My daughter needs braces....help!

[X and G's mom]

My DD11 is going to need braces within the next year. What are some tips to ask or research for orthodontists? I never had braces, so I don't know the first thing to ask.
I'm not just going to go with the cheapest, unless the cheapest happens to have a great reputation.

 

[Buzzsgramma]

My 13-1/2 yr gr-son just got braces on for $5500...the ins.(my son is a union operator) pd for almost 1/2....we were thrilled he didnt have to have surgery or have any teeth pulled....The orthodonist has an in house payment plan...(no interest)..Their dentist recommeded this ortho....

 

[Magic Mom]

My DD11 is going to need braces within the next year. What are some tips to ask or research for orthodontists? I never had braces, so I don't know the first thing to ask.
I'm not just going to go with the cheapest, unless the cheapest happens to have a great reputation.

Ask some other moms you know for recommendations. Also, for both my kids, the orthodonist's office did the initial visit for free. They do the exam and give you a price and discussion your payment options. That gives you a chance to dicide if you are comfortable with them.

 

[purpletiger]

I too would ask you current dentist who he recommends or even your pediatrician might know of someone.

 

[ceecee]

I too would ask you current dentist who he recommends or even your pediatrician might know of someone.

I agree and asks your daughter's friends moms...get several opinions and go to an orthodontist and not a general dentist who does ortho.

 

[mscoachung]

I'd take a close look at the pictures in the ortho office of past customers. We have one in our town. No matter what their teeth started as, every kid has the same smile, angle, etc. Not complaining but all my DD's friends have teeth that look identical. There is no natural overbite. They are all perfectly straight but the top teeth meet the bottom teeth when they smile. Hard to discribe. Like a first grade picture when the kid smiles and they grit their front teeth together and force a smile.

 

[JohnsonsRUs]

I struggle with this same thing. I'm not 100% convinced that DD needs braces, but of course I feel like anywhere I go is going to tell me she does. She has a slight overbite, but her teeth are straight and the bottom are perfect. Having gone through braces myself, I just don't know if she needs to go through the pain for such a small thing. Plus does she need a full set like they recommend?

I just wish I knew how to get an honest opinion without feeling like they just want the $$.

 

[prncess674]

I struggle with this same thing. I'm not 100% convinced that DD needs braces, but of course I feel like anywhere I go is going to tell me she does. She has a slight overbite, but her teeth are straight and the bottom are perfect. Having gone through braces myself, I just don't know if she needs to go through the pain for such a small thing. Plus does she need a full set like they recommend?

I just wish I knew how to get an honest opinion without feeling like they just want the $$.

I have teeth similar to your DD and it pains me to look in a mirror to this day. Sure other people say I have pretty teeth, but I know they aren't perfect. My parents made the decision to say it wasn't that bad and now as an adult I am facing the difficult decision of adult ortho which is pretty much never covered by insurance and very expensive.

 

[Irin997]

My 8 year old has been seeing an orthodontist for about 10 months and they have been great. Our dentist referred us to them and our first visit was an exam and then followed up with a consultation and financial visit where they worked with our health insurance to come up with a payment plan. For the first phase (which doesn't even include braces) the total cost was $3300. I don't want to know the cost of phase two but for the first phase we have worked on jaw structure. Next will be straightening the teeth.

It's not cheap by any means but I think most ortho's have an in-house interest free payment plan that can be used with flex spending money as well. I know my payments are $68 per month for 17 months for my portion.

 

[goofyboyzmom]

GO TO AS MANY CONSULTATIONS AS POSSIBLE! They are free (all of ours were). Then when you are done, go over what they all said and see if they were all going to do the same thing. I know that sounds silly, but with my oldest son, out of 4 consultations, 3 were going to do exactly the same thing and the 4th was going to do something outrageous! Cost more money, be on longer, painful and awful! So, out of the three I then took the best price. We have since changed to another orthodontist. And we LOVE them. You know they are respectable and honest when they PUT YOU OFF for two years! LOL

 

[teacup princess]

We went with an Ortho who uses a 2 phase system of braces for my daughter. They put a set of braces on before the child gets all of their adult teeth. (My daugter is 8) and try to shift around the baby teeth so that the adult teeth have room to come in straighter. These braces stay on for about a year, then when they are teens they may or may not have to get a second set of braces. The first set costs $2500 and the second set costs the same. We did this because 1) it spreads out the cost. $2500 was completely doable for us right now whereas $5000 not so much. 2) I'm hoping to save her the pain I had to endure as a child of having lots of molars pulled do to a small jaw and crowding. The ortho thought the 2 phase system might prevent some of that.

