A new survey by Align Technology, makers of Invisalign Teen, has found that teens who wear metal braces are less likely to flash their pearly whites. The survey was conducted for Align by Kelton Research.
The nationwide survey included 510 U.S. respondents ages 12-17 years old.
"When you walk into a room with braces, you feel like everyone is looking at you or when you're talking to someone you feel like they're looking at your braces," stated 14-year-old high-school freshman Elizabeth C. in a company press release.
Other findings from the survey include:
- Older teens are more conscious about wearing braces; 55% of teens ages 15 -17 would smile less compared to 44% of those ages 12-14.
- 53% of males ages 12-17 would smile less if they had metal braces, compared to 46% of their female counterparts.
- 62% of the respondents felt that wearing metal braces as a teen is painful and uncomfortable.
- 35% believe teens with metal braces are made fun of, while 24% think metal braces lower a teen's self-esteem.
