DIY teeth shaving is a risky trend gaining attention, where people attempt to reshape their teeth at home using unapproved methods or tools. Teeth shaving on your own can harm your dental health, including enamel damage, infections, and misalignment. This can, unfortunately, lead to an imperfect smile. Unlike professional treatments done by dentists, DIY shaving lacks safety measures and proper practices. If you’re considering cosmetic changes to your teeth, avoid doing it on your own, and it’s crucial to consult a dental professional to prevent damage and ensure effective, safe results. You can rely on expert care if you need any type of cosmetic changes. Let’s now learn more about the DIY teeth shaving trend.
What Is Tooth Shaving?
You may be unfamiliar with the term tooth shaving; there are several names for this process, including slenderizing, reshaping, filling, and contouring the teeth. Therefore, the technical term for tooth shaving is odontoplasty or enameloplasty.
Tooth shaving is a cost-effective procedure that involves shaving down the teeth slightly and reducing their size to improve their appearance and achieve the desired shape. Dentists usually recommend this procedure if necessary for the patient, but it is generally performed for cosmetic reasons. In some cases, the dentist may also use a tooth-colored bonding to give the tooth the desired shape.
The DIY Trend
The DIY tooth-shaving trend is becoming increasingly popular online. There are many online videos that show people shaving down all their teeth. They use nail filers, metal strips, and other materials to shave their teeth to get an even and sharper appearance. The desire to get the perfect smile can lead many people to harm their dental health.
So, if you are considering shaving your teeth down, stop immediately. If you are unhappy with your smile appearance, you can visit us at Sunny Isle Dental to schedule an appointment online or call us at (305) 944-7706 for more options.
There are other options that can help you improve your teeth appearance. Your dentist may suggest dental veneers. They are thin coverings applied to the front of an existing and healthy tooth. Dental veneers are a cosmetic solution that helps to cover minor cracks and chips on the teeth. Before the placement, teeth shaving for veneers is done to keep the veneer in place, and it can help with many other dental conditions, like teeth discoloration or gaps.
Don’t get trapped in viral videos showing the after-effects of DIY tooth shaving. Those doing that are getting dental crowns or veneers to cap over the shaved down teeth. So, it’s better to visit a trained and experienced dentist to improve the appearance of your teeth. Remember, damage can be permanent, and you’ll regret doing that afterward.
DIY teeth shaving requires proper knowledge, and most of us lack the knowledge that a trained dentist has. Always seek help from professionals before trying any DIY.
Risks of Shaving Your Teeth
Feeling self-conscious about your smile and teeth appearance is normal, and you must have considered teeth shaving to get the desired results. It may seem like an easy job that you can DIY, but that isn’t the case every time. If you have seen some videos or hacks to shave your teeth, you may be excited to do so. However, you should understand that you are not a professional, and improper tooth reshaping can lead to damage to the enamel and the risk of tooth decay.
Teeth shaving has risks and can harm your smile permanently because enamel can’t grow back. The enamel is the hard coating that protects your teeth’s inner area, including pulp and dentin, which are the most essential parts of a tooth that help shield against tooth decay. When your enamel is damaged, your tooth is more exposed to tooth sensitivity and the development of tooth infections and cavities. Also, enamel damage can lead to teeth staining and a higher risk of cracks or chips.
Therefore, you should visit a professionally trained dental provider who can shave your teeth in a professional medical setting without damaging your tooth enamel. Tooth enamel is only 2.58 mm thick on average, and only a dentist can shave the outermost thin layer without damaging the tooth enamel.
Also, not everyone is a good candidate for odontoplasty. Your dentist may suggest you some safer options to improve your smile.
A dental crown can help cover the shaved teeth and protect them from further damage. If a patient has badly worn teeth, shaving teeth is a bad idea, and you may need tooth reconstruction to prevent further damage to the teeth or exposure to infection. So, avoid shaving your teeth on your own and visit your nearby dentist. You can schedule an appointment online or call us at (305) 944-7706.
Alternatives to Shaving Teeth
There are several other options available, and they can provide you with the beautiful smile that you have been seeking. Two of the most preferred options include:
Composite Bonding
Composite bonding is a pretty much pain-free procedure in which your teeth are coated with a tooth-coloured resin material that solidifies under light. This treatment can quickly correct minor defects such as chips and gaps and does not require major tooth preparation.
Porcelain Veneers
Amalgam or other fillings are replaced by veneers, an excellent substitute for tooth shaving. They offer a long-lasting aesthetic that mimics your natural teeth, allowing you to have a beautiful smile without pulling your natural teeth.
Types of Teeth Shaving Procedures
Some of the techniques involved in teeth shaving may be explained as follows;
Occlusal Equilibration: Your dentist begins to alter the contours of your cusps, which are located in the back teeth and play a major role in biting foods. When these teeth do not come together correctly in terms of length or surfaces, a patient may have very high wear, muscle spasms, or TMJ. Teeth shaving basically makes a denture produce more balance, and the teeth will effortlessly rest on the opposite teeth.
Recontouring: Another aesthetic treatment is recontouring, in which the enamel of the patient’s teeth is scraped using a tool or gel to achieve a more desirable shape if the teeth look twisted or uneven.
A Crown: A crown may be used after a root canal or as a restoration for a broken tooth. In preparation, some of the enamel is removed and shaped to create room for crown placement. Some dental clinics like us offers same day crown.
Veneers: Dental veneers are purely aesthetic and are only placed on the front part of the teeth. These porcelain or enamel-created parts resemble your natural teeth, so you will have no reason to segregate them. They are first painted on the outer surface of the tooth, and after that, shaving teeth for veneers is done to attach the veneers to your teeth.
To learn more about restorative and cosmetic procedures, contact our Dental Office in Sunny Isles Beach, FL, today. Our dentists can help you determine a healthy and safe treatment plan.
