Janet Ogundepo
Lately, the new fashion fad for teenagers and some youth is the colourful self-fixed fashion braces, periodically changed to match outfits.
However, far from moving teeth or creating a fashion statement, wearing fashion braces, oral health experts say, poses significant risks to oral health and can cause mouth odour, tooth disfiguration, and in extremities, liver damage and cancer.
The dentists, while Fashion braces may seem like a trendy statement or a cheaper alternative to professional orthodontic work and appear harmless, they lack therapeutic benefits and come with a host of dangers that can lead to serious health complications.
The experts, speaking in separate interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, asserted that users of fashion braces are at risk of developing mouth lead poisoning.
Fashion braces are emerging trends for young adults and youths and are used as a status symbol promoted mostly 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, it is done by certified orthodontists, who use their expertise to plan in precise detail how to safely move the teeth.
The platform, however, noted that fake braces are decorative, non-medical devices that mimic the look of real braces and pose significant risks to the teeth and jaws.
PUNCH Healthwise discovered that some of the users, mostly females, have them in diverse colours to match their outfits.
It was also observed that many users of fashion braces are influenced by social media trends with the belief that such braces would not cause damage to their teeth because they are not genuine therapeutic orthodontic braces.
Some users of fashion braces were reported to have affixed the braces to their teeth using unhealthy adhesives, commonly known as “super glue.”
This trend, however, is not limited to Nigeria alone, as indicated by a recent post on the website of the American Association of Orthodontists, which stated that fashion braces are becoming increasingly popular among young Americans.
The AAO further noted that some of the users travelled far to “glue faux braces to their teeth.”
It described fashion braces as fake orthodontic wires and brackets that mimic real braces but perform no functional roles in the alignment of teeth and jaws.
Additionally, it noted that the Do-It-Yourself fashion braces kits are sold online and include things like the “bracket and wires” and a dental adhesive to attach the braces to the teeth.
The AAO listed uncontrolled tooth movement, lead or cadmium poisoning, choking and oral cuts and infections as associated risks.
Orthodontists are dentists who specialise in the diagnosis, correction, prevention and treatment of teeth and jaw misalignment and malformation.
According to a medical blog, WebMD, the specialists, through the use of fixed and removable dental devices like braces, retainers and bands, reposition the teeth and jaws.
In discussions with PUNCH Healthwise, the senior dentists asserted that fashion braces do not contribute to the improvement of users’ dentition; instead, they pose risks such as loose and disfigured teeth alignment, mouth odour, and, in the long term, potential liver damage and cancer.
Speaking on this, a Consultant Orthodontist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Dr Tolulase Yemitan, stated that fashion braces are mere imitations of therapeutic orthodontic braces and cannot fulfil the same function as the latter.
Dr Tolulase Yemitan
The Associate Professor of Orthodontics at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, said those who wear fashion braces are at risk of mouth odour and infection, emphasising that since these braces are not fitted by orthodontic specialists, users are also at risk of choking.
She said, “Choking hazards can occur because they are not fitted by people who are trained to fix them. So, whoever is wearing it while asleep runs a risk of the braces dislodging into the mouth and getting into the throat, causing choking.
“Also, because the materials used in making them are cheap, this can lead to toxicity and poisoning from the rubber used in making the materials. Orthodontic braces can have side effects like mouth sores and users are monitored but because those who wear fashion braces are not monitored, they can have mouth sores leading to an infection that can spread to any part of their body.
“It can also cause bad breath. The braces have wires so it can shift their teeth and make them crooked.”
She further noted that the glues used to hold the fashion braces in place, which are often inexpensive and not applied by specialists, can predispose users to tooth decay, enamel discolouration, and eventual tooth loss.
“The infection or oral diseases they are at risk of include, damage to the teeth, which can cause dental cavities; damage to the gum, causing inflammation of the gum and tooth-supporting structures, which we call gingivitis and periodontitis, and this will cause mobility of the teeth, swollen gum and eventual loss of the teeth.
“There can be damage to their lips and cheeks, which might develop into sores or ulcerations.
“Damage to the supporting bones will cause bone loss and once the bone is lost around the teeth, it would cause mobility of the teeth and this will eventually make the teeth lose,” the consultant orthodontist said.
The dentist further noted that fashion braces contain heavy and toxic metals like lead and cadmium, which are not present in therapeutic orthodontic braces.
She warned that there have been reports of fashion braces leaching cadmium at levels capable of causing liver damage and cancer.
Yemitan stressed that therapeutic orthodontic braces are the appropriate solution for correcting teeth and jaw misalignment.
She advised, “The recommendation is for children between seven and eight years to have their first orthodontic visits those that are dental specialists known to diagnose and treat such cases. There, they would be advised on whether there is a need for braces and what type of braces is best for them.
“Meanwhile, if they miss it at that age, adults can also visit the orthodontist where they will be diagnosed on whether or not they need to have braces and they will be advised on the best and appropriate treatment.”
The consultant orthodontist, however, noted that the only safe way to achieve a have colourful braces fixed without risking damage to oral health is through orthodontic services provided by specialists.
“If there is anyone considering such braces, we recommend visiting a Nigerian certified orthodontist who can provide them with tailored recommendations and plenty of colours to choose from, to help them to fulfil their aesthetic needs and achieve a healthy smile,” she said.
Also, a Restorative and Dental Implantology specialist, Dr Kolawole Obagbemiro, said users of fashion braces risk having unwanted tooth movement and mouth odour.
He decried the use of unhealthy adhesives to attach the brackets to teeth, warning that it can damage teeth and gums.
Dr Kolawole Obagbemiro
Obagbemiro, who is the immediate past President of the Nigerian Dental Association said, “They are also at risk of caries formation because those who fix the braces are not specialists, so they don’t give their clients the needed maintenance instructions. Essentially, the users are at risk of unwanted tooth movement, trauma in the mouth, damage to the teeth, infections and mouth odour.”
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