Beauty queen's image breaks long-standing taboo says top dentist

Miss Italia 2025, an 18-year-old from a village near Potenza in Basilicata, is the first to wear dental braces.

Katia Buchicchio, from Anzi, was crowned the most beautiful woman in Italy at Porto San Giorgio near Fermo in Marche on Monday night.

The pageant made its return after a few years and featured a series of contests that went beyond looks.

The competition, in fact, consisted of seven different challenges, designed, according to a press release, "to evaluate the girls not only for their beauty, but also for their talent and creativity." Tests included posture, dancing, singing, and acting.

Commenting on Buchicchio's braces, the president of the Society of Periodontology and Implantology (SIdP) Francesco Cairo, Professor of Periodontology at the University of Florence, said: "The image of the beauty queen now breaks a long-standing taboo.

"In public opinion, orthodontic appliances are often associated with adolescence or perceived as unsightly," he continued.

"Today, however, they represent an increasingly popular treatment option, even among young adults." The beauty queen's success, said Cairo, thus becomes an opportunity to dismantle traditional standards of beauty, "which don't mean immediate perfection," Cairo warns, "but also involve treatments that improve function and aesthetics over time. All in the spirit of naturalness and spontaneity." "Social media has spread such a standardized image of beauty and perfection that it's somewhat surprising to see this very normal choice of wearing braces," Cairo emphasizes, "a choice that affects millions of people in our country.

"SIDP's mission has always been to raise awareness among patients, helping them make decisions that enhance their smile and oral health."

Miss Italia first to wear braces - Arts Culture and Style - Ansa.it