There are many aspects of cosmetic upkeep that individuals can take on for themselves—from hair coloring and bleaching to laser hair removal, a variety of devices and techniques have become available to the consumer in recent years.
Folks may feel emboldened to shape up their own eyebrows or give themselves an at-home facial for a spa experience to relieve stress.
Dental care is one aspect of life that many seem to have left up to the professionals. However, one woman has taken to filing down her own teeth using a file to eliminate a chip on her tooth, sparking debate amongst viewers who say only a professional knows when to stop, or that they have done this exact thing themselves.
In a TikTok posted by online fitness coach Samantha (@sweat.w.sam), the poster shows herself filing down one of her front teeth.
“One thing about me is I will file my teeth…not letting that chip just sit there,” a text overlay on the video reads.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Samantha regarding the video via email.
The practice of filing down a tooth to remove any imperfections, known as teeth shaving, is a service offered by many dentists. It can get dicey when attempted by someone who is not a dental professional, as it is possible to irreversibly damage tooth enamel.
Many viewers shared that this would be their main fear, combined with an aversion to the sensation and sound, should they ever attempt something similar.
@sweat.w.sam ♬ why r so many hot people using this – shamelessistherapy
“The sensation and sound would end me!” one commenter wrote. “My dentist uses a rubber buffer costs me like $50.”
“I would be afraid of going to far,” another said.
“If you keep doing that you will file away to your nerve eventually,” a further user warned. “My mom is a dental hygienist and see bad cases of it all of the time.”
Others wrote that they had gone to town on their own teeth with a file to erase any chips and had minimal issues afterward.
“I chipped my tooth. the dentist charged me $120 to barely buff it out and it literally made no difference,” one commented. “I filed my tooth down and the chip is gone.”
“I filed my tooth after I got my braces off cause one was longer and now it’s crooked,” another wrote. “Can’t fix it cause it’ll be too short.”
“I did this during covid when I chipped my tooth smacking it against my water bottle,” someone else said.