One-in-five adults feel they would benefit from braces
They have forever been the bane of some teenagers’ lives causing cruel playground taunts and bullying.
But now, braces have become beautiful.
A survey commissioned by the British Lingual Orthodontic Society (BLOS) has found that one-in-five adults now believes they would benefit for braces, as the race for the straightest, whitest teeth continues in Hollywood.
Orthodontic procedures are predicted to be one of the top five cosmetic trends for 2010, as men and women are becoming more and more aware of how easy and effective dental work can now be.
It is thought that the development of less visible braces, such as those described as ‘Lingual’ whereby braces attached to the tongue side of the teeth, is the reason behind many adults’ changed perception.
Another reason behind the surge in brace popularity is the price. Because the ‘invisible brace market’ has grown rapidly over the last few years, competition is fierce and many orthodontic practices are having to lower their prices.
Rob Slater, Chairman of BLOS, welcomed the positive attitude to orthodontic braces among the British. "The fact that so many young people today have conventional braces thanks to the National Health Service might explain the lack of awareness of invisible lingual braces.
"Another factor is that in the past, the UK has been influenced by American trends and Lingual braces are not so widely adopted in the USA where people tend to be happy to talk about the work they are having done.
"In countries like Italy and France, lingual braces are more popular, since Europeans appreciate the discretion of invisible braces.
"Already we are finding that a fair proportion of teenagers would rather, where possible, pay privately to have lingual braces because it makes them feel less self-conscious, joining forces with those in their 30s and 40s who, for professional reasons, prefer not to have visible braces."
Tagged in Teeth