I just don't trust orthodontists

[bumbershoot]

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 don't trust them either.


I had braces, they made NO visible differences.

The only visible difference I ever had with my teeth was when I went to a cranio sacral therapist and had 2 hours of work done.

My teeth actually went a bit OUT of "alignment", and my face felt more relaxed and at ease than they felt since I had the danged palate expander (aka torture device for no apparent reason).



Pigeon...



I had several teeth extracted along with the torture device, b/c my mouth was too small.

I now have vast amounts of space in the back of my jaw where teeth COULD have been.

Glad they took out all those useful teeth, eh?

 

[bookgirl]

I don't trust them either.


I had braces, they made NO visible differences.

The only visible difference I ever had with my teeth was when I went to a cranio sacral therapist and had 2 hours of work done.

My teeth actually went a bit OUT of "alignment", and my face felt more relaxed and at ease than they felt since I had the danged palate expander (aka torture device for no apparent reason).



Pigeon...



I had several teeth extracted along with the torture device, b/c my mouth was too small.

I now have vast amounts of space in the back of my jaw where teeth COULD have been.

Glad they took out all those useful teeth, eh?

Is that another term for chiropractor? My step mother swears by hers, she's had back and neck problems for years and conventional medicine wasn't helping, but I've never heard of a cranio sacral therapist. But I know it means head and spine therapy, which is what chiropratory is.

 

[dimimi]

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!

I'm curious which 4 teeth the one wants pulled? Does she still have baby teeth? Our orthodontist saw permanant teeth coming in and baby teeth not coming out...so we had those pulled and the teeth came in nicely.

 

[bumbershoot]

Is that another term for chiropractor? My step mother swears by hers, she's had back and neck problems for years and conventional medicine wasn't helping, but I've never heard of a cranio sacral therapist. But I know it means head and spine therapy, which is what chiropratory is.

You can find out about CST on upledger.com. The people who do it are generally people with "license to touch people". So a chiropractor might get CST training, or a massage therapist. The one that worked on me was a massage therapist.

I actually AM a chiropractor (mom dragged me to one when I was a teen, and although over a year of allergy shots didn't touch my allergies at all, 2 sessions of adjustments of my spine eliminated them, and a few years later I decided to become one after finishing my bachelor's degree), though a retired one, but I never got CST training. I've been considering going to get it and reinstating my license, b/c I'm feeling called to do it.

The CST guy who worked on my son at 1 week old was also a massage therapist. My son had CST done before he had chiropractic done! His head changed shape *as we watched* (it had been a long and rough (because of our idiot midwives) labor, and he was stuck in a weird position for a LONG time thanks to their stupidity, and his head looked weird when he arrived), and within a week what I thought was a tongue tie disappeared. CST is miracle-work, as far as I am concerned.

When I had the CST done on myself, I didn't need to wear my glasses for at least a month, and I was very sight challenged! I drove home in the dark and rain from Asheville NC to Spartanburg SC, and only half-way home did I realize I wasn't wearing them, and noticed I didn't need them. It was amazing. Expensive, though, which is why I didn't keep it up.

 

[tjmw2727]

Me - My oldest was recently told by the dentist and orthodontist that she does not need braces. Which was a shock because we had been told since she was 4 or so that she would need extensive work due to a crossbite. (That was also the reason the dentist wanted her seen by the ortho, to confirm.) Apparently as she grew so did her jaw and her adult teeth grew in perfect

My youngest however........will be wearing braces for the next several years and had two baby teeth pulled today to get things started.

TJ

 

[golfgal]

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.

I would say a good 70% of the kids I knew growing up had braces, that would have been in the 70's. I also look at the kids that are now adults that did NOT have braces and their teeth don't look so nice now.

