The unfortunate fashion of 'ortho ostentation'

In the middle of 2010, a new musical style was born in Brazil called "FUNK OSTENTATION", a style that spread rapidly through the peripheries of the big cities, imposing a new way of thinking, acting and dressing the young people. The central themes addressed in the songs of "FUNK OSTENTATION " refer to the consumption and the proper ostentation, where most of the representatives try to sing about cars, motorcycles, drinks and other valuables, as well as making frequent quotations to women and how they achieved a greater power of material goods, exalting the ambition to leave the favela and achieve the objectives. You who read this text may be wondering what is the "FUNK OSTENTATION " with Dentistry, since this magazine is dedicated to dental matters? For it is, sadly, Dentistry more specifically Orthodontics has been suffering a hard blow in the present time to be associated with the said "FUNK OSTENTATION". Practitioners of this fashion as well as displaying gaudy clothes, gold chains and tattoos show "personalized" orthodontic appliances according to them. So far so good, since a significant portion of the population has orthodontic needs. However the way that Orthodontics is being practiced is what frightens them. Orthodontic brackets are being glued to the teeth by the youngsters themselves using cyanoacrylate glue (Superbonder, São Paulo, Brasil) and the styling of the device is performed with colored broom bristles associated with chain elastics directly to the brackets without any orthodontic arch (Figure 1). Not to mention that all this process is being done without professional guidance. The risks to the patient are enormous and can range from a simple allergic reaction to those materials that were not developed for such a function, intoxications besides tooth movement to undesired positions with consequent bone loss that could progress to tooth loss. But who could take the blame? It is worth noting that in Brazil there is no specific legislation for the purchase of dental materials and equipment, which can be acquired by any individual and anywhere. Nowadays it is not new for anyone to walk through the center of big cities and come across street vendors selling brackets and colorful orthodontic elpasticos. In developed countries legislation makes it difficult to sell even to foreign orthodontists. It is necessary that measures are taken as soon as possible so that this fashion ends and our Dentistry is respected. The Federal Council of Dentistry (CFO) has worked hard to supervise clandestine places of the profession, but situations such as this one of "ORTO OSTENTATION " is out of place because it is not carried out by professionals, but rather by clandestine ones. In the middle of 2010, a new musical style was born in Brazil called "FUNK OSTENTATION", a style that spread rapidly through the peripheries of the big cities, imposing a new way of thinking, acting and dressing the young people. The central themes addressed in the songs of "FUNK OSTENTATION " refer to the consumption and the proper ostentation, where most of the representatives try to sing about cars, motorcycles, drinks and other valuables, as well as making frequent quotations to women and how they achieved a greater power of material goods, exalting the ambition to leave the favela and achieve the objectives. You who read this text may be wondering what is the "FUNK OSTENTATION " with Dentistry, since this magazine is dedicated to dental matters? For it is, sadly, Dentistry more specifically Orthodontics has been suffering a hard blow in the present time to be associated with the said "FUNK OSTENTATION". Practitioners of this fashion as well as displaying gaudy clothes, gold chains and tattoos show "personalized" orthodontic appliances according to them. So far so good, since a significant portion of the population has orthodontic needs. However the way that Orthodontics is being practiced is what frightens them. Orthodontic brackets are being glued to the teeth by the youngsters themselves using cyanoacrylate glue (Superbonder, São Paulo, Brasil) and the styling of the device is performed with colored broom bristles associated with chain elastics directly to the brackets without any orthodontic arch (Figure 1). Not to mention that all this process is being done without professional guidance. The risks to the patient are enormous and can range from a simple allergic reaction to those materials that were not developed for such a function, intoxications besides tooth movement to undesired positions with consequent bone loss that could progress to tooth loss. But who could take the blame? It is worth noting that in Brazil there is no specific legislation for the purchase of dental materials and equipment, which can be acquired by any individual and anywhere. Nowadays it is not new for anyone to walk through the center of big cities and come across street vendors selling brackets and colorful orthodontic elpasticos. In developed countries legislation makes it difficult to sell even to foreign orthodontists. It is necessary that measures are taken as soon as possible so that this fashion ends and our Dentistry is respected. The Federal Council of Dentistry (CFO) has worked hard to supervise clandestine places of the profession, but situations such as this one of "ORTO OSTENTATION " is out of place because it is not carried out by professionals, but rather by clandestine ones.