What are DIY Braces? Your Worst Nightmare.

When it comes to growing up, braces are part of the deal sometimes. Unfortunately, due to high costs, teens are going the DIY route to save a little money in hopes of straightening their teeth with nothing more than a few household supplies. I present, DIY Braces:

What are DIY braces?

DIY braces are obviously not medical braces. But people are turning to just about anything for straighter teeth. DIY Braces serves as a custom-made dental solution aimed to replace the function of real braces.

Kids from various geographical locations are making these braces out of common materials: rubber bands, fishing wire, etc.

This practice was popularized online and very quickly. The problem is that eleven year old children don’t really know a thing about orthodontics (but neither do adults), so the truth is … these DIY braces don’t work. Generally, they just make things worse.

How are DIY braces damaging kids’ teeth?

The first thing to take into consideration is that all these materials are not aseptic; this means that they’re charged with bacteria. These bacteria go straight into the mouth when using DIY braces. And worst, due to what’s already pretty poor practice, it’s common that gums get cut by these junk-drawer supplies causing the bacteria from them to enter the bloodstream.

But that’s not all; the worst part might be that is that using rubber bands on your gums is so intense that they may take teeth out of your jaw. So yes, these braces can really hurt children, teens and adults alike.

What to do instead

Maybe some parents think that this can do no harm to their kids and maybe could help them save some money. But that’s not true; and can actually lead to a pretty hefty dental fee to fix.

If your child needs braces you may consider Zentist’s easy to pay plans where a pool of qualified dentists and orthodontists are available in a few clicks.

For more information on how to straighten your teeth without having to pay everything out-of-pocket, visit Zentist.io.