HEALTH & WELLBEING
Dental ‘ hacks ’ on social media
with Miranda Huxtable Practice Manager Round Corner Dental
There has been increasing concern among health professionals about content creators claiming to be ‘ experts ’ and sharing advice on health issues , including diet , mental health and DIY home dentistry .
There are now videos with millions of downloads on how to ‘ bleach ’ your teeth using a variety of substances not recommended by dentists , methods of filing teeth down with household tools and objects to change their shape and alignment , attempting to perform extractions at home , DIY orthodontic aligners and many others .
The consequences of DIY dentistry can be harmful , both for immediate and long-term dental health . The repairs could be incredibly expensive .
Some videos promote selfbleaching using lemon juice and baking soda . This can severely damage the protective enamel on our teeth , which can lead to sensitivity , a much higher risk of decay and discolouration .
Filing teeth down also strips the protective enamel and can cause the teeth to shift .
DIY extractions are incredibly risky and can cause harm to adjacent teeth , nerve damage and jawbone fractures . Even using abrasive toothpaste can do extensive damage to the teeth and gums .
The only 30 second tricks or hacks on social media should be about flossing , brushing or eating less sugar , says Dr . Greg Miller from the Australian Dental Foundation .
These videos are targeting mostly young people , including children at school . Followers of these trends often try these dangerous practices at home without any idea of the true cost . Dentistry should only ever be provided by a qualified professional , so save TikTok for dancing and book with us today !
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Diagnosed Facet Joint Disease – not a sentence for eternal back pain with Andreas Klein
I often see facet joint arthritis on scan reports in clinic . Research shows 15-45 % of neck pain , 48 % of thoracic pain and 54-67 % of lower back pain can be attributed to facet joint arthritis , while pain may also be referred to areas such as the head , arms , chest wall , buttocks , and legs . 1
So , what are facet joints and why might arthritis cause pain ? The picture below shows that individual vertebra is joined by two types of joints : a disc joint ; and 2 facet joints .
Facet joints take only a small amount of your bodyweight . Their main job is to guide & limit movement of spine , preventing excessive rotation & forward bending , protecting vertebrae from sheer ( forwardpulling ) forces . Facet joints have a good nerve supply . If they become inflamed due to degenerative changes of age-related wearand-tear , pain can result . But which type of back-pain can such facet joints cause ?
Incredibly careful research on back pain sufferers shows that it is impossible to ‘ clinically ’ determine any ‘ typical pattern ’ of pain referral due to facet joint arthritis . 2 Facet joints ‘ can ’ be established as the source of some chronic back pain but only via a complex procedure called a diagnostic block . Otherwise , it is difficult to say whether facet-joint arthritis is the source of a person ’ s back pain or not . The best we can do is say ‘ maybe ’!
Although anti-inflammatory drugs are often prescribed as first line treatment when facet joint disease is suspected 3 , radiofrequency neurotomy ( cutting the nerve to the joint ) or a lumbar facet joint nerve block ( anaesthetic injection ) are currently the only medically validated treatments for true facet joint pain 4 . Importantly , both the diagnosis & the validated treatments are complex , very invasive & not without risk .
The good news ? Even when antiinflammatory drugs have failed , many people with facet joint arthritis and back pain typically respond well to muscle elongation therapy . Specific manual therapy techniques , can reduce pain & inflammation , often removing need for ongoing medications .
If you have a problem with back pain , why not talk to me on 0418 166 269 .
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 108 // JUNE 2024 19