Is it just me?

[3boymthr]

or are dentists pushing orthodontia more and more and more lately? This has been bugging me. I've seen multiple posts about them lately so I just had to post this question.

I have one crooked tooth. In the past year or so when I go for a cleaning they suggest I get Invisalign. Ummm, no, thank you my teeth are fine they don't bother me the way they are they've been like this for over 30 years and they didn't suggest braces when I was a kid so why would I do it now and really I don't have $10,000 to straighten one tooth.

DS has NO crooked teeth. When he went for his cleaning the other day they suggested HE have braces.

"Ummm, why?"
"Well, when he gets older they might get crooked and they are spaced tightly together and this will put more space between them so they won't get crooked."
"But they're not crooked and all his teeth but his wisdom teeth are in so why do we need to put more space?"
"Well, so he has room between his teeth."
"Again, why?"
"Well, so he can floss better when his wisdom teeth come in."
Thinking to myself: Yeah, uh, huh, you want me to spend several grand to straighten perfectly straight teeth? "Again, why?"
"So his teeth don't get crooked."
"But they're straight."
"But they're close together so they might get crooked. and this way he'll be able to floss better."

Really, they wanted me to spend several grand to separate his straight teeth so there is room in between so he can floss better when the Wisdom Teeth that they are probably going to remove come in so the teeth won't get crowded? Really??? When all that's really needed is him being a little more diligent with a toothbrush and floss? (BTW- there's definitely space in the back of that mouth for those wisdom teeth - they told me that the last time we were there)

 

[Nancy F]

I told my dentist... "Now I know why you guys wear masks." LOL
Nancy

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My dentists have never pushed anything, then again both of my dd's needed braces.

If my dentist said that to me, I would change dentists. That kind of crap does not fly with me.

 

[si-am]

My dentist tries to make me feel self-conscious about my teeth every time I go in. I already had braces when I was in junior high. That was back when braces were to fix problems and not to necessarily create the perfectly "veneer looking" straight teeth that all teenagers seem to have now!

I'm 36 now, and yes they've shifted a bit and aren't perfect, but they don't bother me too much. I considered getting invisalign just to straighten them out a bit.... but two separate orthodontists have told me I would need surgery to have my jaw broken and realigned, and that I'd need the old fashioned metal braces after that. No thanks!

Anyway, that was long-winded, but I wish my dentist would just let. it. go.

 

[threecrazykids]

I have had a similar circumstance with my dentist, however he was perfectly honest with me when I questioned it. He told me that 2 of my kids should "look into braces".

My question to him was "is it necessary or 100% cosmetic"? He replied "totally cosmetic, if they are ok with it, and you are, then it's not necessary to correct".

Also, I simply don't see the need for teeth to be 100% straight, I mean a nice smile I understand and no gangly twisted teeth, but if a couple of teeth are slightly "off" I certainly don't have it in my budget to put thousands of dollars into fixing it.

 

[U2_rocks!]

Also, I simply don't see the need for teeth to be 100% straight, I mean a nice smile I understand and no gangly twisted teeth, but if a couple of teeth are slightly "off" I certainly don't have it in my budget to put thousands of dollars into fixing it.

This is my thought too. Unfortunately it's become the norm to have braces, so with most kids having straight teeth now, crooked ones stand out even more. I may get my son's top teeth done, because he has quite an overbite. But I am not planning to do his bottom teeth, even though they are very crooked like mine - our bottom teeth don't show when we smile, so no-one would ever know how crooked they are unless we show them.

 

[mjkacmom]

Watch a movie or TV show from the 80's - even the highest paid actors had somewhat crooked teeth, and a lot less white, than today. My SIL lived in Wales for a couple of years, and was really surprised at how many people there had crooked teeth - braces are not a priority there.

Today, almost all kids get braces. Therefore, a slightly crooked smile will stand out. Both of my parents have somewhat crooked teeth - no one got braces back in their day. I had braces (my teeth would've been a crazy mess if I didn't), and I'm going to guess that about 25% - 40% of kids had them. Today, the percentage is much higher. DH didn't need them, but his bottom teeth are very crooked now (and I've known him since middle school, so I've seen the shift). My teeth are still perfect.

In future generations, I think that crooked teeth will be almost a deformity. Cosmetic procedures seem to just increase (how many people had nose jobs 50 years ago).

 

[golfgal]

Our DS18 had straight teeth but they were shifted about 1/2 tooth so his bite wasn't right. Down the road those teeth would have most likely shifted more and he would have ended up with crooked teeth and probably TMJ issues. More and more adults are getting braces to correct crooked teeth that were once straight as a child. It's a lot easier to do it as the kids are growing then when they are in their 40's.

 

[U2_rocks!]

So I wonder how much of this teeth fixing is purely cosmetic and how much is to fix a current or future anticipated problem? If the majority is to fix things, what does that say about the natural state of human teeth? I always go on the assumption that our bodies are a pretty amazing machine, and if something isn't working right then it's an exception rather than the norm. But with the norm nowadays being to fix the teeth, it makes you wonder. What are we doing wrong to cause our teeth to give so much trouble these days that we have to spend so much money to fix them? Is it really that big a deal to have an overbite or crooked teeth? 100 years ago did people really have that much structural trouble with their teeth and jaws (not talking about decay and losing teeth to that)? I just wonder if all this is really necessary. I sure have better things to spend my money on.

