Social media pushing young adults towards 'DIY dentistry'

Young Australian adults are delaying dental care after leaving home because they cannot afford it Fri 31 Jul 2026 at 5:37am In short: Young Australians are delaying dental treatment due to the cost and some are performing their own "DIY dentistry". Data from the Australian Dental Association (ADA) shows 60 per cent of adults aged 18 to 25 are making decisions about how to manage their dental health through social media. Amid calls for dental reform, a spokesperson for the Albanese government said they are working to develop a new National Oral Health Plan. Young Australians are delaying dental care because of the cost with many also performing "DIY dentistry" due to the influence of social media, a new national survey says. The Australian Dental Association (ADA) has found 60 per cent of adults aged 18 to 25 are making decisions about how to manage their dental health through social media. ADA vice president Angie Nilsson said that included getting veneers and aligners for cosmetic reasons and ordering whitening products that could damage teeth. "It's not something that we recommend doing without a registered dental practitioner advising and ensuring that they're getting the right product, the right concentration and that it is actually in line with all the Australian regulations that we have to keep people safe," Dr Nilsson said. University student Ava Veres said she had seen "whitening hacks" and ads for whitening strips online. "Some of my friends have actually considered buying it recently," she said. The business and drama student said she'd started getting pain from her wisdom teeth but could not afford to book a dental appointment for advice. "I have been dreading even looking at that because it's just not really on the cards for me,"she said. "Now I'm living in a share house by myself in Brisbane so it's a little bit different [to living at home]. Expenses are on me now." Wisdom tooth issues The ADA's latest national consumer survey, released today, found 60 per cent of adults in the 18 to 25-year-old age bracket have had wisdom tooth-related issues such as pain, swelling, crowding, infection, and discomfort. The number of respondents with wisdom tooth problems was higher in remote areas, at 65 per cent, than in metropolitan areas, at 59 per cent. Dr Nilsson, who practises dentistry in public clinics in northern NSW, said wisdom teeth did not always need to be removed but it was "really important" to talk to a dentist about how to manage any problems. "It can escalate, you can get infection, there can be issues involved with bone affecting other teeth — so it's important not just to let it go and hope that it gets better," she said. The dentist said many young adults were "falling through the cracks" when it came to oral health care because they were at an age where they had moved out of home and sometimes come off their parents' private health insurance. "Unfortunately, many are delaying dental visits until something goes wrong, and by then the problem is often more painful, more complex, and more expensive to treat," Dr Nilsson said. "If you catch things early on, it's going to be less painful in your pocket, less painful in your mouth." She also said good daily oral health care could help prevent problems. "Brushing twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste is key. Spit don't rinse is a good one — because then you get a layer of the toothpaste on there," Dr Nilsson said. Law student Ryan Quigley said while going to the dentist was something he had thought about, it was "not the highest priority" because of his other living expenses. "It definitely needs to become more affordable, especially for young people making the transition, like myself, out of home, to make it more affordable, make it more accessible and then that'll improve overall dental health for everyone," he said. Mr Quigley's friend, finance student Maksim Krilov, said general dental check-ups were too expensive for a lot of young people. "Medicare, in general, I think needs to cover more," he said. Calls for dental Medicare reform Dental spokesperson for the Australian Greens, West Australian Senator Jordon Steele-John, said the party continued to push for "the mouth to be treated as part of the body" by including dental care in the publicly funded Medicare system. "For decades dentists, experts, community advocates and The Greens have been calling for the reform that's needed, bringing dental care into Medicare and yet we've seen government after government fail to take the action that is needed," Senator Steele-John said. "The Labor government just has not done enough in this area." In a statement, a spokesperson said the Albanese government "recognises that oral health is fundamental to overall health, wellbeing and quality of life". "The government continues to make a significant funding contribution through the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA) for public hospital services, including hospital-based dental treatment," the spokesperson said. They said the Commonwealth was "working closely with states and territories" to develop a new National Oral Health Plan. The use of mouthguards was another issue highlighted by the ADA survey which found only 38 per cent of young adults who played a high-impact sport were wearing the protective devices. According to the survey, 13 per cent of young adults had experienced a sports-related injury involving their teeth or mouth. "The damage that can be done by not having a custom-made mouth guard from a dental practitioner, it could be devastating," Dr Nilsson said. The survey was conducted in November 2025 via focus groups, phone interviews and online surveys and had 25,000 respondents aged 18 and older. Last year's survey focused on the oral health of children.