In Thailand, China, and Indonesia, teens are donning fake orthodontics in a trend that has had deadly results in at least two cases, according to an article on Vice.com.
The high cost of braces has made them a status symbol that teens have latched onto. Now fashion braces, called "kawat gigi untuk gaya" or "behel" in Indonesia, can be purchased for about $100 online and stalls in open-air markets. Beauty salons will apply them for customers, while others can be applied at home.
However, two deaths have been linked to these fake braces, the article noted. In one instance, the death of a 17-year-old boy from Khon Kaen, Thailand, was linked to a thyroid infection caused by the braces, which led to heart failure. In addition, police concluded that the braces from an open-air market were to blame for the death of a 14-year-old girl from Chonburi.
Thailand has since banned the importation, sale, and manufacture of fashion braces. Selling them is punishable by six months in jail and up to a $1,300 fine, while importers and producers may face one year in jail. The country's Consumer Protection Board has said that the wires of seized fashion braces contained lead.
