The most trendy beauty product for middle-aged women? Braces
BRACES were once an affliction of the teenage years.
But the ‘train tracks’ are increasingly being sought by adults in their 30s, 40s, 50s and even 60s.
Middle-aged middle-class customers, most of them women, spend thousands of pounds in search of a perfect smile, experts report.
Orthodontists say 50 per cent of patients are adults – up from just 10 per cent a decade ago – as braces become a must-have accessory.
Social media is driving the rise, experts say, with millions of middle-aged Facebook users seeking to improve their profile pictures.
Dr Richard George, an orthodontist in Kent and spokesman for the British Orthodontic Society, said: ‘There has been a significant rise in adult orthodontic treatment over the past few years. Selfie culture is
‘Selfie culture’
definitely playing a role. Patients say to me, “I don’t like the way I look in photographs”. I never used to get patients saying that at all, that is a result of digital photography and social media.
‘I’m regularly now treating women in their 60s – they come to me and say they want lovely smiles.’
Rising divorce rates also seem to be fuelling the trend. Many patients are middle-aged women who have separated from their husbands and are embarking on second marriages, Dr George said.
‘I get people who say they are getting married and they want to look good on their big day,’ he said.
Increasing disposable income means middle-aged people are able to afford the latest in discreet braces, which cost up to £2,500 a set. The NHS funds orthodontics for adults only in extreme cases when it is medically necessary. A survey of 430 orthodontists conducted by the British Orthodontic Society found 75 per cent are seeing an increase in adult treatment.
More than 80 per cent have practices with 50 per cent or more adult patients, of which the majority are women. They found 10 per cent of adult patients were 18-25, 66 per cent 26-40, 22 per cent 41-55, and 2 per cent in their late 50s and into their 60s. Dr George added: ‘I have seen this reflected in my own practice where over 50 per cent of my patients are adults, of whom about 80 per cent are female.’
Vast improvements in the quality of orthodontics had also played a role, he said. In the past most people with braces had painful and prominent metal train tracks. But modern options include invisible ‘lingual’ devices fixed behind the teeth, and ceramic braces which blend in with the tooth colour.
‘For many adults it would just be unacceptable to have a metal brace,’ Dr George said. ‘But there are many more options now.’
Most adult patients are those who were never offered braces as teenagers. But many had treatments as children which did not work. Tim Bradstock-Smith, clinical director of the London Smile Clinic, said: ‘We’ve seen a huge increase in demand for adult orthodontics.
‘Professionals at this age tend to have more disposable income and there have been huge developments in modern treatments.
‘We see big numbers of older patients now looking for discreet, comfortable and quick results – treatments that aren’t going to disrupt their active lifestyles.
‘We’re noticing older patients are moving away from more drastic veneer treatments and are looking for a more natural and less invasive approach using sophisticated orthodontics.’