Fake Braces

Sometime ago, like last week, my school was having a long talk about fake braces. Like usual I didn’t really care until I realized that I can use that information for my brother’s blog.

Orthodontic treatment is considered a sign of financial prosperity in many countries outside the U.S. For this reason, fake braces for kids are becoming popular in several parts of the world. Real braces can cost around $1,200 in Asia, so teens who want to appear wealthy and stylish are choosing to spend just $100 for imitations. But they take on certain risks by doing so. This is particularly true in Thailand, according to CBS News and the UK’s Daily Mail, which report the government in that country has gone so far as to discuss punishing sellers, suppliers and importers with fines and prison sentences. So yeah, don’t sell fake braces.

How fake braces are made

Fake braces are made from a piece of wire with brackets that are glued to the wearer’s teeth. The wire is bent to fit the exterior of the teeth and then clipped around the two back molars for support. The braces support multicolored rubber bands, and the “brackets” are often small plastic or metal shapes fashioned after Hello Kitty and Mickey Mouse icons (probably to lure kids). Unlike real braces, these are fitted personally by the wearer, by local beauty salons and by unauthorized street vendors.

Risks to the wearer

Investing in fake braces for kids carries a significant number of health and safety challenges, not only because of the materials used, but also because they aren’t fitted by dental professionals. According to CBS News, a Thai government official listed the following as major risks:

• During the fitting, the braces can slip into the wearer’s throat and cause choking.
• The metals used in the braces contain lead, which is toxic to the wearer’s system.
• Fake braces may also lead to mouth sores that can become infected, and the glue used to attach the brackets to the teeth can cause discoloration and tooth decay.

Original source: Colgate