View news from: Category

Orthodontics industry 'keeps improving'

The world of orthodontics is constantly improving, it has been reported.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, teenagers are no longer embarrassed about having braces fitted, but are embracing them as a new fashion accessory.

Developments in the industry during the 1970s involved a new technique named direct bonding which involves attaching nickel titanium to metal or ceramic brackets which are bonded to the front of the teeth.

"They move the teeth at the same rate but with much less discomfort," explained Dr Robert Boyd, professor and chairman of the department of Orthodontics at the University of the Pacific's Arthur A Dugoni School of Dentistry.

"That's a major advance that has been evolving for the past 25 or 30 years. Things just keep getting better," he added.

Dr Kelly Giannetti, a Sacramento orthodontist, told the newspaper that teenagers enjoy picking different colours for their braces, making the formerly dreaded trip to the clinic a treatnot a chore.

Research by the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) has found that between 50 per cent and 75 per cent of the US population would benefit from orthodontic treatment. ADNFCR-1374-ID-18439621-ADNFCR