My 7-year-old needs to see the orthodontist! Budget breaker?!

[DreamDelta]

Hi all! My 7-year-old DD went to her six month dental checkup and everything is great, no cavities, etc., BUT the dentist informed me that she needs to see the orthodontist!

Just to give you all some background info..Camryn had a horrible underbite before her permanent teeth came in. My Mom would joke that she looked like a little bulldog. When her permanent teeth finally started coming in I started to get a little worried. One of her front teeth is really crooked and another tooth is still
underbite-y.

Does anyone have any idea as to what the orthodontist may recommend to fix my baby's teeth? Isn't she a bit young for braces? And how much is this gonna cost me? YIKES!!!

 

[uk_wildcat]

We are in the same boat. My son is 8, soon to be 9, and his dentist referred us to an ortho because of crowding. I made the appointment for December and the initial visit is a free consultation. That is when I should find out what they will want to do and how much it will cost. I am just going to go ahead and see what they tell me. His dentist mentioned that they may want to go ahead and pull some of the baby teeth and just do partial ortho since he still has lots of baby teeth left.
I would ask your dentist to recommend an ortho and just schedule a free consultation to find out what they say.

 

[Fyrefly]

No idea as to cost, but make sure you get a good one. Do recommendations from your dentist, people you know who have done it with their children, etc. Get someone who seems honest, gives you a good feeling, and can run a business properly. If she needs braces/expanders/etc. you're going to be in a major relationship with this guy seeing him lots of time possibly until your kid is in college (in my case even longer). Make sure he is good.

My cousin's orthodontist didn't account for wisdom teeth, and did overall a crappy job when deciding how long they should stay in. His teeth moved all over within months of getting out of braces. He had to have them done twice. Lots of $$$

By contrast, I went to the one my dentist sent his own children to. I have had some problems with my front teeth staying despite religious retainer use, and I've had to get a second set put on for a few months to move back, and now a permanent wire installed behind my teeth to keep it from moving. My parents have never paid a cent beyond the first set of braces because that was in his words, the cost he said it would take to fix my mouth.

 

[mickeyplanner08]

OK, so now they often do Phase I and Phase II treatment. Phase II is what we all had growing up. They often will do palate expanders and other fun stuff in Phase I. Orthos often would like to see kids first at age 7-8.

I brought both of mine in for the first time last month because I thought I would have extra flex money left. I actually dragged them to 3 different orthos and got 3 different opinions for my son. DD is good to go for a few years-will probably need braces around age 12-14. DS is a mess One doc said to watch him for a while. One recommended an upper palate expander that will cost $700 or so. Third one recommended a different kind of palate expander for the top and some business on the bottom that I can't even remember now-$2400.

We decided to go with the middle of the road guy because when I asked my hygenist who she would bring her kids to, that's where she recommended.

Now, I ended up needing a crown, so no extra flex money, so he gets to wait until after the first of the year to start.....oh brother!

Good luck, wherever you end up!

 

[nowellsl]

Definately get more than one opinion! Prices vary quite a bit, or they did when DD had hers.

 

[boyzrus]

We are on kid #2 with braces and kid #3 starts next year when we have the money for it.

So far it has been $4,500 a kid. I am in the Chicagoland area, so it might be more expensive than in a smaller town. Their treatment involved having an expander at the roof of their mouth before getting the braces, for a period during and then it came out months before the braces came off.

These 2 kids had the crowding problem, the next one has the spacing problem, but no underbite, so I am not familiar with that kind of treatment.

I am familiar with the money part. First of all, see 2 or 3 orthodontists for their opinion, treatment plans and cost. I found some in my area charging $1000 more for the same treatment! All of the orthos I saw had payment plans. You can also use money from your flexible spending account to pay for the orthodontist (if you have one) and some dental plans will give you a small payment.

You might get an orthodontist who will tell you to wait, some might rush it. Be prepared.

