I just don't trust orthodontists

[LisaR]

I certainly don't want to lump all orthodontists into one category but I just feel like they are looking for their next car payment.

I wonder if anyone has ever taken their child to an orthodontist and told that they DIDN'T need braces? It has never happened to anyone that I know.

My DD is 13. She has beautiful teeth. Her bottom teeth are as straight as can be. Her top teeth are very nice, as well. I have been asked by dentists, orthodontists and strangers if she has had braces in the past because her teeth are so nice.

There are only two orthodontists in our area that take our insurance. Both feel she needs braces. One feels she needs four teeth pulled! We aren't going with him. The other one says she has "absolutely beautiful teeth." The problem is, her bite is slightly off.

I have asked what will happen if we don't correct this and I am told that they don't know. They say it could range from zero problems to severe headaches, depending on how her teeth shift as she gets older. But in each case, I am told this is the best time to get them put on even though they don't know what the future holds.

Any opinions or has anyone gone through something similar? Just not sure what to do.

 

[corndog]

I'm confused. If her teeth are OK, how did you even end up at the orthodontist to begin with?

 

[RitaE]

I was just talking about this the other day with another Mom.

EVERY kid is now referred to an Orthodontist and every kid is being recommended for at least one set of braces.

We were talking and she said she took her son to the Dentist the other day and the guy said "I think it might be time for his 2nd set."

uh WHAT?!!!!

 

[LisaR]

I'm confused. If her teeth are OK, how did you even end up at the orthodontist to begin with?

Because ever since she was little, every dentist we have ever been to harps on me to take her to an orthodontist. They say the ADA recommends kids be seen by an orthodontist because they may see things the dentist will miss. I finally gave in to the pressure after our last dentist visit and took her in.

 

[ozarkmom]

I'm confused. If her teeth are OK, how did you even end up at the orthodontist to begin with?

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[corndog]

Because ever since she was little, every dentist we have ever been to harps on me to take her to an orthodontist. They say the ADA recommends kids be seen by an orthodontist because they may see things the dentist will miss. I finally gave in to the pressure after our last dentist visit and took her in.

Oh, I see. I went to the dentist once when I was 10 or so. I remember 2 things:

1) I thought it was a waste to a get a filling in a baby tooth
2) The dentist slapped me a few times because I was so freaked out about getting shots.

I didn't go back to the dentist (not the same one!) until I was 26.

 

[AprilShowers]

I've never had them to the orthodontist, but my DDs' dentist has said that I am a lucky lady! Neither of them need any type of orthodontia!

If your DD's teeth are perfect, it sounds to me that your orthodontist is giving you a sales pitch. I wouldn't bite.

 

[bettyann29]

I have one out of braces and one still in braces and one that will be needing them..

I cant answer for anyone else but honestly I was able to know beforehand that they needed braces.. it was very evident to me just by looking..

I guess I've been lucky with our orthodontist and he is great.. I thought he would say something about a second set but he told me that they will get one set and the price includes everything up until they are out of the braces and includes the followup treatment.. he has been true to his word..

I think alot of people just know that their kiddo needs braces..

 

[disney4us2002]

Well, I know you don't "know" me but my youngest son was told he didn't need braces. My older son just had his removed today! He has had a dental device of one sort or another in his mouth since he was 9 and he's 15 now. I will say his smile is BEAUTIFUL!!

I didn't have braces growing up. My teeth aren't perfectly straight but my bite is off. I never had a problem until around age 25. I now have TMJ Syndrome. I went thru electro-shock (I'm sure it's not called that) and wore a mouthpiece for 3 years as the jaw pain was horrendous and my jaw would actually freeze open. I have the mouthpiece still and wear it occasionally. If I had it to do over, I wish I would've had braces but my parents really had no money for "cosmetic" issues as it would have been back then. I would probably go ahead with braces for your dd if I were in your position.

 

[Barbossa]

Me and my three sisters all grew up with perfectly straight teeth (OK, I have a slight overbite), and every dentist we had pressured our parents to get braces. Caveat emptor, definitely. I've also seen how braces can go bad, I have a couple friends who's teeth are a terrible color, probably due to the glue they used.

 

[wdw4us2]

Not all dentists categorically say your child needs braces.

We started taking DD to the orthodontist when she was 5. DH and I noticed that her mouth seemed too small for her teeth. We mentioned it to the dentist at her check-up and he recommended an orthodontic consult. He had been my dentist since I was 13, so I trusted him.

DD started with a palletal expander and moved on to spacers, some baby teeth pulled, etc. She went to the orthodontist twice a year in elementary school. Once all of her permanent teeth were in, we went back for another consult. Believe it or not, he said braces were optional because of all the previous work he had done. We left it up to DD who decided she might want them at some point in time, so it was better to get them while we would pay for them!

