While the scientific advancements over the past few millennia are interesting to scientists and dental historians, the only changes that most patients are interested in are the changes made in the past 30 to 40 years. Aside from technological innovations that have made braces easier to wear and better overall, the public opinion of braces has changed dramatically. Braces today are more comfortable, less cumbersome, and even “cool.”
Those braces are so last century
If you grew up with braces in the 1950s and 60s or watched a television program from that era, you know that braces and related headgear were anything but cool. In order to portray a student as a social outcast, writers or directors would simply put them in a pair of braces. Orthodontic devices were associated with the unpopular, unattractive, and uncool.
Believe it: Braces are cool
The American Association of Orthodontists reported that eight out of ten mothers of children with orthodontia claim that braces are cooler today than when they were young. Seven out of ten mothers say that wearing braces actually makes their children feel cool.
Why braces are cool
Braces today are cool for a number of reasons. Since braces are more affordable, more kids have them. Instead of being one of a few students in the minority, most kids expect to have braces. Thus even the “cool” kids are going to have them at some point. Braces are seen as a sign of maturity, as in, “I’m old enough to wear braces.” The braces of today are smaller and less cumbersome. They can also be customized with various colors. This means that braces today are an accessory rather than a burden.
The orthodontist office is more enjoyable
A few decades ago, going to the orthodontist was fear-inducing—a fact that has not escaped orthodontists as a profession. Realizing that children feared orthodontic treatment, the orthodontic office has undergone an overall. Often there are video games in the waiting room, areas to listen to popular music and youth-oriented reading materials. The orthodontic office is now considered a fun place to be and not a place to be feared.
Braces today are more comfortable
The orthodontic office of the past was not feared simply because of drab paint and no video games, the adjustment of braces was feared, too. While adjustment of braces can be uncomfortable during and for a brief time afterwards, the braces of today are less painful and far more comfortable than they once were. While it is difficult to compare the comfort of braces between two groups of people separated in time by 50 years, today’s braces are designed for comfort as well as function.
Braces of today take less time and are more affordable
Because of improvements in the design of braces, the length of treatment is shorter than it used to be, on average. This means that fewer visits to the orthodontic office are required along with less adjustment of braces. Because of improvements in fabrication and fewer visits, braces are more affordable than they once were. Since costs are lower, more people have access to braces than they previously did. As more people have braces, any stigma associated with wearing them further diminishes. This is true for braces in children and teens, but is also happening for adults that wear braces as well.