip them than actually move them. If you are wondering what the difference between tipping and moving is, imagine your computer monitor is too close to you, so you want to move it. Using the D.I.Y. braces method would be the same as just tilting the monitor away from you, whereas real braces would be actually moving the entire monitor back away from you. If the rubber bands get too far into the gums, it won’t align the tooth, it will make it fall out! Although this technique solves the problem of your teeth being out of alignment, we doubt it’s the solution that you are looking for.
So why is this becoming a trend? Because people love an inexpensive alternative to almost anything they can find. While sometimes these inexpensive alternatives and D.I.Y. options are actually quite helpful when they do not refer to medical procedures. We know it may seem at times that things such as braces are out of your price range, but many dentists will work with you with either payment plans, or third party financing options. Don’t place your health and smile at risk following a trend shown on YouTube by teenagers with no medical training, put your trust in Drs. Costello and Drake, Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach dentists who specialize in sedation dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and general dentistry. Using Invisalign, they can help straighten your teeth safely and naturally looking, making your teeth shine like new.
Schedule an appointment today and get a check-up so you can know how your mouth is doing, and what options are available if it needs a little work. With years of experience, Drs. Drake and Costello can fix almost any problem that may arise.