 

[SpecialK]

Well, I was one of those kids who didn't get braces because the dentist said it was only cosmetic, and I have always been self-concious about my smile. Both my kids had braces.

Crooked teeth can also cause a lot of bite and gum issues later in life.

 

[bettymae1121]

If his teeth are tight together now, just be sure to pull his wisdom teeth when they start to come in and he will (probably) be fine. I had straight teeth but didn't have my wisdom teeth out, and now they are crooked due to the wisdom teeth pushing them. And my dentist now says the wisdom teeth should go, anyway! I want to get the teeth pulled but I'm not sure about getting braces in my mid-30's (I'm tempted because my top front tooth is really crooked now).

 

[The Mystery Machine]

So I wonder how much of this teeth fixing is purely cosmetic and how much is to fix a current or future anticipated problem? If the majority is to fix things, what does that say about the natural state of human teeth? I always go on the assumption that our bodies are a pretty amazing machine, and if something isn't working right then it's an exception rather than the norm. But with the norm nowadays being to fix the teeth, it makes you wonder. What are we doing wrong to cause our teeth to give so much trouble these days that we have to spend so much money to fix them? Is it really that big a deal to have an overbite or crooked teeth? 100 years ago did people really have that much structural trouble with their teeth and jaws (not talking about decay and losing teeth to that)? I just wonder if all this is really necessary. I sure have better things to spend my money on.

For us it is genetics. My dd's are missing 2 teeth, the canines. Come to find out while dh is not missing any a lot in his family are.

My first dd had her teeth pulled forward to close the gap and after all of that her bite is incorrect. However she is not allowed implants due to her repaired heart defect. Although talk of a bridge was never discussed. I learned about that option when younger dd got her braces.

So with second dd, she is most certainly getting implants. She will be getting her temporary "fake teeth" put in as spacers hopefully next visit.

 

[funnybunny]

Well I live in England therefore I am entitled to free dental care. This means that if my teeth are out of place to a certain extent I was allowed braces for free without ANY fees other than damage fees or costs of extra things like a brace cleaner. I had the train tracks brace but I only had it on the top set and a little over a year. My teeth weren't really that bad but I guess because the service was free I took advantage of it but I think that if I was in America I wouldn't have braces because the only problems with my teeth were really like 3 or 4 at the front and even then it wasn't a major issue.

 

[linnylu]

Well, I was one of those kids who didn't get braces because the dentist said it was only cosmetic, and I have always been self-concious about my smile. Both my kids had braces.

Crooked teeth can also cause a lot of bite and gum issues later in life.

This is me too. My teeth have always bothered me. My oldest children have all had braces. One of my son's teeth looked pretty good but there was crowding on the bottom and a slight overbite. The problems only get worse with aging- never better. He had braces and his teeth are now perfect. He also has never had a cavity. I know if I wasn't so anal about teeth now I might never have taken him to an ortho, but I am so glad I did.

 

[2binak]

I don't think braces are all their touted to be.

I had them in high school because of crowding & having a couple of teeth pushed in front of others. The braces straightened them out and I wore my retainer for years afterwards. I even had my wisdom teeth out as a precaution to keep my teeth from re-crowding and guess what? My teeth are back to being crowded & pushed foward just like they were before I had braces!

My mother mentioned the problem to my Orthodontist when she saw him years later and he insisted that I must not have worn my retainer like I was supposed to. When she assured him that I had, he insisted that I didn't.

A close friend of mine had braces to close a gap in her teeth. 20 years later, the gap is back.

 

[Nayan]

I had braces when I was a teen, but looking at my teeth now you'd never know it and they actually look worse!

 

[si-am]

I don't think braces are all their touted to be.

I had them in high school because of crowding & having a couple of teeth pushed in front of others. The braces straightened them out and I wore my retainer for years afterwards. I even had my wisdom teeth out as a precaution to keep my teeth from re-crowding and guess what? My teeth are back to being crowded & pushed foward just like they were before I had braces!

My mother mentioned the problem to my Orthodontist when she saw him years later and he insisted that I must not have worn my retainer like I was supposed to. When she assured him that I had, he insisted that I didn't.

A close friend of mine had braces to close a gap in her teeth. 20 years later, the gap is back.

I think you are supposed to wear a retainer for LIFE. Seriously.

 

[FredinFL]

It seems that one out of two kids I know around here have or will have braces. My dd is going for a second opinion today. Her top teeth are straight and uncrowded, yet the first dentist wants to put braces on them anyway.

 

[Pigeon]

Of course they push braces. My kids' pediatric dentist recommends that all their patients go for an ortho consult when they are about seven. The list they hand you for suggested orthos is topped by a guy with the same last name as one of the partners in the practice. Coincidence? I think not. My kids have no issues and we declined the consult.

The university where I work has a large number of international students. The kids from non-US Western countries are much less orthodonically modified.

I have a very hard time believing 99.9% of the party line about the improved health effects of orthodonture. Europeans don't seem to be dropping like flies from imperfect occlusion.

 

[2binak]

I think you are supposed to wear a retainer for LIFE. Seriously.

I wore it for a few years after the braces came off, until the Orthodonist told me that I didn't have to wear it anymore. I've never heard of anyone having to wear one for life.