We Need to Stop Equating Being a Great Writer to Being a Famous One
They’re not one and the same.
This week I found myself plunging, head-first, in the labyrinth otherwise known as TikTok’s veneer technicians. In only two short days, you can skip the fussiness that is dental school and implant veneers in victims who are desperate for an icy white smile sans the price tag.
One would think this grift wouldn’t amass any traction since only licensed dentists can apply veneers in the United States, but over 75 million views later, there are countless horror stories of people whose teeth have fallen out and can’t get repair work done because legitimate dentists are frightened of liability.
Let me be clear — I don’t actually have TikTok. I refuse to get sucked into the vortex that is the for you page, however, YouTube commentary channels and Instagram reels have filled in all the gory gaps. Instead of laughing at the victims who were duped by unscrupulous, unlicensed pay-for-play torture artists, let’s consider how social media and viral videos play a reckless role in the decisions one makes regarding one’s health. Better to trust the viral video over the dentists who have years of education, training, and experience. Better to fall for the gleam instead of the reality, the substance.
