Is Do-It-Yourself Dentistry a Good Idea?

On 08.18.08, In Featured, by

Of course it’s not. I could end this post on that note, but I found a great video illustrating my point. This video is not for the squeamish, so let that be a warning. For the rest of you, have a look, and see how a growing number of people the world over are dealing with increasing dental care costs and loss of insurance coverage.

Your Reactions

Could you envision yourself ever resorting to Do-It-Yourself dentistry? How do you deal with rising dental care costs? How have you and/or your family been effected?

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Cory Kemp

Hi, I'm Cory - the guy behind Dental Heroes. I'm not a dentist, but I do love everything dental care(call me crazy). I strive to provide oral health information and news in a way that lay people, such as myself can understand.

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  • http://blog.teethremoval.com wisdom

    It is sad that people are resorting to doing dental procedures on themselves. Not a good idea at all in my opinion.

    wisdoms last blog post..Swimming Causes More Dentist Trips?

  • http://www.juniordentist.com Varun

    I think that self dentistry is becoming more and more common now because of the high cost and next reason being the fear of pain as most of the patients fear dentists more that ghosts. . . . . .

    Varuns last blog post..Impression

    • http://www.dentalheroes.com drdental

      I agree that self-dentistry is increasing largely due to the high cost of care. However, I’d love to hear your explanation for fear of dentists as a secondary reason for the increase in self-dentistry. Have you noticed that fear of seeing a dentist is becoming a bigger problem now than in the past? If so, what do you think explains that?

  • http://www.juniordentist.com Varun

    I do not say that fear is a bigger problem now as the use of anesthetics has decreased the discomfort of the patients, and also many patients i have known and seen fear being injected, And when u come to dentistry they are being injected in the mouth(which is really scary). And also the use of many dangerous looking instruments(to the patients) working in such close proximity to the patients face certainly induce fear in a human.
    Hope i am clear in explaining. . .
    Thanks,
    Varun

    Varuns last blog post..Impression

    • http://www.dentalheroes.com drdental

      Varun, that makes complete sense. Thanks for clarifying.

  • http://www.thewwwblog.com/ Chetan

    If you read my last blog post, you might get it on how people still fear and how dentists face the problem due to it.
    DIY dentistry is not bad for people, but dentists are hit due to it.

    • http://www.dentalheroes.com drdental

      I’m a little bit confused, Chetan. I think you’re making a couple points here. To address the first point, I do think that some dentists are addressing dental phobias, but the fact that millions of people still have dental phobias – and the absence of a major dental phobia awareness campaign or something of that nature leads me to believe that not enough is being done.

      To your second point, I respectfully disagree that DIY Dentistry is ok. DIY Dentistry to me represents substandard, unregulated work. That’s rarely, if ever, a good thing. I think ordinary citizens doing the work meant for professionals is a mistake.

  • http://www.juniordentist.com/ Varun

    DIY can progress the disease which they are trying to treat by themselves,
    I heard in many places that ‘Half knowledge is dangerous’

    • http://www.dentalheroes.com drdental

      That’s very true, Varun. I’ve always been a firm believer that somethings are just better left to professionals, and dental care is one such thing.

  • just passing by

    I am about to start pulling my own teeth do to decay and a cavity in my back tooth and take out another that has a filling do the cost of care its truly out of this world self surgery its becoming the norm in a lot of places i live in the USA

  • chris

    to all these people saying that i wouldnt do it yourself, well i hate to break it to u but some people dont have a choice to goto a dentist and prevent further infection. gee imagine that, not everyone has mommy and daddy or a dental plan to goto
    tell us something we dont already know. i think everyone knows that obviously its dangerous, and obviously if u are a spoiled brat its better to goto a dentist, but doing ur own dentist work is better then just letting ur teeth rot and do nothing ( for those of us that DONT have a choice) but for those of u that DO have the choice why would u ever even consider ur own dentist work? what so u cant buy a ps3 and eat lobsters for a couple of weeks?
    fear being a reason why u dont goto a dentist!!?? hhahahahhaha wow i wish i had ur problems hahahahhahahahahahahahaha
    give me a break are people really that oblivious

  • Tiran Walley

    YES… I think some people do preform their own oral care at home,because i once done it myself.But my tool of choice was only oral-gel.If they could some how forget about the pain,which is almost impossibe.Someone should tell them to go to a dental clinic.It should not be totally free,but it is extreemly cheaper.

  • Dentist

    5, i pulled 5. on my own.

  • isBubba

    drdental – you said:
    “I think ordinary citizens doing the work meant for professionals is a mistake.”

    That is absurd. Who, other than supporters of the dental industry, declared that work on your teeth was “meant” only for “professionals?” Mankind survived thousands of years doing their own dental work. The fact that a school dubs you a “professional” doesn’t mean that you are any more qualified than someone self taught. I’ll grant that not many people desire to teach themselves dentistry, but I’ll wager that those who do with intent to self practice, are quite motivated. The notion that schools are the only source of schooling is absurd.

    • http://www.dentalheroes.com Cory Kemp

      isbubba, I think most rational human beings would agree that skilled healthcare is better left to the professionals. You’re right, mankind did do their own dental work for thousands of years. I’d ask you to look at the condition of their teeth. Your argument would quickly fall apart.

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