Between stringent COVID protocols and shutdowns, economic concerns, and crazy schedules, people have plenty of ready-made excuses for not seeing a dentist these days. However, one of the latest trends, DIY dental treatments, has some people thinking it’s okay to perform dental treatments like teeth straightening, filling, and crown repair in the comfort of their own home.
As you might have guessed these at-home treatments and DIY dental kits not only don’t work, they can actually do a lot of damage, even permanent damage to your teeth and gums. Dentists in Oxnard as well as the American Dental Association recommend against using any of these types of products.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common at-home DIY dental treatment kits and see why they pose such a risk.
![Young man with glasses looking up and thinking about DIY dental treatments.](https://belladentaloxnard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/diy_dental_treatment_1-2-1024x576.jpg)
DIY Dental Treatment Teeth Whitening Kits
At first, this might sound like a good idea. After all, in some situations, your dentist in Oxnard might even offer you an at-home strategy for teeth whitening. This may leave you wondering why there would be any real difference in the results.
The answer is that there is a huge difference in the results and here’s why. First of all, you shouldn’t start a process like teeth whitening unless you are starting with a clean and healthy mouth. To ensure that, you will need to see your local dentist in order to have a proper cleaning and check-up.
The next major concern is using the right chemicals, in the right amounts, for the right length of time and the right way. With no dentist supervision, there is a lot of room for error and something to go wrong in that process. When you are using DIY dental treatments and their harsh chemicals on your teeth, any misstep could cause damage to or loss of the enamel on your teeth. Once this protective layer is damaged or destroyed, it can’t just simply be fixed or replaced.
DIY Teeth Straightening Kits
Everyone is looking at new options in teeth straightening. There are tons of great choices out there that can keep you away from old-school metal braces that people feel are unsightly. However, if a miraculous cheap, at-home kit sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The problem with these mail-order teeth straightening kits is that just like at-home teeth whitening, they lack the experience and knowledge of a formally trained and skilled dentist who can adjust the program to make sure everything is working and advancing the way that it should.
When you straighten your teeth, you are quite literally rearranging the bones in your skull and face. This is not something you should do lightly with an at-home kit. For one thing, not all methods work for all people. Additionally, adjustments will need to be made during the process to ensure correct results. If using one of these DIY dental treatment kits goes wrong, you could end up with worse problems than you started with as well as jaw pain.
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DIY Dental Treatment Teeth Filling Kits
DIY teeth filling kits and DIY crown repair kits are as scary as they sound. These DIY dental treatment kits give a whole new meaning to the words, “Don’t try this at home.”
Stop and think for just a moment. If you are scared of pain at a dentist’s office, can you even imagine the pain of filling your own tooth at home without any type of numbing?
Most of us would never even attempt this, but for those that do, pain is just the beginning of the problem. You can’t get the surface clean of infection and debris before making an at-home repair. Therefore, you will just be sealing in the dirt and infection to fester creating an even larger cavity. This can result in the need for a root canal or even loss of the tooth.
Schedule an Appointment with a Dentist in Oxnard
Don’t be fooled by the promises of DIY dental treatments. If you need dental care, contact Bella Dental and schedule an appointment today.