In a world where dental bills are sky-high and TikTok makes everything look doable with enough confidence, a troubling trend has emerged: DIY dentistry. From using household items for whitening to straight-up Gorilla Gluing homemade braces to their teeth, people are taking dental care into their own hands—with seriously horrifying results.

It’s not hard to see how we got here. Dental care is expensive, often inaccessible, and rarely covered by insurance. But the desperation to save money has driven some into dangerous territory. Viral DIY dentistry trends now include things like filing down teeth for a straighter smile, whitening with Magic Erasers, attempting to treat cavities with vitamins, and worst of all, securing mail-order braces kits with hardware-store materials.

Australian dentist Dr. Sam Koh recently spoke of a patient whose teeth were literally being held together with glue. “He had plaque, tartar, and decay everywhere,” Koh told 7News, adding that the patient had lived for years with infections and abscesses—just popping them himself instead of seeking care.

Another case involved someone filing their own teeth to achieve an even look. Dr. Heath Fraser, another Australian dentist, called the trend “highly irresponsible.” “Once enamel is gone, it’s gone,” he explained. “Even when done professionally, there’s a risk.” But when done with a nail file or sandpaper in a bathroom mirror? That’s a recipe for pain, infection, and long-term damage.

The consequences of these viral stunts are anything but temporary. People are reporting severe tooth sensitivity, inflamed gums, uneven bite alignment, and recurring infections from using non-sterile tools. Long-term effects can include irreversible enamel loss, root canal complications, chronic periodontal disease, and even bone loss in the jaw.

And while the whole point of DIY dentistry is to save money, many people end up spending more than they would have on preventive care. Emergency dental procedures, multiple corrective treatments, and extensive restoration work often follow these at-home disasters, sometimes driving up insurance premiums in the process.

Dentists understand that the cost of care is a real barrier. But no viral hack is worth trading your smile for a lifetime of dental trauma. DIY might work for your bookshelf, but your molars deserve a professional.