Protecting your oral health: the risks of tobacco use and DIY dentistry

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals target healthy lives and wellbeing for all, at all ages by 2030.¹ Close to 3.5 billion people worldwide are affected by oral diseases; however, oral health is an integral part of overall health.^2,3 Factors such as minimal access to dental services, poor doctor:patient ratio, burden of care, heterogeneous distribution of service providers, low oral health literacy rate, old beliefs can result in poor oral health^4,5 and different attitudes towards oral healthcare in various rural and urban regions.

The information technology boom has resulted in much freely available, but unverified information, which may lead to potential risk and irreversible damage, when applied practically. People indulge in DIY methods to save on costs, often ignoring the potential for irreversible damage.