DD's teeth look good from the front. Her problem is that her front teeth are about right but only because her eye teeth are smaller then normal. Her back teeth are pretty crowded and as she gets older those teeth will push her front teeth out of alignment. She gets her braces in 2 weeks. DS13 has an obvious need for braces. DS15 had an off bite. His teeth were straight but about a 1/2 a tooth off. It isn't that noticeble to the casual observer but eventually the space between his top front teeth would have shifted over almost a whole tooth. DD is expected to be in her braces for only about 18 months, DS15 was in his for almost exactly 2 years but he never wore his rubber bands either. No word on DS13 yet, they are still waiting for some baby teeth to fall out.

 

[LisaR]

DS15 had an off bite. His teeth were straight but about a 1/2 a tooth off. It isn't that noticeble to the casual observer but eventually the space between his top front teeth would have shifted over almost a whole tooth.

Did the braces completely fix your DS bite? They told me my DD bite was off by just under a half tooth.

 

[Quacktatty]

I went to the orthodontist as a kid and was told I would likely need braces because of a tooth that looked like it would grow in crooked. A follow up a couple years later when the tooth start coming in revealed that in fact I did not need braces after all. And the orthodontist was more than happy to tell me this. They are not all out for blood.

Many years later and I've only ever had one tooth with a problem and my dentist and hygienist both tell me on every visit that I make their days because of my teeth.

 

[TomLovesBecky]

Well oddly enough my dentist just told me last month I might need braces and I have been an adult for 20 years, my teeth are perfectly straight too, just have an overbite, dentist said that it could cause issues with grinding etc. as I get older and wear down my teeth. NO ONE has ever said that to me in the past and I've had plenty of different dentists (moved a lot) so it came as a shock, if you looked at my teeth you would think I already had braces, they are so perfectly straight, but I guess that's not the end-all be-all.

 

[golfgal]

Did the braces completely fix your DS bite? They told me my DD bite was off by just under a half tooth.

Yes, in his case they did.

As for ortho's being out for blood, we lived in another town when DS15 started his braces. He does free yearly check ups for kids before they go into braces to monitor if they will need them or not. He told us that DD will only need braces if her eye teeth come in small. If they were normal size they would have pushed the back teeth back and she would have been fine. The ortho we have now never saw anything that the previous ortho had said (never forwarded records) and he came up with the exact same evaluation. Sounds reasonable to me-most people would trust an MD's opinion if they went for a second opinion and got the same diagnosis.

 

[ZachnElli]

I didn't need braces, my teeth are perfectly straight. I did however have a crossbite and wore a palate expander for several years. My oldest DS is 13, the dentist started in with the braces talk when he was 7. I knew he was not mature enough to handle it and waited. The last 2 years I haven't had the dentist recommend braces for him, so he hasn't seen an ortho yet. Maybe never will! My 9 year old however, has really crooked teeth. My poor baby, she even says she wants them. We are moving in a month and I just can't decide if she should be the new kid at school with glasses and braces or the new kid at school with glasses and crooked teeth?

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

Love my dentist (he took over my uncle's practice). Love our orthodontist.

Child #1: Needed braces, huge mess in his mouth. Teeth looked gorgeous when all done.

Child #2: Now 15 - Perfect teeth. Didn't even get an ortho referral.

Child #3: Now 9 years old - had two teeth (not the front teeth, but the ones next to the front teeth) grow in outside of the front teeth. Tiny little mouth. Dentist sent us to ortho when she was 7 years old. He suggested 3 teeth get pulled to make more room (all three were baby teeth). He believed her other teeth would naturally straighten out if she had the room. Had dentist pull teeth. Went back to ortho 6 months later. Teeth were straightening out nicely. He said, "We'll see you in another 6 months." Which is where we are at now.

Ortho has done two sets of xrays, a mouth mold and 2 visits and hasn't charged us a nickel.

Our insurance does not cover dental or ortho. We paid cash for our first son's braces because we were able to save 10%. If our daughter needs to get them (it's looking more and more like his solution did the trick, so I think she's going to get off without them), we'll do the same.

So, there are great orthodontists out there. We're lucky enough to have one!

