The world wide web places information about everything right at our fingertips. You can find instructions on how to do just about anything, even minor orthodontics. Unfortunately, those instructions rarely review the risks and potential negative sequelae.  Case in point is this blog post from the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. Believe it or not, a rubber band placed around the front teeth to close a space can migrate towards the root and become embedded underneath the gum. In the case shown in the blog post, the patient actually lost their front teeth from this. This is just one example of potential negative consequences of “self remedies” for orthodontic problems. At bare minimum, it never hurts to have a complimentary consultation to see if orthodontic treatment is right for you.

Two weekends ago the NBA ran a spot on Kenneth Faried during a basketball game. I immediately noticed something that very few probably noticed. During the interview the “Manimal” was wearing clear aligner orthodontic appliances. Two things tipped me off. The first is that the maxillary left central incisor is not tracking ideally as you can see a faint gap between the edge of the tooth and the aligner (it is barely off and it may be that he just changed to a new aligner). The second, although barely noticeable, are the attachments on all of his maxillary anterior teeth.

I know that many patients are conscious of attachments on the front teeth. But, watching this spot of the Manimal, with his attachments on, and his aligners in, really shows how conspicuous clear aligner therapy can be. Even with attachments on the from teeth!

Way to go Manimal your teeth are looking great!