And it's not the new phase of Transport 21.

Indeed orthodontics, or teeth-straightening, as it is better known, has always been in demand among children and teens but in recent months several dentists have reported a growth in the number of adults seeking orthodontic assessments and treatment. In fact, some orthodontists in the capital now have waiting lists of up to six months for an initial assessment.

Dr Tom Feeney, dental surgeon and former president of the Irish Dental Association says that although teenage numbers have remained fairly consistent, it appears to him that adult numbers have certainly increased. It's not just women in their early twenties either; a few of his patients in their fifties and sixties are now undergoing orthodontic treatment in order for restorative procedures to be carried out.

Orthodontics is almost always a cosmetic treatment. Apart from a small number of cases there is no great health gain in having your teeth straightened. However, as we get more affluent and we watch more TV makeover programmes, there has been a great growth in the idea of better grooming.

Look at the number of people who have facials, nail treatments, and various other procedures to feel and look better. Orthodontics for adults in my opinion is just an extension of this, " he says.

Many people can now afford to have gaps filled using bridges or implants. It isn't really acceptable anymore for people to be walking around with large gaps."

Acceptable or not, having your 'gap filled' and your overcrowding straightened can be a lengthy and costly process. In most cases a fixed appliance is needed and this will stay in place from anywhere between a year to two and a half years. Depending on whether you choose a metal or ceramic brace, a patient will pay upwards of 3,500 or 4,000.

Since there are no specific rate guidelines for specialists in this area, a dentist can charge whatever he sees fit.

But there are still thousands of patients willing to pay the price of a nice smile. On the red carpet, actors Tom Cruise and Faye Dunaway got wired in their forties and sixties respectively. Fantastic Four and Sin City star Jessica Alba recently admitted to having very prominent buck teeth for years and seeking extensive orthodontic treatment not once, but twice.

At home (and on a more modest salary) Jerry O' Sullivan, award-winning sports broadcaster on Dublin's Newstalk 106, has been wearing the typical train track brace for over a year. The 29-year-old presenter had an overbite of 10 millimetres and, to cap it off, damaged his two front teeth a few years ago.

?There were a couple of problems and I was told I should get braces, and probably should've got them while I was younger, but I could still do so now."

He consulted an orthodontist in Dublin but decided to get a second opinion in London, where he now attends an orthodontist and oral surgeon roughly every six weeks.

?When something is as important as your own body or personal appearance or as your teeth, it's important to get it right. So really it doesn't matter how much it costs or where it is. Sure if you're going to do it at all, you're going to get the right person to do it."

With only a few months left of treatment, he feels his few thousand euro is well spent.

It is annoying at times. Food gets caught and you have to brush your teeth all the time , , just minor irritants and annoyances. And if you've never met someone before, you are a little conscious that they'll go 'Oh, this guy's got braces!'

There are plenty of other things to slag me about than the size of my braces though."

Another patient who decided to get to the root of the problem is Olive Cummins, 34, a human resources director.

?I was always self conscious of one of my front teeth sticking out and decided it was now or never, as I'd been talking about it for long enough."

Olive has spent 4,000 on orthodontics and had to get root canal treatment plus additional dentistry, which cost another 2,500 on top of that. Despite the hassle, she is grinning.

The blisters bothered me initially and the look, because I felt ridiculous for the first 23 weeks. It's absolutely worth it though. I love the way my teeth are looking now."

There are more benefits than the obvious aesthetic ones. Having straighter teeth means that they are easier to clean and so less vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease.

But will the increased uptake in this country have any effect on prices?

Probably not, say dentists. According to Dr Tom Feeney, It's simply a question of setting a fee to cover costs and give a profit.

Different jurisdictions have different cost bases. Many costs in the Republic of Ireland are considerably higher than Northern Ireland so the dental fees will reflect this. By the same token, costs in, say Budapest will be much lower than in Belfast so Hungarian dental fees will be lower than those in Northern Ireland. Going in the other direction, you will find fees in most of the US considerably higher than Irish ones.

However, people have to remember that dentistry is a service . . . not a product . . . and that there are many factors to be taken into account besides cost alone."

So it's smiles all round it seems. Well, that's if you can afford to smile.

DID YOU KNOW?

>> Orthodontics improve aesthetics, improve the function and health of teeth and surrounding tissues, and assist other forms of dental treatment
>> The word ortho means position in Greek, dons means tooth. An orthodontist is a 'tooth positioner'
>> Sucking a thumb or finger as a child can seriously distort the development of the teeth.
>> Of the 1,700 practising dentists in Ireland, less than 100 are practising orthodontists
>> It takes up to 150 grams of force to get a tooth to grow into a new position >> The best time to first see an orthodontist is at nine years of age
>> After having teeth straightened it is very important that they are held in place for some time afterwards with a retainer
>> Braces do not set off the alarm in airport metal detectors For more information see www. orthodontics. ie (the Orthodontic Society of Ireland's website)