Palm Beach Dentist Joins American Dental Association in Raising Alarm on Risks of DIY Treatments

PALM BEACH, Fla. - Oct. 6, 2020 - PRLog -- Using a nail file to even out your teeth, superglue to glue together a cracked tooth, tooth extractions, and drug store over the counter mouth guards, cavity fillers, denture repair kits and dental wax are all trending on social media as Do It Yourself (DIY) trends for handling dental care at home. However, both the American Dental Association (ADA) and local Palm Beach Dentist Dr. Mitchell Josephs strongly warn against the behavior.

"Some DIY health trends on social media can cause permanent damage," according to the ADA. "That's why it's so important to talk to your dentist about concerns you may have with your teeth, rather than trying out DIY treatments. Dentists examine each patient and provide customized treatments that help treat the root of the problem."

Dr. Mitchell Josephs, a general and cosmetic dentist with an office in Palm Beach, agrees. "It's alarming to read about and see the number of people avoiding the dentist and choosing dangerous at-home DIY methods instead. Many of these over-the-counter remedies can lead to permanent damage, and long-term dental issues, which is unfortunate, because if the patient instead had opted for quick visit to the dentist, they'd be perfectly safe."

According to Dr. Josephs, who has been speaking out about these dangers, here are some of the most common DIY Dentistry hacks trending around the country now: Drug Store Mouth Guards, Cavity Fillers, Dental Pain Topicals, Denture Repair Kits, Dental Wax, Teeth-Whitening with baking soda or bleach, Teeth Filing with your everyday nail file, and Tooth Extraction.

Unfortunately, DIY dentistry isn't new. Back in 2018, over 160,000 dentists joined in on an advertising campaign warning parents and kids of the problem. During the pandemic, according to Dr. Josephs, the number of DIY-ers has increased exponentially.

"It is so important for patients to talk to their dentists about concerns and questions they have with their teeth, rather than trying out DIY treatments at home," Dr. Josephs added. "Dentists are trained to examine each patient and each tooth to develop proven and customized treatments that get to the root of the problem and prevent future issues."

About Dr. Mitchell Josephs
Dr. Josephs practices Implant Cosmetic and General Dentistry with an emphasis on implants, veneers and complex crown and bridge treatment in Palm Beach, Florida. He is on staff at JFK Medical Center and is a Faculty Advisory Board member at McGill University's Faculty of Dentistry. He was also published in the JADA (Journal of the American Dental Association) October 2017 and is a twice published author of "Tooth Talk" and "More Tooth Talk." Learn more at www.PalmBeachDentist.com.