Online seller advertises dental braces for just $300, says she is neither dentist nor nurse

Submitted by Stomper T

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Many people are willing to spend thousands of dollars to get the perfect smile so when someone comes along offering dental braces for $300, who could pass that up?

Before you start waving dollar bills and shouting, "Take my money!" think about whether this is safe for you and your teeth.

Stomper T came across an ad on online marketplace Carousell by seller azimabraces providing braces treatments for just $300.

She states that the $300 is for the "installation" of the top and bottom braces.

Curious, the Stomper started a chat with the seller to find out more.

He found out that the $300 price tag excludes a servicing fee of $80 per month.

The seller also said that she is the one who applies the braces and that she can do it at his home.

She added that the subsequent servicing sessions would also be done at his place.

Alarm bells started ringing even louder when T asked the seller if she was a dentist or nurse.

She simply replied, "none".

When he asked if all of this was legal or safe she stopped replying.

"In Singapore, only people with proper training (dentists with 4 years and orthodontists with 9 years of training more specifically) should be touching people's teeth, not some random person who calls herself a "therapist", said the Stomper.

The Association of Orthodontists addressed this trend of people selling and advertising illegal orthodontics via the Internet on their site.

They wrote:

"People who carry out unlicensed dental treatment (including orthodontic treatment) and are not registered with the Singapore Dental Council may be liable for prosecution for the practice of illegal dentistry.

"Orthodontic treatment not done properly by trained professionals can give rise to serious and damaging side effects which may be irreversible. Our Association would like to advise the public that orthodontic treatment should only be carried out by a registered professional."

If you are thinking, "Maybe I can just risk it to save the money I would need to fork out for proper braces", here are just some of the things that could go wrong according to Dr Gerald of doctorXdentist.com:

"Illegal dental brace placement services pose serious health risks due to the lack of equipment disinfection. This includes HIV and Hepatitis B infection.

"It’s also not uncommon for complications to arise much later on from such dental treatments. In my own practice alone, I’ve seen examples of complications such as:

  • Chemical burns
  • Infection causing swelling and pus in the affected area
  • Constant toothaches from permanently damaged nerves
  • Malaligned bites (ie your teeth ends up even more crooked than before)
  • Injury to the jaw bone, teeth, lips and chin

"These complications can only be managed by further treatment that is often expensive, extensive and unpleasant."

Be safe and just book a consultation with a professional when considering such treatments.