Honestly, you'd think they'd cover it more thoroughly, but from what I've seen, dental health barely gets a mention in most school curriculums. It's usually just "brush your teeth twice a day" and that's about it. Considering how much misinformation is floating around online (like these DIY braces hacks—yikes), schools really need to step up their game. Maybe bringing in actual dentists or orthodontists to talk about real-life consequences could make a difference... teens might actually listen if they see the reality firsthand.
"Maybe bringing in actual dentists or orthodontists to talk about real-life consequences could make a difference..."
This is exactly what worries me. I remember doing a school visit once, and when I showed some real (but mild!) examples of DIY braces gone wrong, half the class looked genuinely shocked. One kid even told me afterward he was about to try rubber bands at home... scary stuff. Makes me wonder—are parents aware of how common this is getting, or is it mostly flying under the radar?
Honestly, reading this makes me cringe a bit because I almost fell into that trap myself. When I was younger, my cousin convinced me rubber bands would fix my gap overnight... luckily my mom caught me before bedtime.
Pretty sure most parents have no clue—I know mine didn't until that night."Makes me wonder—are parents aware of how common this is getting, or is it mostly flying under the radar?"
"Pretty sure most parents have no clue—I know mine didn't until that night."
Haha, your rubber band story brought back some memories. Back in my day (yeah, I'm old enough to say that now), we didn't have TikTok or YouTube, but we still managed to come up with some pretty questionable DIY dental hacks. I remember my buddy Jimmy once tried to straighten his front tooth with fishing line and a doorknob—no joke. Thankfully, his dad walked in just as he was about to slam the door shut. Jimmy's teeth survived, but his pride... not so much.
Honestly though, I think parents today might be even more out of the loop because these trends spread so quietly online. My daughter had to explain "viral challenges" to me last year, and I felt ancient. Makes me wonder if dentists are seeing more of these DIY disasters lately or if it's just getting more media attention?
Haha, your buddy Jimmy sounds exactly like my cousin—he once tried something similar with floss and a skateboard. Didn't end well, obviously. But yeah, I bet dentists are seeing more of this stuff now... or maybe they're just better at sharing horror stories online?
