Ten viral TikTok dental trends, including rubber band teeth, Turkey teeth implants, and DIY teeth filing, are causing permanent damage to teeth and gums that cannot be reversed, according to dental experts who warn these trends have accumulated over 43 million combined views.
- Rubber band teeth (13M views) can slip below the gumline, cut off blood supply, and cause total tooth loss.
- Turkey teeth (10.4M views) involves filing healthy teeth down to stumps, causing permanent nerve damage and infections that often appear after patients return home.
- Bleach teeth (5.8M views) uses concentrated hydrogen peroxide that burns soft tissues and causes permanent enamel sensitivity and degradation.
- DIY teeth filing (1.1M views) permanently removes enamel that never regenerates, leading to sensitivity and higher decay risk.
- Dentists warn that irreversible damage to enamel, gums, roots, and nerves distinguishes the most dangerous trends, as these structures cannot return to their original state once damaged.
From wrapping rubber bands around teeth to close gaps to filing down enamel with a nail file, TikTok's dental "hacks" have racked up over 43 million combined views across the top 10 trends alone, and dentists are seeing the fallout firsthand.
With searches for “TikTok dental trends” soaring by 1,205% over the past five years and searches for “What are Turkey teeth implants?” up 250% in the last 90 days alone, dental experts at Bayside Dental Arts reveal the riskiest dental trends taking over TikTok.
Dr. Andrey Ilyabayev sees the aftermath of these trends in his chair: nerve damage, extractions, and enamel that can never be restored.
So which viral dental trends are racking up the most views, and which ones actually warrant a warning?
1. Rubber band teeth (13M views)
People wrap rubber bands or hair elastics around teeth to close gaps or shift alignment without braces. Dentists warn the band can slip below the gumline, cut into the gums, and pull the tooth out of its socket entirely, a well-documented cause of ER visits and tooth loss.
Dr. Andrey Ilyabayev: "The logic is innocuous enough. Wrap a rubber band around two teeth, gently press on them, and create space. What makes this problematic is the fact that rubber bands have a tendency to move. A rubber band can slip beneath the gum line, circle the root of the tooth, and cut off its blood supply, leading to total tooth loss, a pattern of injury that is well documented. The safest choice would be to have a consultation with your dentist and look at options like clear aligners or braces to properly treat teeth alignment.”
2. Turkey teeth (10.4M views)
Slang for cheap, aggressive crown and veneer procedures via dental tourism (originally Turkey), where healthy teeth are filed down to stumps to fit crowns. The damage is real and permanent: over-filed teeth, infections, and nerve death, and has led to documented deaths abroad from cut-rate procedures.
Ilyabayev: "The lure is very much there: Cosmetic dental procedures overseas, maybe combined with flights and a hotel booking, for a fraction of the fees charged in America. The issue is not cosmetic dentistry overseas in principle. It is the treatment of your teeth when you get there.
“When people expect to get veneers, they are likely to be prepared for crowns in an aggressive manner. They end up filing healthy teeth down to tiny nubs, and that structure is gone forever. Veneers done properly entail the removal of very little of the enamel. A crown procedure entails filing away a good amount of natural teeth, and they are not recoverable. Problems like nerve damage and infection often crop up only after the patient returns home and out of the reach of the original treating clinic."
3. Bleach teeth (5.8M views)
This trend involves applying raw, undiluted hydrogen peroxide directly to teeth with a cotton swab, often far above the concentration allowed in legal, over-the-counter whitening products. Dentists warn of gum irritation, chemical burns, enamel demineralization, and nerve damage if it seeps into cracks.
Ilyabayev: "It appears that concentrated hydrogen peroxide works on the same principle as professional whiteners, based on the TikTok videos, but this is not the case. Concentrated hydrogen peroxide burns the soft tissues and, when consumed, it becomes toxic. Sensitivity of the enamel caused by its degradation is usually permanent and cannot be undone. Professional whitening uses controlled concentrations that target stains without deteriorating the enamel beneath, something hydrogen peroxide cannot do."
4. Fashion braces (4.9M views)
Decorative, nonfunctional wires and brackets are glued to teeth purely for a "braces look" and are sold as DIY kits online. The American Association of Orthodontists has warned that the hardware can contain toxic metals like cadmium and lead.
