Teens are making DIY braces, and it’s honestly a bad (and really dangerous) idea
We’re always down for a good DIY project on a rainy Sunday afternoon. But a new — and extremely dangerous — DIY project has us screaming, “Guys, come on!” A surge of YouTube tutorials showing teens making DIY braces are posing a major threat to teen oral health.
The motive behind teens taking orthodontics into their own hands, is to save their family a bundle of money, while fixing their teeth in a matter of weeks. But in reality, these at home methods could cause families to fork over those savings to necessary dental surgery to correct tooth loss or major gum infections.
This video posted September 2012, has been watched over one million times. As of today the video has garnered just under 12,000 dislikes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpZKF72qvW8?feature=oembed
Concerned dentists, orthodontists and parents, are desperately trying to spread awareness about the harm of DIY braces.
Dr. Guy Deyton from Kansas City, MO, researched the different methods kids are choosing to fix their teeth at home, and was horrified by what he found. “In one video I saw, she used a paper clip and super glue,” Deyton told his local news station, ABC 13 Eyewitness News. “I am so horrified and fearful that they are going to do harm to themselves.”
Other teens tie hairbands or floss around their two front teeth, in an attempt to close a gap between them. Some have gone as far to purchasing orthodontists’ kits, complete with metal wire and elastic bands.
If you have a strong stomach and are willing to see things you can’t un-see, search “DIY braces gone wrong.” You’ll quickly realize these seemingly barbaric methods are not worth the risk.
Deyton stresses if money is an issue, families should look into financial assistance to help pay for dental work. Honestly, after seeing what hairbands and paperclips can do to one’s teeth, we’d rather rock crooked chompers any day.
Heed our warning! Do not try this at home, kids!
