As humans, we crave symmetry and order, even when it comes to our teeth. There’s a reason that we love straight, even rows of pearly whites! When teeth are crooked, contorted, or mismatched lengths, our natural desire for beauty longs for things to be corrected. It’s understandable that many young people who long for even teeth but may not have the money or the means to have it done professionally are taking matters into their own hands.

            But just because it’s understandable doesn’t mean it’s safe. As Business Insider put it, this “new and disturbing body modification trend has dentists flustered.”

            You may have heard of the trend #DIYDental that’s sweeping TikTok—a trend that has over 3 million views. The #DIYDental trend comes with countless stories of people who tried ill-advised tactics to solve dental problems without the supervision of professionals, hoping to receive professional results, but more often just ending up in pain. Today, we’ll hone in on one particular #DIYDental idea: that of filing one’s teeth down with a nail file in the hopes of achieving beautiful, even rows. Does it work? Is it harmless? Or is it another #DIYDental trend that’s best left to the professionals?

What’s Causing This?

            When you hear of people taking a nail file to their teeth, maybe all you think is, “Ouch!” It sounds painful, doesn’t it? We’ll get into the extensive damage that it can cause soon, but first, it’s worth touching on what would prompt people to undergo this in the first place.

            Some driving factors may include:

Cost

This is a big one. Dental procedures can be expensive. For those who don’t like the look of their uneven teeth, but lack financial means to have a dentist file them down professionally, the virtually free option of a nail file likely seems hard to resist.

Influencer Encouragement

The pressure social media exerts can not be understated. When an influencer tells someone, particularly a young person, that filing their teeth with a nail file is safe and effective, and they see plenty of people doing it on TikTok, chances are they simply won’t know any better.

Media-Saturated Beauty Expectations

When you spend large amounts of each day viewing the perfect teeth of TikTok influencers, it’s only natural that you would feel more acutely the inadequacies of your own smile—especially if you’re a teenager or young adult. This may be driving teens and young people to perfect their smile at any cost.

Accessibility

Some may attempt to fix jagged teeth at home simply out of poor access to dental care.

Covid-19 Confidence

Kami Hoss, DDS, suggests that, “people’s inclinations to fix their own toothy grins might be tied, in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lots of people have resorted to cutting their own hair and doing their own nails… so maybe they think [they] can start working on their own teeth.”

All of these factors work together to form a kaleidoscope of potential reasons why young people across America are shaving down their teeth themselves. Whatever the reason in each specific case, the potential for damage is staggering.

What’s the Problem?

            Dr. Chad Evans explains simply, “It’s not the same as filing your fingernails. If you file your fingernails today, they’ll grow back tomorrow. Our teeth are permanent.”

            And therein lies the problem. When teens shave away their teeth, anxious for a perfect smile, they are filing away something that will not grow back. The outer layer of your tooth is called your enamel, and that’s what you are filing down. It’s true that sometimes dentists may file down your teeth for you slightly, removing a bit of enamel. But the difference is, dentists are professionals. They know what they’re doing and when to stop. As Dr. Evans explains, “The moment that you remove tooth structure, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re doing irreparable damage and destruction to your teeth.”

            In the case of those who have stripped away vital layers, the tooth may be extremely sensitive, or even die. Dr. Benjamin Winters is a dentist who has responded in horror to this TikTok craze, noting at one point, “The problem…is that everybody has a set amount of enamel…and that set amount of enamel, once you go through it, you hit your nerve and blood and pain and…it’s just terrible.” (In the Know)

How it can backfire

NBC News reports one such story:

            In response to a video of someone using a nail file to pare down their teeth, one TikTok user said that when she attempted to do the same, she had such bad pain that she had to take painkillers ‘every two hours.’ She ended up going to her dentist anyway. 

            Did you catch that last sentence? This TikTok user had to see a professional anyway. And she’s not alone. What we’ve seen so far is that filing down one’s teeth with a nail file typically causes great damage and pain when done by an untrained hand. But here’s the real kicker: though the person might have done it thinking they were side-stepping high dental costs, they were likely only piling on the bills. The costs for fixing the mess caused by DIY filing may be more than it would have been to do things professionally in the first place.

            The TikTok user in question said, “As embarrassing as it was, I just had to tell her what I did.” The unfortunate would-be DIY-dentist had to have a root canal, which, as you might guess, was surely not cheap.

            Another source confirms: “Filing [teeth with a nail file] can remove the enamel and dentin layers of the teeth, exposing the nerve and increasing the possibility of root canals, cavities, and stains.” They add, however, that “Fixing filed teeth can involve adhering veneers or crowns to the remaining structure of the tooth, which can cost $1,200 to $1,500 per tooth….”

What is the conclusion?

            The conclusion cannot be denied: not only will attempting to fix jagged teeth with a nail file wear away enamel that will not grow back, but it will also likely be costlier to fix your DIY solution than it would have been to have the problem solved professionally in the first place.

A Better Solution

            The good news is, there are better options out there than this trend that’s making dentists everywhere horrified.

            The first option is to see what your insurance would cover. While insurance doesn’t often cover teeth filing—also known as enameloplasty or more simply, recontouring—unless an accident or injury requires it, it doesn’t hurt to check. And if your imperfect teeth are a result of accident or injury, you may just have insurance coverage.

            The second option is to remember that image isn’t everything. This may not seem like much, but in an image-consumed culture, it can be a powerful anecdote to the desires that would drive someone to grind away crucial layers of their own teeth for the aesthetic effect.

            Finally, if you must have your teeth straightened out, have it done professionally. Dentists everywhere agree on this point: it’s not safe or wise to do it at home, lacking the proper training to know what you’re doing or when to stop. You are on a path to harm yourself, and more than likely, pay higher dental bills than you would have had in the first place.

            So please, if you’re wishing for even teeth, don’t take matters into your own hands. Call our office today to schedule your next appointment, and you can speak to your dentist about your options.