Social media and the internet are the best and fastest ways to get our information these days. But, what we see is not always TRUE. Here are some fads that have surfaced on the internet that you should not believe or follow.
- DIY Braces. There has been a trend of doing your own braces for a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the time. As much as that sounds tempting it will also be a fraction of the quality and a fraction of the knowledge that you will have from a trusted orthodontist. Please do NOT participate in this. This will only cause more problems to your overall dental health.
- Mewing. This is the practice of doing chewing exercises to maintain proper positioning of the tongue and strengthen the jaw muscles. This is more of a holistic kind of treatment that is believed to change facial shape and creates more space for teeth to align. Unfortunately there is no way to prove that this actually works. You are better off saving your time and energy by visiting your local trusted orthodontist for a consult!
- Removing your brackets with a spoon or any other at-home tools has been trendy on Tik Tok. Whatever you do, NEVER remove your brackets on your own. This can cause extreme damage to your teeth in many ways. Orthodontists use special tools in office to remove the brackets and to also remove glue in a specific way.
To conclude, do not believe everything you see online. Unfortunately it can be so easy to want to follow a trend. A short video doesn't always show the aftermath or damage that happens in reality! Stay safe and leave it to your orthodontist! It will be worth it in the end!