Sir, there is a popular trend in the South East Asian region that involves patients in need of orthodontic treatment preferring to align all the other teeth leaving high canines untouched, due to traditional beliefs. Despite explanation of the problems with carrying out such treatment, patients insist on keeping their high canines or avoiding orthodontics altogether.1

There are also many patients desiring sharp pointy canines which is in stark contrast to what most published literature reports. A few years ago there was a trend in Japan where young teenage patients were visiting clinics asking for elongated canines or 'Yaeba'. This was principally for aesthetic reasons and dentists placed artificial resin-made canines on top of the natural canines with temporary cement. This procedure has gained massive popularity in the last decade and the trend has slowly but surely spread to SE Asia.

The Asian region is known for dental trends that rise every few years in part due to media frenzy.2 In the first decade of this century, a sudden surge of patients requested small diamonds to be bonded to their teeth, a popular procedure with female patients still in demand. Then came the era of fake braces which gained popularity among patients even after being denounced by orthodontists and dentists alike. Despite the efforts of dental and orthodontic associations, cases suffering from the ill-effects of such fake braces are still seen.

A prominent researcher in the field of communication studies reports that even though the aesthetic and beauty concepts keep changing, the factor responsible for their rise and fall is the fixation with youth.