Having straighter teeth is much better for the health, and that’s one reason why braces are proving popular amongst adults.
Taking an interest in their dental treatment can really help someone to feel comfortable with whatever procedure they are having. When a patient is getting braces in Glasgow from a clinic like Park Orthodontics, it’s not all about practicalities. There are some fascinating facts about braces that many people do not know. Below are just a few to show what we mean.
Braces date from ancient times
Frenchman Pierre Fauchard is typically credited with being the father of modern orthodontics. He developed braces in 1728, and they bear some resemblance to what we see today. However, archaeologists have found mummies with their teeth wrapped dating back past the time of the Roman Empire. It’s hard to be sure what the point of this binding would have been but there is some speculation that they were there to move the teeth.
Hippocrates and Socrates in 400 BCE speculated on the use of catgut to achieve certain dental goals. Fortunately, the ideas may be ancient but today’s braces in Glasgow more likely to be made from stainless steel, plastic, titanium and copper than animal sinew.
Celebrities wear braces
The internet can soon show us pictures of big-name celebrities who have had braces. Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and Emma Watson are just a few of the superstars who made adjustments to their teeth in the early days. Some of these actors looked very different before their braces. While some of them, like Watson, wore full-on train tracks with pride, others opted for more discreet methods. Many types of braces are designed to be unobtrusive so that they can be worn, even on the red carpet, without self-consciousness.
People who wear braces are part of a big crowd
Patients who are considering braces who don’t know anyone else who wears them may think they are uncommon. On that contrary, last year, nearly 200,000 people started orthodontic treatment in the UK. This includes adults as well as children. While the main demographic for wearing braces used to be adolescents, some practitioners now report that a large portion of their orthodontic clients are adults.
