There have been many articles over the years that have looked at the impact of social media on modern life. Often these look at issues such as grooming of young children and the dangers for political stability. Social media can also have an impact on our health, as can be seen by some of the conspiracy theories that ran rife during the Covid 19 pandemic. Most people would prefer some form of control on this type of information but it is obviously a complex issue.
A similar impact has also been noticed in the world of dental care. Whether this is through people wanting to improve their smile, sometimes due to peer pressure from other social media users, or through suggesting ‘alternative dentistry’, usually for cosmetic issues. As we will soon see, this kind of information can have damaging and long lasting results for any of our Witham patients who attempt to follow it.
This often affects the younger generation, although not exclusively. People may join groups, hoping to discuss ways that they can improve their appearance, but unfortunately, while some people will offer genuine advice, it seems there are a small minority that set out to damage people’s confidence as much as they possibly can. Unpleasant comments about a person’s teeth, for example, can really set their confidence back a long way. This is often made worse when others ‘pile on’ with their own negative comments, making the initial poster even less confident about themselves.
Of course, this has gone on in schools for a long time and any form of bullying and shaming such as this can have a negative effect. There is little doubt though that social media has made things much worse, allowing anonymous people to comment and the school bullies to continue even after the school gates have been locked.
A more recent factor that can cause harm is the rise of the ‘influencer’. These are often attractive people who offer advice and tips about many things, including beauty tips. While some of this information might be helpful, they also often recommend products and treatment suggestions that can have devastating effects. It is important to remember, if you are considering buying a product they have suggested, in nearly all cases, they will have been paid for doing so and may not use the product themselves outside of any videos that they make promoting it.
The two areas related to dentistry that often cause most concern are the teeth whitening and orthodontic advice. Very rarely will they tell you to do what you really should do; i.e. see a qualified dentist such as those at Blake Dental in Witham, but instead push products such as fringe charcoal toothpastes which contain abrasive ingredients that ‘scrub’ stains from your teeth. While this might work in the short term, the longer term effect is that your tooth enamel will become worn and your teeth may become very sensitive and painful, particularly when used over-zealously. Ironically, this also means that the tooth surface becomes rough and staining products will attach more easily to them, making the situation worse than when you started.
The other issue is that there are now a number of ‘online orthodontics’ being offered. Some of these might be well intentioned while others simply offer useless products that could cause significant damage to your teeth and gums. Leaving the latter aside, even the possibly well intentioned ones simply can’t offer the service that a dentist can.
A simple case in point is that while these sometimes enable you to take impressions of your teeth for the orthodontic trays to be made, this can be quite tricky to do and you may not receive accurate trays. The other issue is that any reputable dentist would need to do a thorough examination of your teeth to make sure that there were no other problems that needed treating first. There would be little point in trying to straighten your teeth if problems like tooth decay or gum disease were present. The orthodontic treatment may even be painful if this is the case.
Then there are the ridiculous (and dangerous) suggestions such as making your own dental braces using elastic bands and whitening your teeth with household bleach. If you ever see anything like this suggested, delete it .. it really is dangerous and not worth the risk.
If you are feeling anxious or stressed because you are unhappy with the way that your teeth look, the only sensible piece of advice is to see our experienced cosmetic dentists who will be able to help you. We offer a custom orthodontic service to help you, whether you need significant teeth straightening carried out or simply require a minor adjustment to improve a smile. We also offer a fast acting and, most importantly, safe, teeth whitening treatment to help you have a nicer and brighter smile again. All of our treatments are safe, while not all of those you see on social media are. Many can have significant repercussions throughout your life. It really isn’t worth the risk.
If finance is an issue, please talk to us before doing anything drastic. We have a number of payment plans to help you spread the cost of any treatment over a period of time. We are happy to discuss this if it is an issue for you.
For any cosmetic improvements that you are looking for, or for help with any dental issues you might be having, please arrange a consultation with us by calling Blake Dental on 01376 501688.
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Katie Annabel Blake trading as Blake Dental is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Financing First Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Katie Annabel Blake is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Financing First Limited may not be so authorised and regulated.
