One of the main characters in best-selling Irish author Sally Rooney's new novel 'Intermezzo' wears fixed braces.

On the very first page of the novel, we are told that Ivan Koubek, a 22-year-old Irish/Slovakian competitive chess player, has braces. We later learn he has "the new white ceramic braces that young people have now", and there are further references as the novel goes on.