Dentist shows how to make surgical masks 'more protective' in viral TikTok

Trick is useful for those with smaller faces

TikTok hack shows how to make tighter-fitting mask (TikTok)

As masks continue to be a necessity amid the coronavirus pandemic, a dentist has shared her useful hack for making disposable surgical masks better fitting and "more protective".

Dr Olivia Cui, DMD, regularly shares tips for her TikTok followers regarding teeth health as well as tricks for making mask-wearing more effective.

Recently, she created a TikTok in which she explained how to make a regular surgical mask more protective by tightening the sides with a series of simple steps.

In the clip, Dr Cui began by reminding her followers to first wash their hands, before showing the gaps that a normal surgical mask forms on either side of her face due to the loose fit.

“As you can see, the sides of your face are left very exposed to the outside,” she explained.

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As a solution, she recommends first folding the mask in half, and then tying knots in the ear loops on each side, as close to the fabric as you can.

After tying the sides, you should reopen the mask, and fold the corners through the small holes that formed on either side.

Once you have pushed the fabric through the holes, the result should be a more fitted version of the disposable mask.

According to Dr Cui, the tighter-fitting mask can be a good alternative in absence of N95 masks, and it is especially useful for anyone with smaller faces.

The video, which has since been viewed more than 3.4m times, has been praised by people on TikTok.

“Wait this is so helpful thank you for sharing!!” one person commented, while another said: “Thank you very much for this tip - just tried it and it's SO much better!”

In a separate TikTok, the dentist also informed her followers how to wear a mask without fogging up glasses.

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In the clip, she explained that making sure the mask is fitted around your nose, either by pinching the mask, or by using medical tape, should keep glasses from becoming fogged.