tooth trendsMost people brush their teeth, floss and use mouthwash in order to keep their smile looking its best. There are others who will also add a whitening routine into the mix in order to make their smile standout. Then there are those who engage in risky procedures in order to obtain what they feel is the perfect smile. Enjoy the article and thank you for visiting Personal Endodontics.

The basics of dental health aren’t all that complicated: Brush and floss daily, limit cavity-causing sugary snacks, don’t smoke and schedule regular visits to your dentist. For some people, though, things get a little trickier. Maybe they opt to straighten “imperfect” smiles or whiten their less-than-sparkling pearly whites.

But others still take dentistry to the land of the extreme, unsafe and just plain weird. Read up on the health risks of these out-there dental procedures.

Widening an Existing Gap

While “America’s Next Top Model” is now notorious for its often extreme makeovers (lookin’ at you, invisible eyebrows) and the contestants’ extreme reactions to them, Tyra Banks outdid herself during cycle 15 of the reality TV show when she asked for the existing gap between a model’s two front teeth to be widened.

“Of course, I will do anything that [Banks] thinks looks good,” the contestant says in this clip (skip forward to about 2:20). While we certainly appreciate the beauty in an unconventional smile, widening a gap could lead to bigger tooth problems or hamper proper jaw growth.

Tooth Reshaping

Whether it’s due to the Twilight craze, or if this body modification trend has been around since Dracula’s days, reshaping your teeth to look like fangs carries some real risks. Removing too much of a tooth’s enamel can leave it extra sensitive to hot and cold, according to Web MD, as well as weakened and vulnerable to breaking, according to Everyday Health.

“We strongly caution people against altering their teeth because of a fad,” Dr. Matthew Messina, a Cleveland-area dentist and American Dental Association advisor said in a press release. “Filing teeth weakens tooth structure and, if the person later changes his mind, restoring teeth to their natural shape can be costly.”

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