 

[yellowtink]

7 is the age I got my "beginner set" of braces. (That's what I called them) I had to get a huge gap between my front teeth fixed. That set didn't cost my parents any money, as long as we came back for my full set as a teen. (Which we did)

 

[alwaysmom]

Dang near fell off the chair when they told me the cost for my 2 boys. $6500 for DS12 (much more extensive work) & $4950 for DS14. Yep $11,450 for both kids. After a down payment we'll go on the monthly payment plan. Really puts a damper on our vacation fund. We start the process next week.

 

[holycow]

My Dentist has told us our DD needed braces for years!

She just lost all of her baby teeth so we just had them put them on her.

I'm not one of those people who thinks a young child needs 2 and 3 sets of braces.

My SIL has spent a FORTUNE and her kids still aren't done.


Good luck!

 

[leebee]

Up here the going rate is $5000 for orthodonture, flat rate to fix the teeth. I have many friends whose kids have had braces, and that's what it cost. It seems like everyone has braces these days. I remember when I was a kid, unless your teeth were totally horrendous, you didn't get braces. Now, I have friends who spend the $$$ for a slightly twisted tooth. Good luck to all of you- my DD will have to suffer with one slightly misaligned "canine" tooth. I heard the orthodontist's scary predictions when DD was 7, about misaligned bite, how the emergence of molars/wisdom teeth would totally mess up all her teeth and bite, etc. None of this came true. 10 years later, DD still has a beautiful bite and wonderfully straight teeth, except for one slightly twisted tooth!

 

[lindsmom]

We brought DD to the ortho when she was 7 at the recommendation of her dentist (she had shark teeth - my daughter, not the dentist lol). He reviewed xrays, measured her mouth and teeth, and made a recommendation for the dentist to pull 6 teeth (or was it 8? I forget now). We went back to ortho 18 months later for a quick recheck, we're still on track. They said they'll call us again in 12 months for another recheck.

The scary news? They haven't charged anything yet. DH and I keep joking how the bill is going to hit us hard when it comes.

 

[luvestodizz]

I can't believe the high cose of braces and how young they start now. Thankfully the B word hasn't been mentioned by my dentist- yet. My 5 yo still sucks his thumb occasionally when he's sleeping. I had braces as a teenager but I still have one tooth that is crooked. I have a cousin with the same crooked tooth too. The ortho did 2 rounds of braces retainer and that tooth just wouldnt bidge.

 

[Maddie2]

We've been where you are! My now DS16 started Phase I orthodontics at age 7. The ortho fixed his crossbite with braces on only his top 4 front teeth - cost $1400. He wore those for a little over a year. We are now about mid-way through Phase II braces - cost around $5000. Since we did Phase I, we got a discount on Phase II. Also by paying up front we saved about 10%. So Phase II could have been closer to $6000. My son lost his baby teeth at a slow pace, so that is why Phase II didn't start until about a year ago.

We have been consulting with the orthodontist with our younger son. Thankfully he did not need Phase I orthodontics, however at this suggestion, we did have a couple of teeth extracted. Hopefully this will help with some of the crowding until his jaw can catch up/grow big enough to accommodate his teeth. We are certain he will need Phase II braces though and will likely get them when he is 14 or 15. Guessing by then the price will be at least $6500 ... unless we get a family discount since we are repeat customers. We can hope anyway, right?

Good Luck!

 

[CC12005]

To give you a different perspective since this is the Disboards budget area, braces will cost you the equilvalent of:

8 days with dining at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with park hopper passes for 4 or
approximately 1000 Mickey Bars, 1 dental cleaning & year of Weight Watchers
or
airfare for 4 & 3 nights lodging at the new Disney Hawaiian Aulani hotel.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We have a child that will def need braces. I didn't get mine until I was an adult and when I was a kid, it seemed middle school was the common age. I asked our pediatric dentist as to when it is supposed to occur since it seems kids are getting them sooner. His comment was that it wasn't necessary to start early and starting early doesn't shorten the time span. He dis say that he will get his oldest dd's teeth done soon (she was 8) since he is a dentist and doesn't wan her teeth to remain imperfect. He was extremely frank about that. So my thoughts are that while you can begin soon--you may not have to and the ortho is going to tell you what benefits their pocket.