She wore them for exactly two years, did exactly what she was told and is very happy with her decision.

 

[LisaR]

I should add two things:

1. My DS 10 has had orthodontic treatment for years. It was evident that he would need braces soon after his baby teeth started coming in. His teeth are totally messed up. So, I am not just avoiding orthodontists in general.

2. Both orthodontists said the tell tale sign of an overbite is if you bite into a sandwich and the lettuce pulls right out in one piece. That is exactly what happens to DD. They say it is a "slight" overbite. However, that doesn't answer the question of what will happen to her in the future if she doesn't get braces now. She can avoid lettuce on her sandwiches and still lead a pretty fulfilling life, I would imagine!

 

[Va-bear]

Since we cant see her teeth and aren't trained it would be hard to give a strong opinion.. That said, I was told as a teen to get braces - teeth are straight but I have a VERY bad misalignment and overbite (eeek!!! They measure it each time I go!) We didnt have the money....

...sooo, now as an adult, the dentists I've seen never mention braces anymore- my teeth are still straight and all grown (!) BUT, each one I"ve even seen, wants to break and realign my jaw. I will wait until I am agonizing pain before I do that (my cousin had it and he's had more problems w/healing and pain than he expected.) I did have some TMJ symptoms and pain for a while, but they went away - which I was told is not uncommon. The dentist I most trust said to just wait as long as possible - could be I'll never need it. So far so good.

Hopefully, your daughter will not have any symptoms and will not need braces either!

 

[powellrj]

I have been to 2 different orthodontist who recommended my DSs NOT get braces.

Middle DS had what I thought the worst problem He still has 4 baby teeth without permanent teeth underneath at 17. Our dentist insisted we see an orthodontist. We went into the office and knew it was going to be big bucks. They took all kinds of x rays and then came back with the recommendation. He recommended we NOT get braces for him.

He said that when they do braces for the missing baby teeth, they are also correcting other problems which he didn't have. He told me he had a perfect bite and to correct the missing teeth would cost us $18,000 with implants etc. He felt we should wait until DS needed to do something about the missing teeth and by that time they should have something better than implants. He hated to do implants on a teen.

DS #1 has a cross bite. We went when he was 10 and he is now 25. We were told they really didn't think it was bad enough for braces so they didn't recommend them for him. This was the same orthodontist that had put braces on me 20 years earlier!

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Both of my girls had/have braces. Both started with palate expanders at about age 9. DD#2 had one set in 4th grade (top only) and then has had a second set since grade 6, but she had an obvious underbite. She also had an appliance at night for a while (reverse headgear).
Our orthodontist has a computer simulation program--if you don't get your kid braces, she could end up looking like this! (then you see some horrible thing with teeth all over the map). DH makes fun of it.
My kids just had their dental checkup on Friday. I was waiting for the "it's time for DS to go see the orthodontist...." speech but he didn't say anything! So maybe DS is off the hook!
Robin M.

 

[acourtwdw]

I am 38 and have always had an overbite. It is pronounced but my dentist has never said it has to be corrected. It's not that I look like a bunny or anything. I also have a gap (think Lauren Hutton) but I think that gives me more character (not that I need it). So if you are not sure of what your child needs, keep in mind that you can always get a 2nd op.

 

[WL Fan]

I can't say as I exactly trust ours either, although both sons teeth are beautiful now. We were encouraged when they were 8 to get "their first set" put on, to be followed in their early teens by "their second set." Instead, we had their "first and only set" done when they where 13, two years later the braces came off and looked great. I'm finding that most all of the kids that end up at our orthodontist end up with two sets. (Two mortgage payments? Two boat payments?)

It's kinda the same to me as the allergist. Does anyone ever hear that they don't need allergy shots, or they're not allergic to anything?

 

[Diva of Dragons]

IMO, if your DD is happy with her teeth, does not grind or clench her teeth while sleeping, has no problem with TMJ, then she is fine! She's one of the lucky ones!

This is coming from someone who has had 7.5 years of orthodonture as an adult. Seriously, it sounds like you have a caseof, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"!

 

[McDISer]

Remember when Tom Cruise had braces. He took his kids to the Orthodontist and he said the Ortho told him he had a slight over-bite. He corrected Tom's teeth and probably gave himself the best publicity an Ortho could have.

 

[Pigeon]

It is amazing to me that prior to 1970 or so, 95% of the population didn't just drop dead upon hitting the age of 20 from lack of orthodonture. Clearly, that's what the orthodontists would have you believe.