There is yet another TikTok trend that doctors have to debunk. This one isn't about curing strep throat or eating cat food (thank the Lord). This trend consists of people attempting to do dental work on themselves. At home. Because why not?

As it turns out, there are actually many "why nots". TikTokers are trying to bleach their own teeth with hydrogen peroxide, tying rubber bands around them to try and perfect the alignment, and shaping their teeth with nail files and sandpaper. Read that again. Sandpaper.

This TikTok dude filmed his daily journey of using hydrogen peroxide to whiten his teeth. I thought this might be a joke at first, but he really squirts that stuff right in his mouth and swishes it all around. On day 2, he took his followers' advice and mixed it with water, which is a slight improvement. But his updates stopped after day 3.

Dr Stephen Liew, the federal president of the Australian Dental Association, said these trends are "catastrophic" and lead to "severe long-term consequences" that can be difficult to reverse. Regarding the DIY bleaching trend, Liew said, "There are cases where use of the wrong concentration of bleach has killed the tooth and when that happens you end in pain and usually require root canal therapy."

Though dentists can use bleach when whitening teeth, the Therapeutic Goods Association controls the levels of bleach used by dentists for safety. Hydrogen peroxide is only safe for teeth in very small doses. Dr. Jeffrey Kho, another Australian dentist, said one of the worst trends he's seen is people attempting to clean their own gums with a scaler hook purchased online, which causes damage to gums, recession, and sensitivity.

My friends, I think this goes without saying but...please don't drink bleach. Just go to the dentist. I'm begging you.

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Lily is a Zoomer college dropout who somehow landed a writing gig here at LwC.com. In her spare time, she enjoys going for runs, touching grass, and occasionally tweeting tweets for fellow tweeters.

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