At Jaffe Orthodontics, we believe everyone deserves a healthy smile, and that nothing should ever stand in the way of someone who wants to improve their own. That said, there’s a recent trend in orthodontics that has us very concerned over the health of people’s smiles in the Portsmouth & Barrington, RI areas: DIY braces. Do-it-yourself braces, as they’ve come to be known, are a new trend that sees teenagers trying to use various at-home materials and implements to influence the movement of their teeth and attempting to improve their smile without the health of an orthodontist. While it may seem harmless, the truth is that DIY braces are extremely dangerous – and they have the potential to destroy your smile.

What Are DIY Braces

DIY braces are a recent trend where people – particularly teenagers – attempt to use things like rubber bands or cotton twine to move teeth on their own. Often, teenagers may wrap a rubber band around two teeth to attempt to “close a gap” or use tightly-wound string to do the same. It’s a craze that’s been growing in popularity on the internet recently, which is extremely concerning. Not only will DIY braces never work, but they have the potential to do irreparable damage to a smile.

Do DIY Braces Work?

The problem is that orthodontics, the science of using specialized instruments to influence the movement of teeth, is incredibly complex. Orthodontists go through years of schooling on top of dental school to learn the special techniques and technologies of orthodontic treatment, and orthodontic appliances like braces and Invisalign use cutting-edge technology and finely calibrated forces to make precise, carefully orchestrated changes to the smile. Attempting to use rubber bands to achieve the same thing not only doesn’t work, but can actually cut off blood flow to the tooth – and if that happens for long enough, the tooth may die and fall out. DIY braces will never successfully move teeth the way that braces do, and they actually carry a significant risk of killing teeth and doing permanent damage to your smile.

Contact Your Portsmouth & Barrington, RI Orthodontist

If you or a friend have been considering giving DIY braces a try, we have one simple piece of advice for you: don’t do it! Not only will you fail to improve your smile, but you may do lasting damage that will necessitate thousands of dollars in restorative treatment. If you want to improve your smile, don’t turn to DIY braces – get orthodontic treatment from a trained, board-certified orthodontist. At Jaffe Orthodontics, we’ve been helping patients throughout Portsmouth and Barrington improve their smile for years, and we would be thrilled to do the same for you. Give us a call today at 401.293.5555 for our Portsmouth office or 401.245.2626 for our Barrington office to learn how we can help you improve your smile, or feel free to reach out to us at our contact page if you’d like to schedule an appointment. We’re excited to hear from you, and we remind you one last time: never, ever, ever try DIY braces!

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