Braces Become Teen Fashion Fad in Thailand; Officials Seek to Ban Pseudo Dental Gear
BANGKOK, Thailand Jan 26, 2006 — Health authorities are clamping down on a Thai teen fashion fad of wearing fake orthodontic braces.
Officials said Thursday they plan to target those who sell and make the pseudo dental gear with steep fines and prison time.
Girls flashing multicolored metallic grins are regularly featured in teen magazines as braces have become more common in Thailand, transforming the dental gear into a fashion statement.
Rather than getting fitted for the real and expensive option, teens have been buying do-it-yourself kits in stores and selecting colored rubber bands to match their outfits or moods.
Rasamee Vistaveth, secretary-general of the Consumer Protection Board, said the agency was planning to sign an order Thursday punishing sellers of fake braces with six months in prison or a $1,300 fine.
Importers and producers could face up to one year behind bars and a $2,600 fine.
via Associated Press
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1543586
Thursday, January 26, 2006
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2 comments:
ok, i admit it...when i was a kid, i always had crushes on the girls with braces, too. forget those perfect cheerleaders, i liked those girls who were understatedly cute, with geeky braces. i can see how this trend could have legs for youth and next for adult women who may want to "look younger" with the old-school trappings that implied naive innocence.
i think i started this trend about 15 years ago. i wanted braces so bad, i decided to wear an unfolded paperclip across my front teeth and tell everyone i had a retainer.
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