If there’s another thing we should leave in 2020, it’s DIY dental treatments. Last year saw teens on TikTok file their teeth down, and use everything from household bleach and baking soda to whiten them. Please, please stop! 

Now, a TikTok user has gone viral for sharing her solution for missing teeth – using moldable plastic. “I’m not rich, vut for $15, I can make the whole world teeth... if you’re missing one or two teeth and you don’t have the money to go to the dentist, seriously, Morph beads from Amazon will change your life,” says @gyspytrax in one of her videos. In another, she shows how she uses the beads, by heating them up in a pot of boiling water and moulding them to the shape of the gap. 

Unsurprisingly, many people wanted to try the technique themselves after viewing the videos or posted their own similar methods. “Ma’am thank you so much for this! I need a tutorial, I just bought it,” reads one comment. However, a dental expert on Insider warns that this technique can cause long term damage from inflammation of the gums and bone, making it difficult to restore the area in a way that is aesthetically pleasing. 

While the technique might not be safe, @gypsytrax’s videos do highlight the divide in dental care in the US. Other users commented how dental treatments they needed would have cost thousands of dollars, forcing them to turn to alternatives like Morph beads.