The yearning for a cheap fix to bad teeth has encouraged many kids to experiment with their teeth. DIY braces are a trend that has been fueled by social media. If you look for DIY braces on the internet, you will find dozens of videos of people, mostly kids and teenagers attempting to straighten their own teeth!
Kids these days want straight teeth and they’re ready to go to any extent to achieve a better smile. It may be because of a financial crunch or peer pressure that drives them to test this fad. But the results of DIY braces can be devastating. Doctors have encountered problems like tooth loss, gum infections, bone loss, and other significant problems that can develop in a short period of time. And fixing this extent of damage can be costly.
In other sense, doctors suggest that if you don’t know how to move your teeth, you could lose your teeth! Professional orthodontic treatment with the right supervision is essential to fix gapped teeth.
Here’s a Look at the 7 Negative Consequences of DIY Orthodontic Treatment:
- Oral Infections That Go Undiagnosed
- Teeth May Move in the Wrong Direction or Back to Original Position
- Restricted Blood Flow
- Open Sores
- Bone Loss
- Tooth Decay
- Speech Impediment
DIY braces sure seem like an easy fix, but they’re really harmful to your teeth. One of the biggest threats to your mouth is a gum infection. Kids may pick up rubber bands found on the ground, on the kitchen counter, or even in their bags! Since these rubber bands are found in the least sterile environments, they can easily result in gum infection. The dirt and bacteria from these makeshift braces can spread through your blood and facial tissues. At a later stage, it can even result in a bone loss! A lot of kids have undergone surgery to remove the material to remove the ill effects it has on their teeth.
There’s no guarantee that DIY braces can effectively re-align your teeth. And even if they do, there’s a big chance your gapped or crooked teeth will return to their original position. Professional braces, on the other hand, are designed to permanently reposition your teeth in a particular time frame. And under the care of a dental professional, you will get the desired results. There are different types of teen braces that can help fix your smile.
As teeth move, they exert pressure on the gums. And this pressure needs to be carefully executed and supervised to prevent cutting off the blood supply. If there’s a restriction of blood flow, your teeth could become damaged and discolored. It could also lead to a gum infection.
Open sores are a common concern if you wear braces. And they are a result of braces rubbing against the gums. If you’re wearing DIY braces and don’t pay attention to the development of these sores, you’re at risk of bigger concerns. With no proper care from a dental professional, these open sores could lead to an infection.
Teeth that are forced to move abnormally fast can actually lead to bone damage and bone loss. And if you’re not positioning your teeth right, you could throw off your bite. Unsupervised movements of teeth are at a high potential of relapse and your teeth could return to their original position quickly.
DIY braces can also result in tooth decay. Since kids are so determined to straighten their teeth, they may often forget to practice good oral hygiene. And with no dental professional guiding them, teeth may decay a lot quicker.
The most terrifying of all consequences is the risk of speech impediment. DIY braces can completely shift your teeth out of place. It misaligns your upper and lower jaw and in some cases, the teeth may move in a completely different direction altogether.
The tout to re-aligning your teeth quickly has many negative consequences. These makeshift braces don’t just ruin your oral health, but they also significantly affect your self-esteem. So the next time you see your kid trying these DIY braces at home, you should stop them immediately. They may require orthodontic treatment.
If your teen has been complaining about crooked and gapped teeth, book an appointment with Thurman Orthodontics for a professional and comprehensive smile assessment.
Related Post: Planning on Removing Braces at Home? Know These Risks
Dr. Brian Thurman has spent his entire life enjoying all the beauty that California has to offer. A Fresno native, he still escapes to the ocean or the mountains whenever his busy schedule allows. Driven by his love for natural beauty, Dr. Thurman enjoys creating beautiful smiles and healthy bites that last a lifetime. He is proud to be the only Ivy League trained Orthodontist in the Fresno/Clovis area.