As a new fashion trend gains popularity among teenagers, dentists are sounding the alarm citing serious health risks.
Once upon a time, braces were considered a terrible rite of passage – a necessary evil for those looking to straighten their teeth.
These days, the metal mouth look is in, and even those who haven’t been fitted by a dentist are trying to get in on the craze.
DIYers have put in “unique braces,” which are decorative braces that young people apply to themselves at home.
Doctors have strongly warned against the popular trend, saying it can cause mouth infections, tooth damage and damaging misalignment.
Dentists have warned of a dangerous new fashion trend among teenagers
DIYers have been wearing “unique braces”, which are decorative braces that young people apply to themselves at home
Southern California-based orthodontist Dr. Samuel Lee, shared the negative consequences TODAY: “Tooth enamel does not grow back. Once it’s broken and once it’s broken, it’s completely done.’
Other teens who don’t go the DIY route seek out “basement braces” from an unlicensed or unlicensed provider, which cost anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000.
In the first part of content creator Kyle Thomas’ video, he showed himself holding a hot glue gun, which he presumably used to glue the fake braces on.
It showed the “before” and “after”, while Rosalia Bizcochito’s song was playing in the background.
Kyle captioned his video: “FAKE. DIY braces! Results after the glue dries. Don’t try this. It’s temporary.”
During the second part of his video, he shared, “Okay guys, I’ve put the brackets in now – this is the cable. So I have to put the wire on the supports and then put the tapes around it.
“Well guys, I’m finally done doing it, and it doesn’t feel right and the glue isn’t working very well.
“I guess it gives me a rough idea of ​​what it would look like if I had braces again. I think it’s a no from me, but I’m going to get Invisalign.’
Another anonymous content creator posted a video in which she shared, “I made my braces in someone’s room. What is tea? My s*** is right though.’
Vegas dentist Dr. Lulu Tang, added her snarky response to the video and stated: “Before the veneer technicians got out of control, we had the basement support providers – I haven’t forgotten about you all, because it’s still very illegal.
Doctors have issued strong warnings against the popular trend, saying it causes mouth infections, tooth damage and damaging misalignment
“The only people who should do braces are a licensed orthodontist.
“I am a qualified dentist. The reason I’m going to talk about this is because you actually have to have a referral from a general dentist to see an orthodontist.
“The reason for that is that the general dentist – what I do is – I look for cavities [and] I’m looking for gum disease. I’m looking for health, before you can just slap on some braces and wiggle your teeth.”
He continued: “What happens is you can have really aggressive gum disease, which destroys your bones and [the] gums around your teeth.
“And when you get braces, if those things aren’t checked, then that can lead to loose teeth, and actually, your teeth had to come out even faster than normal.
“Sometimes, I can’t even do that verification check. Sometimes, I need to ask a specialist, called a periodontist, who does the final check on the claim.
“There is so much responsibility in doing it in someone’s home. It’s dangerous. It is harmful to both the patient and the person doing it.’
Although they have become a recent trend in America, “one-piece braces” are nothing new in other parts of the world.
Other teens who don’t go the DIY route seek “basement braces” from an unlicensed or unlicensed provider, which cost anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000.
In 2018, the National Library of Medicine warned that the trend was making its rounds in Southeast Asia, as teenagers were using it to try to achieve a “standard of luxury”.
In Thailand, two teenagers died after joining the fashion trend, according to VICE.
A 17-year-old girl contracted a thyroid infection from DIY, leading to a fatal heart attack.
The other victim, a 14-year-old girl, had bought “unique braces” from an illegal outdoor stall.
The Consumer Protection Board of Thailand even discovered that some of the fake braces contained lead.
“Fake braces” have since been banned in Thailand.
