Away from moving teeth or making a fashion statement, wearing fashion braces, a trend now so popular among young adults and youth poses significant risks to oral health and can cause bad breath, disfigured teeth and limbs, liver damage and cancer, oral health experts have said.
Dentists noted that while Fashion braces may seem like a fashionable statement or a cheaper alternative to professional orthodontic work and appear harmless, they have no therapeutic benefits and come with a number of risks that can lead to serious health consequences .
Experts, speaking in separate interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, argued that wearers of trendy braces are at risk of developing oral lead poisoning.
Fashion braces are emerging trends for young adults and youth and are used as a status symbol that is mainly promoted on social media platforms.
According to Northwest Orthodontics, a virtual dental blog, while professional braces have created millions of straight, healthy smiles over the years, they are done by board-certified orthodontists, who use their expertise to precisely plan how to move teeth with security.
The platform, however, noted that fake braces are decorative, non-medical devices that mimic the look of real braces and pose significant risks to teeth and jaws.
PUNCH Healthwise found out that some of the users, mostly women, have them in different colors to match their outfits.
It has also been observed that many wearers of modern braces are influenced by social media trends in the belief that such braces would not harm their teeth because they are not genuine therapeutic orthodontic braces.
Some wearers of modern braces were reported to have attached the braces to their teeth using unhealthy adhesives, commonly known as ‘super glue’.
This trend, however, is not limited to Nigeria as a recent post on the website of the American Association of Orthodontists shows that fashion braces are becoming more and more popular among young Americans.
The AAO further noted that some of the users traveled far to “have false braces affixed to their teeth.”
He described modern braces as fake orthodontic wires and brackets that mimic real braces, but have no functional role in aligning the teeth and jaws.
Additionally, he noted that do-it-yourself braces kits are sold online and include things like “bracket and wires” and dental glue to attach the braces to the teeth.
The AAO listed uncontrolled tooth movement, lead or cadmium poisoning, choking, and oral cuts and infections as related risks.
Orthodontists are dentists who specialize in the diagnosis, correction, prevention and treatment of misalignment and malalignment of the teeth and jaw.
According to a medical blog, WebMD, specialists, through the use of fixed and removable dental appliances such as braces, retainers and bands, reposition teeth and jaws.
In discussions with PUNCH Healthwise, senior dentists argued that modern braces do not help improve the dentition of the wearers. Instead, they carry risks such as loose and misaligned teeth, bad breath and, in the long term, possible liver damage and cancer.
Speaking on this, the Consultant Orthodontist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Dr Tolulase Yemitan, said that fashion braces are mere imitations of therapeutic orthodontic braces and cannot fulfill the same function as the latter.
The Associate Professor of Orthodontics at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, said those who wear fashionable braces are at risk of smell and contamination, stressing that since these braces are not fitted by specialist orthodontists, wearers are also at risk of choking.
He said, “Choking hazards can occur because they are not installed by people trained to fix them. Thus, anyone who wears it while sleeping runs the risk of the braces coming off in the mouth and entering the throat, causing suffocation.
“Also, because the materials used to make them are cheap, this can lead to toxicity and poisoning from the rubber used to make the materials.
Orthodontic braces can have side effects such as mouth sores and wearers are monitored, but because modern braces wearers are not monitored, they can have mouth sores that lead to infection that can spread to any part of their body.
“It can also cause bad breath. “Braces have wires so they can move their teeth and misalign them.”
He also noted that the adhesives used to hold fashion braces in place, which are often cheap and not applied by specialists, can predispose wearers to tooth decay, enamel discoloration and eventual tooth loss.
“The infection or oral diseases they are at risk of include, damage to the teeth, which can cause cavities. damage to the gums, causing inflammation of the gums and the supporting structures of the teeth, which we call gingivitis and periodontitis, and this will cause tooth mobility, gum swelling and eventually tooth loss.
“There can be damage to their lips and cheeks, which can develop into sores or ulcers.
“Damage to the supporting bones will cause bone loss and once the bone around the teeth is lost, it would cause tooth mobility and that will eventually cause the teeth to fall out,” said the consultant orthodontist.
The dentist further noted that fashion braces contain heavy and toxic metals such as lead and cadmium, which are not found in therapeutic orthodontic braces.
He warned that there have been reports of modern braces leaching cadmium at levels capable of causing liver damage and cancer.
Yemitan emphasized that therapeutic orthodontic braces are the right solution for correcting teeth and jaw misalignment.
He advises: “The recommendation is that children between the ages of seven and eight should have their first orthodontic visits to specialist dentists who are known to diagnose and treat such cases. There, they will be told if there is a need for braces and which type of brace is best for them.
“Meanwhile, if they lose it at this age, adults can also visit the orthodontist where they will be diagnosed whether or not they need braces and advised on the best and appropriate treatment.”
The consultant orthodontist, however, noted that the only safe way to fix colorful braces without risking harm to oral health is through specialist orthodontic services.
“If there is anyone who is thinking of getting such braces fitted, we recommend that they visit a Nigerian certified orthodontist who can give them customized suggestions and many colors to choose from to help them fulfill their aesthetic needs and achieve a healthy smile,” he said.
Also, a specialist in Restorative and Dental Implantology, Dr. Kolawole Obagbemiro, said users of trendy nails are at risk of unwanted tooth movement and bad breath.
He denounced the use of unsanitary adhesives to attach braces to teeth, warning that it could damage teeth and gums.
Obagbemiro, who is the Immediate Past President of the Nigerian Dental Association, said: “They are also at risk of tooth decay because those who fix braces are not experts, so they do not give their clients the necessary maintenance instructions. Essentially, users are at risk of unwanted tooth movement, mouth trauma, tooth damage, infections and bad breath.”
