‘Zoom effect: How video calls have sparked a boom in adult orthodontic braces

John Maytham (in for Lester Kiewit on CapeTalk) speaks with Dr Taryn di Pasquale, Orthodontist

Listen below:

Braces and aligners to straighten crooked teeth used to be mainly linked to teenagers.

However, recent data shows increasingly more people are receiving orthodontic treatment later in life.

Dr Taryn di Pasquale says approximately 40% of her patients currently are adults.

She says one of the main reasons for later in life corrections is the rise of video calls, which drew people’s attention to their smiles.

“It’s the Covid affect, or the zoom affect, where people are having voice conference and seeing themselves and deciding they want to fix that tooth that’s a little bit skew.” 

- Dr Taryn di Pasquale, Orthodontist 

In other cases, patients might not have been able to afford treatment when they were younger or may need braces before they can undergo other restorative procedures.

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She has also found that many older patients feel more at ease getting braces because they know others their age who have undergone the treatment.

Getting braces when you're older can be slightly more costly because there's more wear and tear on the teeth, and the braces might need to stay on for a longer period.

Scroll up to the audio player for more.