Nowadays, you can find tutorials online for almost anything you can think of, but one concerning trend is DIY dentistry. Completely unqualified people often market these treatments as quick and affordable fixes for dental problems, but they can carry severe risks. Some treatments may be harmless, but others can damage your teeth and gums and cause long-term complications like tooth decay or possibly even tooth loss. Below are some of these trends that are best left to dental professionals in Oshawa.

Teeth Whitening

Teeth naturally start to discolour with age, and the rate of discolouration can be accelerated by lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking tea or coffee or dark-coloured beverages, or eating certain foods. Many treatments are available promising to brighten your pearly whites. Some products may be perfectly safe but will likely contain a lower percentage of active whitening ingredients than can be used professionally. Others can be less safe and may cause tooth sensitivity, damage to your gums and uneven whitening.

Teeth whitening in Whitby is best carried out by a dental professional. At Margolian Dentistry, our dentist will first ensure that teeth whitening is appropriate for your needs and that your teeth are healthy and strong and can be safely whitened. It’s important to ensure you don’t have any signs of tooth decay or gum disease, and to remember that dental restorations like crowns, bridges or veneers will not change colour. We use professional strength whitening treatments that can achieve excellent results safely.

DIY Dental Cleanings

Having your teeth cleaned professionally is an important part of preventive dentistry, removing plaque and tartar buildup from your teeth and reducing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Our hygiene team is highly trained and experienced, using professional quality dental tools to remove and flush away plaque and tartar (calculus). Unfortunately, some people think they can achieve just as good results at home using cheap dentistry tools. Unless you are trained to clean teeth professionally, you risk damaging your gums and teeth, and you certainly won’t be able to remove all tartar buildup efficiently.

Trying to clean your teeth at home is a false economy. Professional dental cleaning is inexpensive and thorough. Also, our hygienists can identify any areas where problems may be developing and can give you lots of useful advice on how to brush and floss effectively at home.

Over-The-Counter Mouthguard

Dealing with a dental injury caused by a blow to the mouth can be very expensive, especially over the course of a lifetime. While you can buy over-the-counter mouthguards extremely cheaply, they never fit very well and provide inadequate protection at best. In contrast, we can custom-make a mouthguard that provides maximum protection for your teeth, gums, and jaws and is comfortable to wear.

Teeth Shaping

This particular trend is very concerning, where people reshape their teeth with nail files. They are attempting a process called enamel reshaping in Ajax, where a minimal amount of tooth enamel is safely removed to subtly reshape teeth that may be crooked or overlapping. There is a real risk that DIY attempts will file teeth down far too much, removing tooth enamel so teeth become sensitive and could be substantially damaged.

Teeth Aligning

A straighter smile is highly desirable, but using DIY aligners or braces without proper supervision could damage your teeth significantly. Dental professionals must carefully plan orthodontic treatment with aligners such as Invisalign to gain results safely.

Professional dental care is by far the best way to safely and effectively achieve the desired results and can be far more cost-effective in the longer term.