Don’t Be Caught Out By Social Media ‘Influencers’

Social media can be useful, but it can also communicate potentially harmful advice.

Whilst there may be some of our Swadlincote, Burton and Ashby patients who refuse, point blank, to use social media; for most people it is a great way to stay in touch with others and also to keep up to date with certain hobbies and interests. By and large, this is a useful addition to our daily lives, but of course, not everything that we see on social media is necessarily true, or even safe.

One increasingly used tactic by manufacturers is to use ‘influencers’ to promote their products. These are usually young social media celebrities, often with their own popular video channels. They may do a whole video on a product or sometimes simply ensure that they mention the product a few times during their videos. Naturally, most of these influencers will be paid, either in money, or free goods, for their services. In nearly all cases, they will have little knowledge of the product that they are promoting, beyond the basic information.

Teeth whitening

One of the most popular dental products that these influencers promote are teeth whitening solutions. We are all familiar with the beautiful white teeth that some TV celebrities have, and this may encourage other younger people to attempt to use these products too.

There are two key issues surrounding this as follows:

Firstly, the age group that these influencers usually target is quite young, sometimes even in their teens. The fact is that no one at this age should really need a teeth whitening procedure in the first place. Although some in their early twenties, who perhaps may have smoked for a while or with naturally dark teeth might consider it, there are very few circumstances where younger teens should need to whiten their teeth.

The second issue is around regulations. Any advert that appears on TV has to pass certain standards, and anything that appeared not to be sufficiently safe would almost certainly fail to pass this test. The internet though, as we well know, is much less well regulated and almost anything could be promoted which could fall far below the safety standards that we expect.

Although it is probably more likely that any teeth whitening treatments offered via social media platforms will be ineffective, rather than dangerous, there are no guarantees, and however much you generally like the people doing the influencing, it is important to remember that they will almost certainly not have any dental qualifications. Hence they are not really the people you should be listening to about having your teeth whitened.

Do it safely

Teeth whitening may not be an invasive procedure and can seem harmless on these advertisements. Your teeth though are living entities and should be treated as such. If the bleaching agent contained in these treatments is too strong, it can easily damage your teeth and, potentially, cause significant tooth sensitivity or even pain for some time to come. If you have noticed a teeth whitening procedure mentioned by one of these people and are interested, please remember that it may not be safe and that you should always have any treatment such as this done by a professional.

At Alexandra Dental Care, we offer a teeth whitening procedure that is fast acting, safe and effective. Don’t risk your teeth by relying on the advice of an influencer, and contact us instead. We will be happy and able to offer realistic advice as to what you can expect as a result of the procedure.

To arrange a consultation with one of our cosmetic dentists, please call us on 01283 216347.

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