Certainly, our teenagers are never short of (bad) ideas when it comes to ruining their health. Their latest fad: finding a nice smile… but without going through the box orthodontist. And on Youtube, tutorial videos abound: “Do it yourself: have aligned teeth for free”, “How to have aligned teeth without braces?” », « Align your teeth yourself »… Promises that can be envy. And if the phenomenon is currently marginal in France (phew!), it is very fashionable in Asia and the United States, where orthodontic treatments are the most expensive.
Be careful, the techniques used are quite artisanal. On some videos, the authors explain, for example, how to make a ” braces homemade” using simple rubber bands – those found on the bands of dental appliances, precisely. In practice, we place the rubber band around two teeth that we want to bring closer and we tighten well in order to “glue” them together… hoping that the correction will be done by itself over time.
Gum infection, loosening of teeth
The problem is that the dangers of these seemingly harmless practices are very real. “The adolescent is in fact at risk of infection of thegum, but also that the teeth do not move in the right direction. Worse still, the rubber band risks going up along the teeth, penetrating the gums and thus causing the loosening of teeth, these being no longer retained by the bone,” explains the French Federation of Orthodontics (FFO) in a press release. The FFO also recalls that the first orthodontic consultation is generally reimbursed in full by Social Security… A good reason to warn our teenagers against this (new) dangerous trend.