TikTok: dentist warns of viral challenges that can cause serious health problems

The search for the “perfect smile” established by beauty standards on social networks leads the public to bet on DIY content (Do It Yourself, or “do it yourself”) that goes viral on platforms such as TikTok, but experts warn that procedures performed without preparation can cause serious problems the health.

The Doctor. Ben Winters said in an interview with NBC News on Monday (26) that some of the content is harmless, but it becomes a problem when influencers teach how to use professional materials without the necessary knowledge and try to copy the practices of dentists – something that happens with some frequency on TikTok.

TikTok is one of the most popular video platforms in the world, and it’s not uncommon for its huge user base to stumble upon “tutorials” that raise public safety concerns. One of the most dangerous viral contents on the social network that has become popular in recent months is precisely dental challenges.

Skylar Geiger is an influencer who experienced this kind of setback a few years ago. At the time, about to turn 19 years old, the young woman tried to perform a procedure to “correct” a diastema, that is, the space that forms between the teeth when they are relatively farther apart.

For the procedure, without the guidance of a professional, the influencer tried to use dental cement – ​​a material used to fill cavities generated by caries – to reduce the space between the teeth. The process was recorded with his cell phone and published on TikTok, where it registered more than 2 million views.

Despite being a totally ineffective and dangerous practice, since it can cause bacteria to become trapped in the gums, Geiger had no permanent damage to his teeth after the procedure, but as reports the NBC Newsnot everyone is as lucky.

One of the dangerous “tutorials” posted on the social network shows a platform influencer using a nail file to make teeth less serrated. In response to the video, a user said that tried to copy the procedure and started to feel very strong painneeding to take painkillers “every two hours”.

Identified as “gustexox” on TikTok, the young woman said she had to go to her dentist anyway after feeling the incessant pain. The specialist then criticized her attitude when she discovered that the girl had sanded too deeply, reaching the nerve structure of her teeth and running a serious risk of permanent damage.

The influence of DIY videos in this category is even stronger in regions where dental treatment is not accessible. Winters, concerned about these cases, reacts to the DIY videos on his own TikTok profile, where he is known as “The Bentist” and has more than 13 million followers.

On a related note, a recent case of TikTok viral content ending in tragedy was marked by the “Kia Challenge”, which resulted in the deaths of 4 young people in the United States.