A Yorkshire dentist is bracing herself for an influx of patients requesting lingual braces, as celebrities like Myleene Klass and Karen Millen have spoken about their discreet orthodontic treatment – even royalty has taken advantage of this new product, apparently Kate Middleton wore them in the months preceding her wedding.

Lingual braces work in the same way as traditional metal wires and brackets, but instead of being cemented to the front of the teeth, they are fixed to the back of them, out of sight. The brackets are built to fit on each individual tooth, rather than using a generic design that would fit any teeth, which does mean they are typically more expensive than ‘train track’ braces. According to Megan Hatfield, of Wetherby Orthodontics, patients with lingual braces make up around a fifth of her workload with adults in the area.

Megan commented that people often perceive brace-wearers to be teenagers, and older patients were neglecting dental misalignments because they were worried about how it would look. She also suggested that many people were from a ‘lost generation’ that weren’t offered treatment when they were children. ‘I have treated actresses and those who are in the public eye,’ she said, ‘but most are just ordinary people who have made the decision to do something about their teeth and are willing to pay a bit more for discreet treatment.’

Actress America Ferrera removed those colourful train track braces for the last time as filming for the fourth and final season of Ugly Betty wrapped last year, but the 27-year-old has admitted that she’s not quite ready to let go of her clumsy alter-ego just yet. America has held onto the frizzy wig, the thick-rimmed glasses and the huge metal brackets that were Betty’s trademarks, keeping them safe in memory of the character that made her famous.

‘I don’t suppose I will ever wear them again, even though there is talk of making an Ugly Betty movie,’ She said, ‘but it is nice to keep them because we defied the old show business belief that looks are everything, by proving that they aren’t.’

However, the British Orthodontic Society doesn’t remember the braces quite as fondly, questioning why the character was still wearing the ‘over-exaggerated’ appliance after three years. Spokesperson for the society Tracey Posner said ‘This is not a true reflection of orthodontic practice. It is highly unlikely an adult would wear braces beyond two years.’

She also hit out about the stereotype that braces were thought of as damaging to the characters appearance, saying ‘It is irresponsible of the programme makers to portray Betty as ‘ugly’ because she wears prominent braces. People who wear braces are not ugly. People considering treatment should not be put off by such a stereotype.’