Amos Dudley has been making headlines for the past week because he decided to carry out his own orthodontic treatment using his college’s 3D printer to make a set of aligners; however, a dentist has been speaking to The Irish News about the reasons this is a very bad idea. Dentist Lucy Stock wrote a piece for the paper about this ‘worrying’ new trend, where people forego a visit to the orthodontist and instead try their own dental work at home using various techniques.
Referring to the many YouTube videos on the topic, Lucy – who works at Gentle Dental Care, in Belfast – warns against these DIY attempts to straighten teeth, saying that the techniques are ‘questionable, at best, and possibly illegal’.
The American Orthodontics Association has reacted to the increase in DIY dentistry by releasing a statement urging ‘anyone considering any type of teeth –straightening procedure to see an orthodontic specialist’ in order to avoid the risks that could come with using unsuitable products to move the teeth. The AAO explained that people might think closing one gap up is easy but this can lead to tooth movement in other places on the jaw, affecting the bite, tooth wear, and possibly causing pain later on.