Ugly Betty and Adults in Braces

[Aruba]

Did you see this article on the web about Ugly Betty and adults who have braces?


"Ugly" Betty Suarez, lead character in the new ABC sitcom "Ugly Betty," has a heart of gold and a mouth full of metal -- braces, that is. And so do the thousands of readers at ArchWired.com[/URL], an adult braces website. Most ArchWired.com readers love the show and applaud Betty's spirit -- but they hate the stigma that braces make a person unattractive.

A poll of www.ArchWired.com readership last April showed that 56 percent said that they looked fine and felt proud in their braces, or that the braces were a "non-issue." In addition, in another poll done last December, 64 percent said that their braces did not negatively impact job interviews -- unlike the character Betty, who was initially rejected from a job because of her looks.

The popular TV show has been a hot topic on the website's Metal Mouth Message Board. "To be honest, I didn't even make the connection that braces = ugly person," said one reader. "Every time I'm at my orthodontist's office I see a steady stream of good-looking adults... better-looking than average."

Another reader lamented: "It's a catch 22 stereotype. People say braces = geeky and frumpy. Yet how many times have you heard someone say 'why doesn't she just get her teeth fixed?'"

In general, ArchWired.com members think the show is smart and funny. "They channeled the awkward ugly-duckling stage that every girl has had at some point... and combined it all into one character," said a reader from Boston.

While some ArchWired.com readers wear invisible aligners or lingual braces that are behind the teeth, most sport traditional braces like Betty and have to deal with the same insecurities and stigmas as the show's zealous character. "I applaud Betty for not hiding her braces or being ashamed of them," said Lynn Schneider, editor and owner of ArchWired.com. "She is confident and doesn't hesitate to flash a huge smile. In this age of instant makeovers, Betty sets a beautiful example for adult orthodontic patients who need to give traditional braces time to work," Schneider said.

According to the website's most recent reader poll, Betty falls into the largest age demographic of adult braces wearers. The majority (52 percent) of the survey's 1,463 respondents are between ages 18 and 29. The next age group, 30 to 49, represents 42 percent of respondents -- proving that braces are not just for kids anymore.

Adults get braces for many reasons. Many ArchWired.com readers say their parents couldn't afford to provide orthodontic treatment when they were younger. "I got braces at 23 because I wasn't dependent on my parent's money and, with no kids, I wouldn't feel guilty about spending that much money on myself," said one poll respondent.

More than one million adults in the United States and Canada wear braces, according to the American Association of Orthodontists. As orthodontic technology improves with braces that are clear, ceramic, smaller, or "invisible," more adults are opting to fix their crooked smiles. And age is no barrier -- almost 20 percent of ArchWired.com readers are over age 40.

ArchWired.com is the largest and most popular site on the web for adults in braces, with hundreds of informational web pages, and more than one million unique visitors since its inception in March 2002. The site's Metal Mouth Message Board has more than 4,000 registered members worldwide. Schneider created the website when she became an adult orthodontic patient at age 41 and saw a need for an online adult orthodontics community.

[Coffeecup]

I am under the impression that most people who have braces are teenagers. Isn't that when the teeth can be straigthened. Unless you have a accident where you teeth are pushed out of whack, I would think teen years would be the time to have braces. I mean why wait to an older age.