Anyone have experience w/ small teeth, spaces and braces?

[ADisneyQueen]

I take my dd13 to a pediatric dentist and he says she needs braces. Her teeth are not crooked, but some of them are small and and she has spacing in between them. I asked when teeth stop growing and he said 13. After the braces, he wants to put some bonding on them.

I am wondering why he did not suggest the braces earlier? My dd is in 7th grade and many of the kids are getting their braces off now. She is upset that she would just now be getting them. Do you think the braces will work? Is it worth getting, b/c she surely does not want them but of course wants her teeth to look better.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

I have spaces between my teeth and never had braces (I'm 35 now). My dentist always maintained that braces wouldn't work. I had bonding done on my top two eye teeth when I was 12 (I had "fangs") and he said the gap between my two front teeth would probably fill itself in eventually. Which it did...but I have gaps between other teeth now. I've periodically asked about braces over the years, but he and the other dentists in the practice say it won't really work. Maybe it's different when the patient is younger?

ETA: What about those Invisalign braces? Did the dentist mention those?

 

[mom2travel]

I take my dd13 to a pediatric dentist and he says she needs braces. Her teeth are not crooked, but some of them are small and and she has spacing in between them. I asked when teeth stop growing and he said 13. After the braces, he wants to put some bonding on them.

I am wondering why he did not suggest the braces earlier? My dd is in 7th grade and many of the kids are getting their braces off now. She is upset that she would just now be getting them. Do you think the braces will work? Is it worth getting, b/c she surely does not want them but of course wants her teeth to look better.

Braces fix crooked teeth, but I thought also can pull together teeth with gaps between them. It sounds like maybe that is what your dentist is trying to do.

DS had a palette expander in 4th grade to open his jaw and to push front two top teeth together. He got his braces the summer before 7th grade and got them off a few months into 9th grade.

If you are not sure, you can ask your dentist if there are other options. Or you can go to an orthodontist for a 2nd opinion

Good luck!

 

[HM]

You can check at a couple orthodontist offices (first consultations are usually free) and see what they recommend.

My kids both got their braces in 8th grade, so your DD is not late in getting them by any means.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

Yes, I guess we will visit 2 orthodontists and see what they say. I'm sure they will both suggest braces. DD would rather have bonding or veneers but the dentist told her the veneers are better if you are older.
I guess we are confused b/c if the braces pull her teeth together, what happens to that space? Will the teeth be at an angle?
I didn't ask about invisilign, but we will.

 

[wdhinn89]

You are not supposed to have braces until all your adult teeth are in which is around 7th grade. I don't understand how kids are getting them off then.

 

[mjkacmom]

You are not supposed to have braces until all your adult teeth are in which is around 7th grade. I don't understand how kids are getting them off then.

They have methods where they get them on sooner. Most kids have all of their permanant teeth in the 6th grade (my dd was late). She started with the expander around the age of 10, and got some braces on before losing all of her baby teeth. Most kids here are done with braces before HS, unlike when I was a kid.