Broadcaster Andrea McLean is one of a growing number of middle-aged women to seek out the perfect smile


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 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.






RELATED ARTICLES


Previous

1

Next




Should celebrities really be wearing fur? Star are plugging... Furious breast cancer survivor blasts 'pointless' social...




Share this article

Share



‘I'm regularly now treating women in their 60s - they come to me Greensboro NC and Asheboro NC; our practice’s top priority is to provide you the highest quality of orthodontic care in a friendly and comfortable environment. 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.