DIY Dentistry vs Doctor



DIY Dentistry vs Doctor
With all the DIY techniques and tips available to view as a video demonstration from carpentry to dentistry it makes me wonder why people don’t value the advice from a Dentist? Do it yourself dentistry or assisted dentistry has been performed by laymen as a poor alternative to professional care. Carrying out technical procedures by uneducated and untrained individuals oftentimes ends in disastrous results. Inside Edition episode April 16, 2015 showed the debilitating effects of DIY dentistry nightmares. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq_Tii5LD8c

In many instances individual patients require special instrumentation or materials to perform their treatment, not all cavities or people are exactly the same.  With that in mind, I’ve seen temporary fillings sold in pharmacies and temporary crowns for fabrication on Amazon. Dental instruments such as scalers, that work by utilizing the sharp edge to remove calculus and tartar from teeth, are also freely available for anyone to buy.  There are countless YouTuber’s performing tooth movements with simple hair rubber bands which, has a disastrous result in many instances. Now, full arch, unsupervised orthodontia, via “tooth aligners” is popping up everywhere; at your local pharmacy or mall kiosk. This is equivalent to asking a plumber to fix one’s gastroesophageal reflux or having a nephrologist repair your heart valve. Who would volunteer to do that? To have an invasive surgical cardiac prosthetic performed by an untrained professional? That example would even be a better option rather than the first example because at least a trained physician with knowledge of the anatomy and bodily functions, performs the procedure.  


I’ve seen several individuals attempt to extract their own teeth, however they wouldn’t be coming to me if they had been successful. There is a reason that individuals like myself train and become proficient in performing highly skilled surgical techniques on individuals. In many instances’ patients would profess “Hey doc that only took you a few minutes to get that tooth out, why isn’t the cost less?” My reply “I could sit here and fiddle around with this but I know you wouldn’t like that, the skill I have acquired to do this quickly is what you’re paying me for” Often times the patient’s perception of their own needs aren’t always correct. 
Obtain a second opinion to either confirm the first or to decide to get a third opinion to gather more information about your condition and your needs. 
Education and experience to become a dentist and perform delicate dental treatment should be the professionals we seek for advice and care. On that note I will say ttfn!

The Girldoc😉


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