Dentists are warning against a TikTok trend in which users are shaving down their uneven teeth with nail files, according to Insider.
Texas dentist Chad Evans, DDS, told Insider untrained eyes should not be shaving down teeth, as they may destroy critical layers, causing pain and potentially killing the tooth. He also said the trend removes enamel from the tooth, stripping away its protection from decay.
"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," Dr. Evans told Insider.
Chicago dentist Suhail Mohiuddin, DDS, uploaded a TikTok video of his own, in which he reacts to the trend and suggests the people trying it should focus on the reasons their teeth are uneven to begin with.
"Okay, you filed them, and they look pretty good, but you didn't solve the original problem," Dr. Mohiuddin said in the video. "So what are you going to do in a few years when they're uneven again and your teeth are shorter?"
The dental community's reaction to the nail file trend comes about a week after dentists warned against another DIY dental trend that went viral on TikTok, in which users were applying undiluted hydrogen peroxide to their teeth for whitening.
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