Can younger generations turn everything that used to be cringe into something cool?
Despite terms like ‘brace face’ and ‘tinsel teeth’ being traumatic staples of teenage years for many, metal braces may be riding a wave of cultural opportunity vs. invisible alternatives.
A recent survey by the American Association of Orthodontists shows metal braces, having never really gone away, are back on the rise (77% of treatments are metal, up from 75% in 2022), stealing share from invisible or clear aligners. The New York Times chalks the shift back towards metal braces to several potential factors: 90s nostalgia, ‘grills’ and a turn as a new accessory – but what if something deeper is behind it?
More aptly mentioned, the potential to reframe cringe sits squarely behind products like metal branches and pimple patches, famously scaling brands like Starface by allowing teens to own more of a perceived flaw. What if metal braces are benefitting from the same chance to turn cringe into confidence – creating a community of fellow users, making a statement and still pragmatically acknowledging that even the most positive user doesn’t want it forever?
The limits of converting cringe should keep us from making sweeping statements about how younger generations embrace authenticity and positivity. Stories of ‘Sephora Kids’ as young as ten seeking out anti-aging products may seem at odds with a resurgence of metal orthodontics, but it shows the duality of each of us when it comes to appearance.
We can simultaneously buy solutions that sell empowerment against unavoidable (pimples) or seemingly necessary (braces) shortcomings, while still showing insecurity more widely. If anything, both address the same base need – confidence in how we show our true selves.
Marketers would be careful to assume absolute shifts in culture from stories like this because there are still realistic limitations on what empowerment and converted cringe can do.
As an orthodontist in the NYT article mentions, providing caution whenever we talk about ‘converting cringe’, “I see so many kids who are so excited and want braces on ASAP, but if I had a penny for every one of those kids eventually asking me, ‘When am I getting them off?’ I’d be very rich.”