Anyway, good luck.

 

[SaraJayne]

Ask some other moms you know for recommendations. Also, for both my kids, the orthodonist's office did the initial visit for free. They do the exam and give you a price and discussion your payment options. That gives you a chance to dicide if you are comfortable with them.

This is what we did. We knew early on that my DS would have to have braces.

I didn't like the first ortho, but I'm very happy with the one we've chosen. His office staff is great and DS feels comfortable with the ortho. Since he's going to be seeing him often, that was pretty important.

I'm writing a very large check today for his two years (give or take) of treatment.

 

[mjkacmom]

I struggle with this same thing. I'm not 100% convinced that DD needs braces, but of course I feel like anywhere I go is going to tell me she does. She has a slight overbite, but her teeth are straight and the bottom are perfect. Having gone through braces myself, I just don't know if she needs to go through the pain for such a small thing. Plus does she need a full set like they recommend?

I just wish I knew how to get an honest opinion without feeling like they just want the $$.

I have a child that I'm on the fence about. Four of my kids definitely need braces, either for crossbites, or spacing. Ds11 could go either way, and the last time I brought him to the orthodontist, he said he might not need them (although his teeth won't be perfect). However, I know teeth get more crooked as we age, and since everyone gets braces these days, I'm afraid my ds will stand out later in life without perfect teeth. My DH had straight teeth as a child (I've known him since he was 12), but his bottom teeth are crooked now. I had braces, and my teeth (at the age of 42) are still straight.

 

[jillianjewels]

Call your local dental society. Find a member dentists. I wouldn' even consider a dentists that doesn't belong to the society. The society does back ground checks on all member dentists and makes sure they don't have anything outstanding from another state. DQAC will let your search the records. the cheapest is never a good idea.

 

[X and G's mom]

OP here. Thanks for all of your suggestions. My DD11's dentist told me she needs to lose 2 more baby teeth and get her 12 year old molars before braces, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to start getting consultations for her. She has an overbite and her front teeth are crooked (she got it from her father). She's already pretty self-conscious about it, so I'll do whatever I can to make her feel good
All the suggestions that I've gotten here are great. I checked with my insurance. I'm going to call for consultations with all the orthodontist in town. I've also started talking to other parents who've gone through this. I'm pretty budget-wise and want to make sure I cover my bases. Thanks everyone!

 

[jadejazzkayla]

see if you can find a board cerified orthodontist in your area.

here is a link. http://www.americanboardortho.com/public/#1

 

[mckinley]

Not sure if you was able to find a dentist yet, but my dd9 goes to a pediatric dentist. She can see him till she is 18 he does general dentistry as well as braces. We have to travel 1 1/2 hours to get there everytime but its worth it.

 

[JustineMarie]

I have been taking my DD to her orthodontist since she was 8. She got a palate expander that cost $1895 and she wore that for 6 months. They took it off and waited a year and now she just went today for her xrays and all for her braces, which she will get next Thursday. I didn't price around but I am confident that we are getting a good price. They are charging us $4800 for the braces and the retainer. I dont think that it too terrible. We are on a payment plan. I had to put $1000 down and our payments are $190 a month for 20 months.

 

[CloveLeaf]

Check this forum out, OP
http://www.archwired.com/phpbb2/index.php
This is a great website for people who are considering or wearing braces. Just like Dis for Disney

 

[auralia]

just make certain he is actually licenced... my dentist refured my mom to a "person" when i was told i needed braces (i was 13) they guy he refered us to wasn't an orthodontist and he only had my braces on 9 months, one week after he took them off my jaw wouldn't open any more and pretty much had to be forced open and now i have tmj for the rest of my life and my teeth arn't in the correct spot and there was nothing we could do because we "should have known" he wasn't licenced and we couldn't "prove my dad didn't beat me and cause the dammage". (my father has never hit me mean mean people). long story short i have a medical condition that neither dental nor medical insurance will cover nor really acknowledges and can't really be fixed because my mom got lied to, check those cradentials out for yourself!