TikTok ‘DIY dentist’ trends are damaging teeth, dentists caution

• Hair flossing, tooth gems and teeth filing: These DIY dental trends on TikTok are giving dentists a toothache.
• Tooth gems may be stylish, but they will attract bacteria, increasing the risk of cavities and gum infection, says ADA spokesperson Dr. Ruchi Sahota.
• Is the high cost of dental treatment driving these trends among young people, or is it the lure of instantly changed smiles?

Watch enough TikTok videos and you’re sure to see one extolling a special kind of do-it-yourself dentistry. Not about brushing and flossing, except maybe flossing with strands of your hair. These are videos on drilling into your teeth and cementing gems to them or filing your teeth to reshape them.