In more recent years, DIY (or do-it-yourself) braces and clear aligners have been growing in popularity. Often done to appear stylish or as a genuine attempt to save money by avoiding the orthodontist, fake braces pose real dangers to those who decide to get them.
First and foremost, do-it-yourself braces can and will damage your teeth with long-term consequences. In the hands of a trained professional, the rubber bands, brackets, and wires used to adjust teeth and shift their positions to correct the jaw and allow the teeth to grow in straight. When these tools are used by others, they can rip teeth out of the jaw, shift teeth in the wrong directions, and damage the jaw. If you still need convincing, here are 7 reasons that DIY braces are not to be trusted.
- Shady Materials: Often the materials used for fake braces are less than stellar. Metal brackets and wires not approved for medical use can pose health hazards in the form of mouth sores, metallic taste and in some extreme cases poisoning from lead or other dangerous metals.
- Tooth Damage: Yanking and pulling on your teeth in ways you don’t understand is a recipe for disaster. Accidents can involve chipping or deeper bone damage as your teeth shift around in ways they shouldn’t.
- Long-term Jaw Damage: On a similar note, shifting your teeth has real consequences for your jaw. Teeth are set in the jaw bone and aren’t designed to move. Orthodontists get around this by applying pressure in the right places in the right amounts to slowly correct teeth positions for a straight smile and healthy jaw development. However, moving teeth into the wrong position spells trouble for all your other teeth, and your jaw’s future development.
- Tooth Decay: If glue or adhesive is used in fake braces, it can do serious damage to your teeth over time. Glue covering the front of your tooth can prevent you from properly brushing and cleaning your teeth, ultimately leading to cavities and tooth decay.
- Discoloration: In the same vein, these glues can affect the appearance of your teeth and their health. Often the glue itself will cause discoloration along with the discoloration that’s caused by the tooth decay.
- Risk of Infection: Like most medical treatment, there’s a chance of infection. In the case of fake braces, foreign objects like brackets and wires can reap havoc on the soft tissues inside your mouth. As these materials aren’t vetted by professionals, they can cause serious infections or open sores that are painful and dangerous.
- Expensive Repair: Finally, the correction of all the issues that fake DIY braces cause will result in expensive, drawn-out treatment by licensed orthodontists.
Schedule Your Appointment Now
When in doubt, visit your orthodontist to get treatment from a licensed professional. Schedule a free consultation with Drs. Savage, Sabol and Visser to learn about the best course of action for you. With four locations around Virginia Beach and one in Onley on the eastern shore of Virginia, it’s never been easier to get started on your journey. Contact us today!
