Pins And Pliers In DIY Dentistry
By scorpio19
@scorpio19 (1363)
February 12, 2009 3:43am CST
Reported in the news today is a poll which has found almost one in 10 people have tried DIY dentistry, using an array of household implements including pliers, pins and superglue.
Around a quarter of those who decided to treat themselves had attempted to remove a tooth with pliers.
Three in 10 tried to whiten their own teeth using household products, and 12% attempted to take a tooth out using a string tied to a door handle.
Other DIY procedures people admitted to include using household glue to stick down a filling or crown (11%) and popping an ulcer with a pin (19%).
Eight per cent had tried to mend or alter dentures and 6% had attempted to stick down a loose filling with chewing gum (6 per cent).
Amazing!!!
I hate the dentist but do go for my children's sake too, I don't want them to have a fear of dentists but many people are terrified to go and resort to DIY,
So, have you got stories to share of DIY dentistry, either you've done on yourself or know of someone who's done this ?
8 responses
@guybrush (4658)
• Australia
13 Feb 09
Sadly, Scorpio, an old lad in our area DID try the pliers jobbie a few years ago after he'd been on the dental waiting list for so long and was in terrible pain. It's absolutely dreadful nobody would help him - he actually recorded himself pulling the tooth out, whilst sobbing and howling - and it was played on the radio (over and over) - in order to shame the government into taking some action. The waiting list in this country is sometimes up to TWO YEARS for people who can't afford to pay up front and have to go to the clinic - criminally unfair. Our family has health cover for dental treatment, but even so, it only pays about half, so we are still left with substantial bills whenever we have something done. I'd LOVE to have the nerve to do my own dentistry ... but seeing as I'm even crap with a sewing machine, I'd probably knock my own head off or break my jaw or something.
1 person likes this
@scorpio19 (1363)
•
13 Feb 09
Hi guybrush,
How awful for that poor young man and did it shame the government ? we are under the national health service and I asked my dentist to srap and polish my teeth last time I visited and you know she said she couldn't under the NHS I was shocked..so now I pay for myself to get a better service...it's terrible.
@scorpio19 (1363)
•
13 Feb 09
That's sadly always the case, your right there, the community steps up because the government won't. We don't really have to much trouble in this part of the country getting a dentist on the NHS but it's the service that we get from it and the distance we have to travel to get to one, it's terrible.
@Humbug25 (12540)
•
12 Feb 09
Hi there scorpio19
Ooooh this makes me squirm reading this!! I can't imagine the damage you could incurr by doing such a thing. I had a boyfriend who claimed he took his own tooth out using pliers. I can't remember if he said why he didn't go to the dentist but said that he had cronic tooth ache so sorted the problem out himself. Ugh, I could never do that and would never attempt to carry out such things on anybody else! I guess I am lucky that I don't have a fear of the dentist, I'm saying that visiting the dentist is one of my favourite pastimes but I just don't have a problem with it!
@scorpio19 (1363)
•
12 Feb 09
Hiya Humbug,
I don't know how people inflict pain on themselves, I'm very lucky with my teeth and haven't had much problems with them but fancy pulling on of you own out like you boyfriend.
I wish I was like you and had no fear, it's a real drama for me to go mentally, although I do every 6 months, mainly for my kids.
My daughter knocked her two front teeth out back in the summer holidays, so we have had to go the dentist quite a bit and I've seen most of the procedures they do and I think it's done me the world of good because I sit there now and think is that it, I must get it out of proportion in my head thinking about what it will be like and not what it's actually like.
@scorpio19 (1363)
•
12 Feb 09
"one of your own out like your" should say hun...honestly and I checked it before I posted it..lol
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
12 Feb 09
I hate hate hate the dentist. I would never do any of that at home though. Knowing my luck I would make the situation worse.
1 person likes this
@scorpio19 (1363)
•
13 Feb 09
Hi sedel1027,
Yes I detest the dentist too but do go, if in pain I wouldn't resort to doing anything myself.
@scorpio19 (1363)
•
13 Feb 09
Hi Amberina,
I think that is the main reason people do their own teeth, money, also some people have a real fear of going.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
1 Mar 09
When we first came here we couldn't get an NHS dentist so we did scrape our teeth in lieu of the hygienist. But DIY proper dentistry. Not thanks. There's always somewhere that will take you as an emergency. I've popped non-mouth ulcers/blisters before though. Yuk. What a thought. LOL.
1 person likes this
@scorpio19 (1363)
•
2 Mar 09
I agree the emergency will always see you, although they give you a sermon for not having a regular dentist..a telling off I can put up with if I'm in pain before I get to see the emergency dentist rather than performing anything myself..ouch!
@KatieDidit (989)
• United States
1 Mar 09
I haven't done my own dentistry but I have a cousin who did. She was in a car accident and had a couple of front teeth knocked out. I can't remember why but there was a reason she had to wait to get implants. In the meantime she didn't want to go without teeth so she made her own dentures. They were so good and natural looking that her dentist was extremely impressed and encourage her to go into the career field to make dentures for others.
She however wasn't that impressed with herself. When anyone complimented her work she just said "yeah, I'm creative as hell." 
1 person likes this
@scorpio19 (1363)
•
2 Mar 09
Hi KatieDidit,
well done to your cousin, I'm left wondering what she used and exactly how she did it. Thanks for response.
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
12 Feb 09
Hi scorpio,
Gosh!! that sounds more painful then the dentist itself, I don't mind the dentist, its not that bad once you are sitting in that chair, but I think the worst part is sitting in the waiting room looking ate patients looking pertrified. Love and hugs.
Tamara
xxxx
1 person likes this
@scorpio19 (1363)
•
12 Feb 09
Hiya Tamara,
Doesn't it sound horrendous, makes me grateful we have dentists..lol..it is the getting myself there, once I'm in the dentist chair I'm fine.
@misskit (289)
• United States
12 Feb 09
I think sometimes it has to do with a fear of dentist and pain, and the inability to pay the dental bill.
I remember when my sister and I were kids and a baby tooth was loose, we use to try the string and doorknob thing. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.
We wanted to tooth out right then so that we could get our quarter from the tooth fairy that night. LOLOLOL
I pulled a couple of my own teeth when they were so loose they were about to fall out on their own, and all it took was a wiggled or two or three with my fingers for them to just pop out. I never used pliers or anything like that, and I remember a time or two I stuffed cotton into holes in teeth where a filling had fallen out, just so that I could get to the dentist without pain in the tooth.
We do strange things sometimes, to save money. LOL
1 person likes this
@scorpio19 (1363)
•
12 Feb 09
Hi misskit,
We certainly do do strange things to save a penny or two, I remember doing exactly that when we were children just to get the money off the tooth fairy...lol
