I don't know about Brazil, but as for the USA, it's because of all the cross-ethnic marriages that result in fewer "pure" mouth patterns and more mallocollusion among offspring.  However, as for headgear, that seems to be more common in Europe, both in the UK and on the mainland.  Not sure why that is the case.

Australia seems to have an abundance of younger girls in braces (10-15) but then very very few older than that, and then the few that do get them after that age seem to opt for clear braces... much to my own dismay :roll:

Sweden are very braced! Braces is for free in sweden, if you are under 20.

and could you please tell me whats the swedish name for braces ?
retainer? headgear ?

thank you very much!

...retainer is known as retainer, also in sweden!

From what I've seen in Canada, tons and tons of teenagers have braces, but it's very rare to see them on adults

This thread got me thinking- what countries, (other than the US of course), provide orthodontic care under their national health care plan? For the ones that do, how does it work? Is it the same for kids and adults? Are there any limitations? Is it possible to pay for care out of pocket and are there any advantages? Thanks much for any info!

More adults in Australia are getting braces, since getting mine last year i have noticed alot more adults when i have appointments, almost all of the women.

In Germany the "compulsory health insurance fund" pays for braces if you're under 18. This effects that most children and teenagers (today definitly more than 50%) get braces. Adults with braces are rare to see, but the number is increasing. I can't believe that the headgear is more common in Europe, last time I saw one is years ago.

In Serbia there is more and more adult people with braces. It becomes a bit trendy, but still they are not widespread among adults.

In Canada now, some companies or groups have Orthodontic coverage in private health plan.  
There is no coverage under the national type of health care and nothing provincial either.
When I was in a city in the mid 1960's, there were only two people in my school having  dental work when I was threatened with this myself. (That is a story by itself!)
I moved to an isolated are but in the 1990's saw my first adult (women) with braces.
She had company insurance and decided on her 40th birthday to do this.
When a major mining company opened in my area, all the employees had insurance for orthodontic work through the company.
Despite the five hour drive one way to the nearest orthodontist, it looked like every family in town had several teenagers in braces.
I moved to a rural area in 2000, and saw one nurse with bottom lingual braces and upper metal.
Another woman I know locally, has ceramic brackets and colorful wires.
I have seen one man with a specialized retainer and lingual braces.
Also three teenage girls with orthodontic work ongoing.
If we had orthodontic coverage for all, I think a lot more would be in braces these days.

Hi!

I'm from Hungary. In my country until you reach the age 18 the innsurance pays most of the costs - but only metal braces' costs are coverd by insurance. I see mainly girls in braces under age 18, and some boys. Of course there are a few ones who go in braces in their 20's or 30's - without a very few exceptions they are all women and regularly they wear ceramic braces. Men in braces in Hungary are extremly rare - but I do all I can for reach that my man became one of the braced hungarian men (see details in the topic What kind of orthodontic appliance do you suggest for my husband's training? in Orthodontic Treatment topic)

I don´t know why, but brazil is one of them.

I supose, that is the conjunction of people old who has not had treatement before, and the popularitation the the treatement.

From what I hear, the Netherland is the country where they apply the heaviest braces such as my favourites like Bionator, Activator and all combination with HG's, and it seems to be accepted by the people.
Does anyone know why and if it is still like this?

Blue_bio

In Russia it's getting more and more.

I would of said the most braced country's are The Netherlands and West Germany they seem to have more bra ed teenagers than anywhere else

i visit kroatia ths year and se so much Young adults with silver brackets

in new zealand they're considerably expensive (weak dollar, unchanging prices) and almost if not all of it has to be paid out of your pocket so while braces are pretty common here, people are always hesitant to get them bc of the prices

I'd agree with Cassandra - that's an interesting exercise, going through old yearbooks and making a tally!

In my rural USA community, people started getting braces in 5th grade. The local ortho (who came to town 1 day per week; he also had offices in other small towns) liked to start by pulling the bicuspids, putting brackets on the 4 upper incisors, and using a covered wire back to molar bands. At sleepovers, those girls were also wearing cervical headgear at night.
Kids continued to get braced over the next several years, peaking in 7th or 8th grade. Most wore metal brackets for 2-3 years, followed by upper hawley retainers and bonded lower lingual retainers.
No exaggeration: Probably 80% of my classmates went through this treatment, more or less. I never saw anyone with a herbst, or with any kind of functional appliance, until I found sites like M's Mouthwear!

It's very usual in Spain, specially in Teena, but also in adults. Just fixed braces, though, never seen anyone with headgear around....