Berlin A teenage boy and girl are dancing at a party. They begin to kiss and suddenly their teeth braces are tangled. That scene is familiar from many teenage comedies but fortunately reality does not match to fiction.
But wearing a brace remains an embarrassment for many teenage boys and girls. In Germany, almost two-thirds of all teenagers wear a brace.
Thomas from Berlin has a brace, but the 17-year-old has not experienced any kissing-disasters yet.
"Kissing with a brace is not so aggressive. And when your girlfriend doesn't wear a brace, there's no problem," he says.
But kissing is the last thing most teenagers think about when they find out they have to wear a dental brace; the main problem is finding someone to kiss in the first place.
The most feared and embarrassing braces are external dental braces where two metal arcs extend outwards from the mouth to support the jaw.
"That type of brace is hardly ever used in Germany these days unlike the 1980s and '90s," says Brigitte Blum, an orthodontist in Augsburg.
Thomas did not endure the problems that go with an external brace. He wears a fixed, multi-band brace with small attachments called brackets threaded along a wire that are bonded to each tooth.
Thomas would have preferred a removable brace because his multi- band brace is very visible when talking or smiling.
"Removable braces are used when the teeth only have to be moved slightly," says Blum.
Removable braces are not as affective as permanent braces that are worn day and night.
But Thomas no longer regrets having to wear a permanent brace: "It took a while, but I feel comfortable with my tooth-chain. I have gotten used to it."
But even teenagers who have problems with permanent braces no longer have to suffer as previous generations did. Modern dentistry has developed methods that make permanent braces less obtrusive, according to Blum.
"The braces can be fixed to the rear side of the teeth or use transparent brackets."
But transparent braces have one disadvantage: the results are less precise because the metal wire can slip compared to brackets made of titanium.
"Another problem is that removing transparent brackets at the end of treatment can cause irreparable damage to the teeth's enamel," explains Blum.
Brackets made from materials apart from titanium such as plastic can also discolour depending on what has just been consumed. That can make the brace more obtrusive than was intended.
"To prevent that from happening, drink less tea or coffee."
"Invisible" braces are also more expensive than conventional models. But appearance is a bigger problem than cost for teenagers. No matter how bad it looks, they must get through the experience.
"If incorrect tooth alignment is not treated it can get worse," warns Blum.
The one comfort left for teenagers is that they are not alone in having to wear a brace. The more people who wear a brace, the easier it is, according to psychologist Julia Scharnhorst from Webel near Hamburg.
Thomas agrees although he was worried in the beginning, he has never had fun poked at him for wearing a brace.
"I have a couple of other friends who wear braces. I don't stick out so much," he says.
Thomas also says that girls are not bothered about dental braces. "Some of them think it's sweet."
Thomas has also decided that braces are a good thing: "It's better not to have a girlfriend at 17 than be alone later in life with crooked teeth."