Ilyabayev: "Fashion braces have permeated the K-pop aesthetic style and TikTok platform as an entirely visual trend where brightly colored brackets and wires replicate orthodontics without any actual orthodontic use. The brackets are affixed using glue that is not intended for oral use. Should the bracket come loose, there is a risk of choking. The unregulated wires cause cheek and gum irritation and pressure sores on the teeth wherever the appliance lands.
As warned by the American Association of Orthodontists, fashion braces may contain metals such as cadmium and lead, which are hazardous. Two teenagers in Thailand lost their lives due to infections that occurred because of fake braces."
5. Basement braces (2.6M views)
People seeking real orthodontic-style results turn to unlicensed, unqualified individuals working out of homes to avoid the $3,000 to $7,000 cost of professional braces. Dentists consider this a public safety issue distinct from ordinary DIY trends -- it's the unlicensed practice of dentistry.
Ilyabayev: "The biggest difference between basement braces and fashion braces is that there is actually a need in the former. Some people want to fix spacing or overcrowding but don't want to invest in professional care, so they opt for DIY methods like twisted wire, paper clips, rubber bands, or 3D printing from files found on file-sharing websites.
“This is dangerous because moving a tooth within the jaw is a biological process that needs to be monitored and controlled. There is no signal when it starts to move incorrectly until the tooth is even more incorrectly positioned. The uncontrolled force leads to the resorption of roots and loose teeth with permanent damage to the bone."
6. Shein veneers (2M views)
Shein veneers refer to ultra-cheap, off-the-shelf, press-on plastic veneers worn as a costume or novelty over natural teeth. They may have a lower risk than the other trends on this list, since nothing is glued or permanent, but a poor fit can still affect bite and trap bacteria against real teeth with extended wear.
7. Hair flossing (1.5M views)
This trend uses strands of one's own hair in place of dental floss. Gum specialists warn this can cause irreversible gum damage, since hair can shred and lodge below the gumline in a way that floss designed for the task doesn't.
8. DIY teeth filing (1.1M views)
Some users have filmed themselves using a nail file to shave down or reshape tooth enamel at home for a smoother or straighter look. Dentists universally warn that enamel doesn't regenerate once it is removed, leading to permanent sensitivity and a higher decay risk.
Ilyabayev: "There is no such thing as the growing back of enamel once it gets stripped off, regardless of one's age or any other factor. Even with a light filing, there is always the possibility that the enamel can be damaged and expose the underlying dentin, which will result in higher sensitivity to hot and cold foods and decay. Enamel reshaping and contouring are performed in increments of a mm or less. There is no such precision in using a nail file."
9. Gummaxxing (1M views)
Many TikTokkers have tried to sharpen or build the jawline, part of the broader "looksmaxxing" trend, using chewing branded "facial gum" or tough gum repeatedly. The American Association of Orthodontists says jaw-reshaping claims aren't scientifically supported, and dentists warn that hard, prolonged chewing can cause tooth fractures and temporomandibular joint strain.
10. Tooth polish (848K views)
People apply branded, tooth-coating products that create a nail-polish-like painted effect on teeth, marketed as instant, temporary "makeup for your teeth." Dentists flag that the coatings are largely unregulated with no independent clinical testing and can mask underlying discoloration that may signal a real dental issue.
Not every trend on this list carries equal risk
Ilyabayev notes, “Cheap press-on veneers carry meaningfully lower risk than the structural trends here, but they're not risk-free: Poor fit from off-the-shelf sizing can still trap bacteria against teeth and irritate gums with even occasional wear. Basement braces, Turkey teeth, and rubber bands use the patient's real teeth and cause irreversible damage to the structure of their mouth. Irreversibility is a key element that connects the more dangerous side of this list together. Once the gums, enamel, roots, or nerves are damaged, they will never return to their original state."
Methodology
To determine the most popular dental trends in 2026, data were pulled by searching different hashtags, like #rubberband. Trends were then ranked based on the number of views they racked up worldwide as of August 21, 2026.
Dr. Andrey Ilyabayev leads Bayside Dental Arts, a general, cosmetic, and implant dentistry practice in Bayside, NY. A graduate of the New York University College of Dentistry with more than 20 years of experience, Ilyabayev specializes in full-arch dental implants, including All-on-4/6 procedures and same-day teeth, and has built a high-volume implant and cosmetic practice serving patients across Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island. He is a member of the ADA and the Dental Society of the State of New York.
The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.
