Don’t Take Dental Advice From TikTok!

Unless the dentist is an active TikTok user, it’s not a good idea to get dental health advice from social media. We’ve noticed a lot of dangerous DIY ideas popping up so let’s take a minute to nip them in the bud.

1. “Healthy Soda”

No soda is truly healthy for teeth, as the bubbles in soda come from acid and teeth are highly vulnerable to acid erosion. Sparkling water and balsamic vinegar (the combo in the trend) do not make a healthier soda alternative because that’s just two acids mixed together!

Video Transcript

hi everyone my name is Whitney and i am a dental hygienist if you’re new here welcome if you’ve been here before welcome back let’s talk about carbonated water and teeth

the question is sparkling water seltzer water carbonated water whatever you want to call it are those bad for your teeth the short answer is that carbonated water is not as bad for your teeth as drinking soda diet soda juice or any other sweetened drink but that’s only if it’s free of sugars and artificial sweeteners of course you all know about

all those flavored seltzer waters if your sparkling carbonated water is flavored then you immediately lose the leg up that you get by skipping the soda so if you are someone who is looking for a healthier sugar-free alternative to soda seltzer is a good alternative however regular water really still is better this is because the typical ph level inside of our mouths is between six and seven and tap water is usually around six point five to 8. so that’s pretty good pretty similar pretty good

however carbonated water has a lower ph level so it is slightly more acidic than tap water averaging anywhere from 3 to 4.5 or higher on the ph scale depending on which brand you get but again it’s still not as bad as soda where the ph level is around 2.4 so the lower the ph means it’s more acidic which means that your tooth enamel is more likely to weaken and get cavities and although enamel is the hardest substance in the entire human body if you were to expose it to acidic liquids all day every day

it will still erode eventually in all drinking tap water is always best for your mouth but carbonated water is definitely not as bad for your teeth as regular soda so before we go let’s go over the four things you can do to better your dental health while drinking carbonated water drink with food food helps neutralize acids from your drinks or other desserts it’s always better to drink carbonated water at meals than to sip on it all throughout the day use fluoride every night fluoride mouthwashes and toothpastes help

counteract the effects of enamel erosion so if you’re a big seltzer drinker be sure that fluoride is in your dental home care routine drink tap water afterward or at least rinse your mouth with tap water after drinking carbonated water because hands down like we said nothing is as good for your teeth as drinking plain tap water and talk to your dentist if you are having any tooth sensitivity or if you’ve been noticing any issues in your mouth lately be sure to tell your dentist or your dental

hygienist about how frequently you are drinking carbonated water so they can better assess your situation and that’s it i hope this video helped you please like and subscribe and turn on those notifications if it did and if you want more teeth talk i’ll see you on my instagram teeth talk girl peace love auntie [Music]

2. “Veneers Check”

Some TikTok users are filing their own teeth down to pegs prior to crown restorations. PLEASE do not do this. It can lead to nerve damage or the need for root canals and can even lead to previously healthy teeth needing to be pulled. Teeth don’t even get filed down before veneers anyway!

3. Home Hydrogen Peroxide Whitening

Swishing 3% hydrogen peroxide is not a good way to whiten teeth. It can cause long-lasting sensitivity and gum irritation. Go to the dentist for whitening recommendations and good results!

4. DIY Braces

It takes orthodontists years of education and training to learn how to effectively move teeth into their correct positions; this is not something a random TikTok user can figure out with rubber bands and paper clips. DIY braces lead to bad results and sometimes tooth loss!

Trust the Professionals

Trusting random people on the internet over the actual experts is very dangerous and could have permanent consequences for your dental health.It takes dentists years of study and practice to become qualified to look after patients’ teeth. The people promoting these harmful trends are just making wild guesses.

Share this Article