 

[golfgal]

I didn't need braces, my teeth are perfectly straight. I did however have a crossbite and wore a palate expander for several years. My oldest DS is 13, the dentist started in with the braces talk when he was 7. I knew he was not mature enough to handle it and waited. The last 2 years I haven't had the dentist recommend braces for him, so he hasn't seen an ortho yet. Maybe never will! My 9 year old however, has really crooked teeth. My poor baby, she even says she wants them. We are moving in a month and I just can't decide if she should be the new kid at school with glasses and braces or the new kid at school with glasses and crooked teeth?

Get the braces right after you move, she will fit in. I don't know about your area but NO ONE teases kids with glasses here any more and EVERYONE has braces.

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

To the OP:

You said only two take your insurance - how about getting a second opinion from an ortho who doesn't take your insurance?

 

[C.Ann]

I should add two things:

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!

-------------------------------

They have already told you they "don't know" what - if anything - will happen.. She can live a wonderful life without lettuce - take it from someone who knows.. I can't eat lettuce for medical reasons.. I cannot think of one thing in my life that went awry due to "lack of lettuce"..

Sounds like a sales pitch to me..

 

[Stacerita]

I trust my DD's orthodontist. He is close friends with our dentist who is a good friend of the family as well. If you don't think they need braces, get another opinion. Nothing wrong with that. I once heard that people go to dental schools/ortho schools and have a student look at it. They will have to back everything up with an instructor, so they will give it to you honest. I've never done it, but I have heard of people who have.

 

[PixieDust32]

My DS was referred by their dentis to Ortho when he was 11 and then DD when she was 13. But their teeth were awful. DS is now 18 and his teeth are beautiful.
DD still in treatment.

 

[DebD4T]

DS just got his braces off, DD#1 has one year left of wearing them.

DD#2 has teeth issues. She is a candy freak and as a result, she has had numerous cavities. Two baby molars had to be pulled recently because the cavities were so deep that the dentist just wanted them pulled. The dentist then recommended we see the orthodontist to see if she needed spacers for the missing teeth. We had a consultation with him and he didn't think she needed spacers. We have to go back because he now has the 360 degree x-ray that the oral surgeon took. I asked the orthodontist if he thinks she will need braces in the future (I thought so) and he said at this time, her teeth look fine.

BTW...the consultations are free.

So I guess it depends on your orthodontist!

 

[Christine]

Here is a flip-side: My husband has a perfect bite, yet his bottom teeth are crooked. He didn't get braces because he had a "perfect bite."

My mom had pretty good teeth but not a good bite. She didn't get braces either. Now that she's older, her back teeth have worn down inappropriately because her bite is off.

Having your "bite" correct to be a perfect "lock" is important in the long run. Have the ortho do some molds and show you how her bite is off.

 

[Jpgirl]

OK here's my story of caution
When I was a kid I had straight teeth but had an overbite. My mom never had a chance to correct her overbite so by jingles I was going to get mine fixed. The orthodonist pulled 4 teeth and I was in braces 3 years. The over bite was corrected somewhat and I had to wear a mouth guard for 2 more years. Fast forward 30 years-my bottum teeth have slid together and are now crooked, my bite is off because he pulled the 4 teeth and shouldn't of resulting in me grinding my teeth so bad that every tooth has cracks and will eventually need to be crowned. My back teeth are ground down to the gum line. When we moved to TX my dentist down here said "Who in the world worked on your teeth." I told him about what this guy did and he was just shocked at the mess he made. I was not the only one this guy messed up. My best friend (I didn't know her until our adult years) now has a cross bite-and her kids went to him too and they're all messed up now too as adults.
So bottum line is get many opinions. A dentist in Ohio (who referred A LOT of people to the afore mentioned orthodontist) said my ds would need braces. We didn't have the money and the dentist couldn't make a good enough case to justify it so we didn't do it. Guess what the dentist down here says his bite is fine, his jaw has grown to accomodate the teeth and he doesn't need the braces. Go to another town and see other orthodontists