07.13.09 DENTISTS AND I AGREE: ‘UGLY BETTY’ SUCKS

My biggest gripe about “Ugly Betty” — other than the completely false premise that someone with horrible fashion taste would succeed in the cutthroat world of fashion magazines — is that the America Ferrara’s character has been wearing gigantic steel braces for three years even though no adult wears braces like that, or for that long (see here).  And now dentists in the UK have totally got my back.

According to dentists train track braces are very seldom prescribed to adults and even then are not worn for more than two years.  British orthodontists said they were worried the programme could discourage young viewers from seeking corrective dental treatment.

Those crazy Brits, always looking for excuse to have terrible teeth.

Tracey Posner, of the British Orthodontic society, said: “It is irresponsible of the programme makers to portray Betty as ‘ugly’ because she wears prominent braces. Ugly Betty is in its third year on our TV screens and Betty remains in over-exaggerated, heavy ‘train-track’ braces.  This is not a true reflection of orthodontic practice. It is highly unlikely an adult would wear braces beyond two years.”

There you have it.  Vindication.  Finally, some professional experts have backed me up on this exposé.  We’ve revealed that something on TV is not 100% the way it is in the real world. My work here is done.