Doing projects or crafts yourself at home can be a cheap and fun alternative to simply paying for certain services or products. However, there are some things that you should always leave to the professionals. This is especially true when it comes to orthodontic treatment. While this may seem like a given, recent trends show a reminder about the danger of DIY braces is in order.
What Are DIY Braces?
Put simply, DIY braces are makeshift braces created from household objects, such as paper clips, fish hooks, wires, and rubber bands. Kids and teens may try to make their own set of braces using these easy-to-find objects. These sketchy home-made braces are then applied to the teeth in an attempt to create braces.
Why You Should Be Concerned
While it may seem a bit absurd to think your kids could be making their own braces at home, internet trends have made this crazy idea a reality. You can find online “tutorials” about how to make braces out of non-medical items. By the end of each video, teens have a full set of home-made braces that could seem legitimate to some.
Some unaccredited companies even offer braces “kits” that allow people to assemble braces at home from parts that seem more valid. Because of the availability of these things, it’s important to understand the dangers of DIY braces.
Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Braces
The risks of making braces yourself far outweigh their potential “money-saving” benefits. Because DIY braces use a variety of metal pieces and are assembled at home, instead of by professionals, many people who have used them end up with metal pieces stuck inside their gums. Pieces that break off can also pose a severe choking hazard. People may use unsafe bonding solutions to try to glue their DIY braces to their teeth, which could result in illness.
Of course, the purpose of getting braces is to correct the position of the teeth by manipulating ligament growth. This takes precision and special tools, so it’s impossible to get satisfactory results without professional help. Even if someone manages to tighten their braces at the points where they see crookedness, there are lots of other factors that need to be considered.
Worse still, applying pressure to your teeth without proper medical supervision poses the risk of irreparable damage. Having makeshift metal pieces in your mouth heavily increases your chances of injuring your mouth, getting infected, or causing rampant tooth decay. The pressure from these homemade contraptions can also cause teeth to break down, resulting in the need for surgical removal. Many people who attempt to use DIY braces lose their teeth in the process. All of this damage will undoubtedly result in the need for more expensive and invasive orthodontic procedures later down the road.
When it comes to getting braces, you simply can’t replace the value of having an experienced orthodontist to prescribe and supervise your treatment, and medical-grade equipment to use.