I would only consider it if there was a present issue, left unaddressed, that could cause a more expensive problem later on. My oldest is 10 and had two teeth pulled recently because her adult teeth were Aimed in the wrong direction. The teeth pulling gives them a path of least resistance. If it doesn't work, she will require "help" with that in the form of surgery/orthodontia. Since it can cause problems later on--it will get addressed next year if needed. I would suspect oral surgery to attach a brAcket with some additional brackets and something to begin the process of moving it to the proper position so that it can exit her gums. I cannot begin to fathom that torture and will do multiple consults

8yo has crooked teeth--we will wait until about age 12.

I am a "fan" of ortho in that I do believe in fixing the structure. My parents thought my smile was fine until I paid for my own braces and they saw it. It isn't about the smile.

But the trend of little kids in braces, I didn't undertstand, so I asked. You have time and barring a serious issue...you most likely do not have to incur such a large expense so soon. You can plan a little bit for it. Also, check your dental as many cover pediatric orthodontia to some expense. Ours is 50%, but I already warned my husband that my work was about $3500...15 years ago. Likely our portion will be at least that, if not more. Joy!

 

[bear_mom]

We knew older dd needed braces since she was about 5, took her to the ortho at age 7 for a consultation and he told us it wasn't as bad as we thought (she does still need braces, but no pulling etc.) and recommeded that we put in a lingunal arch wire, basically a retainer to hold her molars in place and keeps teeth that are growing in, growing in straight. He did put a little bend in it also to push one of her front two teeth back into place, it was slightly behind the others.

When she loses all her baby teeth, then he will start with braces. She goes in every 6 months and is checked out.

Don't know the cost of the braces yet, he wants to re-evaluate her mouth when all her adult teeth are in and he can see their actual placement.

Emily

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Our dentist told us to see an orthodontist since DS was 7 or 8 also. I am just not in the camp that my kid needs to wear braces twice. I wore braces, once is bad enough.

We waited until he was 11 and had most of his adult teeth. He is 12 now, had the palate expander and got his braces on about a month ago. All his adult teeth are in now. He'll wear his braces for a couple years and be done.

I have a 7 yoDD who I know will need braces also. Her teeth are terribly crooked. I will take her for an eval in a couple years. Sorry I think its nuts to straighten teeth that are eventually going to need straightened again.

 

[Pigeon]

Around here it's standard operating procedure to refer all kids 7-8 to an orthodontist, no matter what their teeth are like.

Do your research. Many of them push two stage treatment, starting at amazingly young ages for kids with relatively minor problems. If you look at the refereed dental literature, the only benefit to this can be measured in yacht payments.

 

[familyfirsttimer]

I was alos wondering why all these kids in the phase 1 but my orthoer explainined that their pallet is noy fully fused until they are more like 11/12 years old so doing the expander at 8/9, they are able to correct a lot that they need a lot more time in later years. sounded logical to me.

My DD11 went right to regular braces as she just had a few issues going on, total cost$4500; my DD8 is going into Phase 1 for $2400 and will most likely need regular when she is older and that will be another $4600(inflation) but we get 50% of phase 1 back---big deal.

Anyway, went for a 2nd opinion for both kids and the other places was $5500
Scary but seems like we wil not be Disneying any time soon

 

[kelly1218]

I was alos wondering why all these kids in the phase 1 but my orthoer explainined that their pallet is noy fully fused until they are more like 11/12 years old so doing the expander at 8/9, they are able to correct a lot that they need a lot more time in later years. sounded logical to me.

My DD11 went right to regular braces as she just had a few issues going on, total cost$4500; my DD8 is going into Phase 1 for $2400 and will most likely need regular when she is older and that will be another $4600(inflation) but we get 50% of phase 1 back---big deal.

Anyway, went for a 2nd opinion for both kids and the other places was $5500
Scary but seems like we wil not be Disneying any time soon

I am not far from you.....and we got 4 opinions.... all between $4400-$6000. Sadly...the $6k one...was like an assembly line the way they handled the patients.
We ended up paying about $5k for DD14's braces.. but I love our Dr.