Dentists warn against dangerous new fashion trend

As a new fashion trend gains popularity among teens, dentists are sounding the alarm citing serious health risks.  

Once upon a time, braces were seen as dreaded rite of passage - a necessary evil for those wanting to straighten their teeth. 

These days, the metal mouth look is in, and even those who have not been fitted by a dentist are looking to get involved with the craze.

DIYers have been putting on 'fashion braces,' which are decorative braces that young people have been applying on themselves at home. 

Doctors have heavily warned against the popular trend, saying it can cause oral infections, tooth damage, and detrimental misalignment.

Dentists have warned against a new dangerous fashion trend amongst teens

DIYers have been putting on 'fashion braces,' which are decorative braces that young people have been applying on themselves at home

Southern California-based orthodontist, Dr. Samuel Lee has shared the negative consequences with TODAY: 'Tooth enamel does not grow back. Once it’s broken and once it’s fractured, it’s completely done.'

Other teens who aren't going the DIY route, are seeking out 'basement braces,' from an unlicensed or unqualified provider, which costs between $3,000 to $7,000.

In part one of content creator's Kyle Thomas' video, he showed himself holding a hot glue gun, which he presumably used to glue the fake braces on.

He showed his 'before' and 'after,' while Rosalia's song Bizcochito played in the background.

Kyle captioned his video: 'FAKE. DIY braces! Results after the glue dries. Do not try this. Its temporary.'   

During part two of his video, he shared: 'Okay guys, so I've now put the brackets on - this is the wire. So I've got to fit the wire into the brackets, and then put the bands around it. 

'So guys, I finally finished doing it, and it doesn't feel right, and the glue doesn't work very well. 

'I guess it gives me a rough idea of what it looks like if I got braces again. I think it's a "no" from me, but I will get Invisalign.'

Another unnamed content creator posted a video in which she shared: 'I got my braces done in somebody's room. What's tea? My s*** right though.'

Vegas dentist Dr. Lulu Tang added her stitch response to the video and stated: 'Before the veneer techs went out of control, we had the basement braces providers - I have not forgotten about y'all, because its still very illegal.

Doctors have heavily warned against the popular trend, saying it causes oral infections, tooth damage, and detrimental misalignment

'The only people who should be doing braces is a licensed orthodontist. 

'I'm a licensed dentist. The reason I'm gonna speak on this, is because you actually have to have a referral from a general dentist to see an orthodontist.

'The reason for that is, the general dentist - what I do is - I look for cavities [and] I look for gum disease. I look for health, before you can just slap on some braces and move your teeth around.'

She continued: 'What happens is that you can have really aggressive gum disease, which breaks down your bone and [the] gums around your teeth. 

'And when you get braces, if those things are unchecked, then that can lead to loose teeth, and actually, your teeth needed to come out even faster than normal. 

'Sometimes, I can't even do that verification check. Sometimes, I need to ask a specialist, called a periodontist, that does the final requirement check.

'There is so much liability in you getting it done at someone's house. It's dangerous. It's harmful for both the patient and the person doing it.' 

Despite becoming a recent trend in America, 'fashion braces' aren't anything new in other parts of the world. 

Other teens who aren't going the DIY route, are seeking out 'basement braces,' from an unlicensed or unqualified provider, which costs between $3,000 to $7,000

In 2018, the National Library of Medicine warned that the trend was making its rounds in Southeast Asia, as teenagers used it to try to attain a 'standard of luxury.' 

In Thailand, two teens have died when giving into the fashion trend, according to VICE. 

A 17-year-old girl got a thyroid infection from the DIY, which lead to a fatal heart attack.

The other victim, a 14-year-old girl, had made the purchase of 'fashion braces' at an illegal open-air stall.   

Thailand’s Consumer Protection Board has even discovered that some of the fake braces contained lead.

'Fake braces' have since been banned in Thailand.