Performing Your Own At-Home Dentistry Is Not The Route To Healthy Teeth

16 / 07 / 2024

Performing Your Own At-Home Dentistry Is Not The Route To Healthy Teeth

DIY dentistry has made the headlines for the past couple of years, and it is as concerning as it is unsurprising.

The struggle to obtain an NHS dentist appointment has been well-documented, and it’s understandable that people don’t want to be living with dental-related pain a moment longer than they have to.

However, the dangers of DIY dentistry can be devastating for your long-term health.

We’d like to shed some light on the dangers of DIY dentistry, and why it is a step in the wrong direction for your health and welfare.

Why is DIY dentistry a no-go?

Comedian Bob Mortimer famously declared that he performed his own dentistry on  BBC’s Would I Lie To You. And, as much as his jokes surrounding the issue were laugh-out-loud hysterical, the national treasure probably isn’t someone you should emulate any time soon. Especially as he admitted he lost half of his teeth before the age of 50.

DIY dentistry gives rise to a whole host of potential complications including the following:

Post DIY infections

Attempting your own dentistry without proper sterilisation could leave you with some severe infections to deal with.

Not only do these produce unpleasant dental-related symptoms, but they could leave you with wider health problems if the infection were to spread into your bloodstream.

Here at Ashbourne Road Dental, patient safety is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, including out front-of-house reception staff, who encourage patients to use sanitiser upon their arrival to the practice.

Some of the practices we observe to ensure your safety include:

• Use dental instruments that are single use or are sterilised after use
• Decontaminate work areas including the dental chair, handheld equipment and cupboard handles, in between patients
• Maintain a high standard of personal hygieneincluding clinical clothing and the restricted wearing of jewellery.
• Monitor practice water for quality. Dental unit waterlines are disinfected and kept clear
• Handle waste according to current regulations and dispose of it with appropriate carriers.
• Take expert advice if a team member may have a blood-borne infection. The team member will have an occupational health examination and follow the advice on their role in treating patients.
• All our team members are trained in safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults and follow the practice safeguarding procedures, which are regularly monitored and reviewed.
• We run a clinical governance system which uses integrated risk management to identify, assess, analyse and manage all risks and incidents. The goal is continuous improvement in our care and service to you.

Intense pain

The main reason why patients have started taking matters into their own hands when they can’t access an appointment, is down to the intense pain they have to endure.

But what if we told you that you could actually make the pain worse in the long term by performing your own (for example) tooth extractions? What’s more, you could end up needing complex and multi-faceted restorative treatment to fix complications that arise post-DIY dentistry. This includes dealing with damage to the soft tissues, ligaments and even the jawbone.

In these cases, surgery is sometimes necessary when a patient has damaged these areas due to DIY methods. Not to mention you could end up struggling financially, having to take a long period of recovery time off sick.

We recommend investing in seeing a private dentist, who will look after your dental health from the moment you come in for your first consultation. This will help you avoid costly dental work that is very likely to arise due to taking your clinical dental needs into your own hands.

We understand that there are barriers preventing patients from seeking dental care, including costs and dental anxiety. In the case of the former, at Ashbourne Road Dental, we will always strive to help patients with the cost of their treatment. Our 0% finance options allow you to finance your treatment at a pace that suits you.

If you’re an anxious patient tempted to try DIY dentistry, we promise you that you will be treated with dignity and respect by our supportive clinical team. We completely appreciate that some individuals have had traumatic past experiences at the dentist, but trust us when we say that together, we can help turn this around.

Your smile will suffer

It’s not just the functionality of your smile that can become damaged through botched DIY dentistry. The aesthetic of your smile can change too, and not for the better.

Tik Tok has given rise to harmful video content, displaying individuals attempting to shave down their own teeth for veneers, and even using dental cement to fill small gaps in their teeth. The removal of tooth enamel prior to the placement of veneers requires the expertise of a highly experienced dentist. Errors could lead to nerve damage, soft tissue damage, and a protruding sharp tooth edge, impacting your eating and speaking abilities.

There is also a concerning rise in the number of people scraping the plaque and tartar from their own, something that should be reserved only for a hygienist. Even just a tiny slip could cause the delicate soft tissues in your mouth to bleed and scar.

Our track record working with nervous patients is excellent, and reviews such as this one is why we love our profession.

Look Up ‘Tooth Extraction Derby’ For a Private Dentist

We can’t stress how much damage can arise from attempting your DIY dentistry. If you’re suffering from severe tooth pain (firstly, we’re sorry you’re struggling), and secondly, please get in touch.

At Ashbourne Road Dental, we reserve a selection of appointment slots for emergencies. If you’re not yet a member of the practice, we can look at getting you seen for an emergency appointment, with a view to signing you up as a patient in the future.

Please contact the practice for more information.