Some trends can be harmless fun — pet rocks, Beanie Babies and the Ice Bucket Challenge, for example.
But some trends can be downright harmful — ingesting TidePods, swallowing a spoonful of cinnamon, and the latest: Using Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to whiten your teeth.
The trend has been making the rounds on TikTok, the visual social media platform — and it has health professionals fearful for people’s lives.
Started by TikTok user @theheatherdunn (“Heather Dunn”) through a post in which she shares three ways to whiter teeth.
First, she says she doesn’t use fluoride. Secondly, she suggests oil pulling, in which she rinses her mouth with coconut oil. And third?
“Number three, and here is where we all gasp. This is a Magic Eraser,” she says holding up a piece. “Yeah, that’s what I said. I take a little, tiny piece of it, wet it, don’t touch your gums. … I’ve been doing it for, like, two years.”
Since the original post in June, other users have been showing themselves following Heather’s advice.
But medical experts agree the cleaning method is a really bad idea — as in dangerously bad.
First of all, the Magic Eraser is made of melamine foam, which is made of formaldehyde, melamine, sodium and sulfurous acid.
“Acid has a negative effect on the enamel portion of the tooth,” cosmetic dentist Dr. Charlie Cooper told WHAS-TV. “And the way acid attacks the enamel is by demineralizing it. And … once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Also, as explained in the International Journal of Dental Hygiene, the foam of the Magic Eraser “works like extremely fine sandpaper” and leaves a residue behind.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to put any cleaning chemical in your mouth. I think that there are chemicals that can be harmful,” medical expert Dr. Sujatha Reddy told WHAS.
In a statement, the American Dental Association said, “There are plenty of ways to keep your teeth bright, white and healthy and without resorting to dangerous, unscientific trends.”
