As a dentist, you know your role in some people’s lives is the stuff of nightmares. Over a million Americans suffer from odontophobia, a fear of the dentist, and more than half avoid dental care because of it. In previous decades, people who had a fear of dental work or simply didn’t have access to care would resort to home remedies to curb their pain, such as using clove oil to soothe an achy tooth. Occasionally, people would attempt tooth extractions in extreme circumstances. These days, what was once a “case by case” issue has become a widespread phenomenon, largely due to the broad reach of the internet. Searching Google or YouTube for “DIY Dentist” yields literally thousands of articles, websites and videos all promising to help users “fix” their teeth without the aid of a dentist. The trend seems to have initially risen to popularity overseas in Great Britain, however more and more Americans are resorting to these risky methods. Here are three popular, but dangerous, DIY dentistry trends:
