Cannot be Emphasized Enough

Dentist, Patient Warn Against DIY Dentistry.

Stating that “do-it-yourself dentistry is ruining mouths and costing families a lot of money,” WINK-TV Fort Myers, FL (11/16, Frampton) shared the experience of Nancy Kate Barr from Cape Coral, Florida, who attempted to make replacement retainers through a company she found online. After using the retainer kit mailed to her and being told by the company that she had made the impressions “completely wrong,” Barr instead received help from Dr. Phillip Kraver, a Cape Coral dentist and a member of the Florida Dental Association. “When you talk about DIY dentistry, there are a lot of different ways patients take matters into their own hands for their oral health,” said Dr. Kraver. He “says online methods that claim to straighten your teeth can actually do a lot of damage,” resulting in lost teeth and expensive repairs for some. In addition, Dr. Kraver says his practice is seeing patients with “a lot of enamel wear and gum recession from aggressive brushing with very strong whiteners,” including activated charcoal pastes. Rather than attempting DIY methods to straighten or whiten teeth, Dr. Kraver advises visiting a dentist’s office. “We can guide you through treatment that will give you the best ultimate outcomes,” Dr. Kraver said.

Dentists can refer patients to www.mouthhealthy.org/DIYdentistry, ADA’s consumer website, for information on direct-to-consumer dentistry, also referred to as DIY dentistry