health officials in the u.k. are warning weary residents not to make do-it-yourself dentistry the next big trend of the pandemic.
in a study of 2,000 people, conducted by the
oral health foundation
in cooperation with colgate, almost 25 per cent of respondents admitted to trying to fix their own teeth over the past year, with another 55 per cent acknowledging their oral health has been lacking bite. just under 20 per cent said they were not even brushing twice a day.
“diy home dentistry is a terrible idea and should be avoided at all costs,” nigel carter, the foundation’s chief executive,
told the daily mail
. “home treatments in untrained hands often comprise of shortcuts that come with added dangers and can lead to permanent damage to your health. if you are experiencing any problems with your mouth, like toothache, the best thing you can do is book an appointment with your dentist.
“your dental team can spot diseases like tooth decay in the early stages and treat it before it gets worse, when you might need a filling or have the tooth taken out.”
the advice comes a little late for chris savage, a father of three from portsmouth, who told
the news
he drank eight pints of stella artois and got to work after failing to find a dentist last fall. “nobody wants to take part of their own face away with a set of pliers with no real painkiller,” he said. “i put the pliers on my tooth and the second i did that it hurt, so i took them away, waited five minutes, built up again and then thought i’ve just got to do it.”
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