Both DD's and their orthodontic consult....

[Lisa L from MI]

We went to an orthondontic consult yesterday. Well, I knew what was coming. DD Morgan (10).....2 years ago was suppose to start the expander process thing. Well, she downright refused and was awful. Now, 2 years later they are going to have to pull 4 baby teeth and wait to see how the adults come through and probably pull some of them too. (She has no space in her mouth). After her teeth are pulled we don't go back until May and probably start the braces next summer.

Madison (7 1/2) is getting a bottom expander and top braces within the next 2 weeks!! 1370.00 out of my pocket!!! Her 2 front teeth are VERY spread apart and there are suppose to be 2 adult teeth coming down on each side of them and there is absolutely no room (there is a tooth on each side of her 2 fronts right next to each!).....She is excited about it all though...I was surprised. She is my DD that had stitches 3 times and broke her pinky by the time she was 5!!! And the type that can take pain.....she didn't even mind the novacaine shots they gave her for her stitches and pinky! And even told the nurse that her "papoose" thing wasn't tight enough!

Anyway.....between the dentist/ortho/eye doctor....we have 8 appts for the next month between the 2 kids!!! I need to start using my calendar1!

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Yep - sounds familiar! I do childcare and EVERY kid I know already has or is getting braces at some point!! And palate expanders are very common now, as I know many kids with them in their mouths - how they love the key-turning thing!

I sure hope your older DD won't have to have adult teeth pulled. I am a 30+ year old adult in full braces, and I recently had four adult teeth (premolars) pulled to make room, and it was pretty bad! If only they had expanders when I was a kid! Hope things go OK for her - but at least your younger DD is a trooper!

 

[eeyoreforever]

My dd10 has had her braces on now for 1 year (16 months to go). Her mouth was also very crowded and they had to pull 7 permanent teeth. I was so freaked out about it-I almost didn't go through with it. I was thinking my poor baby was going to be in so much pain. She was amazing. I had picked up her pain medicine before her appt so we were prepared and she never even needed it. She had absolutely no pain after we left the office. Its funny now that braces are a cool thing-with all the colors they can get on them. When we were in school it was so uncool to be a "metal mouth" So glad times have changed!

 

[Lisa L from MI]

I know what you mean about the new stuff nowadays with braces. I had braces when I was a kid (my front teeth were pretty much like Madisons are) and they were those big silver bands that go around the teeth!!!

The ortho told Madison she could pick her color. On the way home Madison asked what color I had and I explained we didn't have a choice and they were just plain silver. She wants silver!!!

I don't know much about the color thing....can you change them every time you go in to have them tightened???? I was trying to talk her into xmas colors for now (if they can change them).

Also...re: the expander......how do you have to tighten it with the screw....I am quite sqeemish about holding or seeing anything that was in somebodys mouth.....maybe DH will have to be in charge of that...it will just make me gag. For example...DH just lost a cap from his tooth and had it in a baggie....I couldn't even look at it!!! Makes me gag!!!!!

 

[buzzlady]

Originally posted by Lisa L from MI
I don't know much about the color thing....can you change them every time you go in to have them tightened???? I was trying to talk her into xmas colors for now (if they can change them).

Also...re: the expander......how do you have to tighten it with the screw....I am quite sqeemish about holding or seeing anything that was in somebodys mouth.....

Yes, you can change the colors each time. It's not the actual band that goes around your tooth that is changed. It is the little rubber band like thing on each brace that is changed. My son's weren't even the bands like we had when we were kids - his were cemented to the front of his teeth and only had the bands on the back teeth.

I'm the same way about seeing inside other people's mouths. But I was able to turn the key for my son. It wasn't really bad at all. The expander is like a retainer without the wire (if you had one after your braces) but it has a wheel like thing (like a cog)with holes in it. You put the key into the hole and turn the wheel like thing.