Needing braces

[rileyroosmom]

Just returned from the dentist with my ds8 who informed me he needs braces. When I inquired why he said his top teeth come too far over his bottom teeth and the bottom teeth are a little crowded. I said I wanted to wait for his baby teeth to fall out and the new ones to come in before I made any decisions. I also asked what happens if I do nothing and he said there would be TMJ issues in his 30s or 40s. He gave me a referral to an Ortho.

I guess my question is, has anyone gone to an Ortho and been told no you don't need braces? I feel like everyone is told they need braces. When I told dh he showed me his top teeth overlap his bottoms. He was told to get braces as a kid and he never did and no TMJ problems.

Anyone care to throw their two cents in on the problem?

 

[3littleHalls]

I went to an orthodontists and he said my TMJ and clenching would keep me from getting braces. So, I guess that 30ish is too late for me. My DD had her first ortho appt at age 5. Her baby teeth were perfect no crowding, perfectly aligned. Then she had her first permanent tooth come in behind her baby teeth. She has a major overcrowding since her perm teeth are big and her jaw is small. She has had 6 of her baby teeth pulled on bottom by the age of 6 b/c of all the perms coming in early. If you don't feel comfortable with this get a second opinion. Some orthos are more conservitive than others.

 

[Deb & Bill]

My son has this problem. He had a Nance Bi-plane installed first. This is a plastic piece that is right behind his top front teeth and keeps his teeth from going down over his bottom teeth. His entire top teeth were starting to close over his entire bottom teeth. He'll wear this thing for about 6-9 months and then he'll get braces to spread them out and straighten them. His bottom teeth were starting to get real crowded and they could have made it difficult to chew.

 

[janette]

Yes it can cause problems later. Depending on the ortho they may not actually start treatment right now. My DD has a pretty bad overbite and she started treatment after she got all of her permanent teeth. They did do some things to help with spacing before then. Most of the time you don't have to commit and make payments until treatment starts.

She is wearing head-gear at night to correct the overbite, the ortho said he could pull teeth and do it that way but he'd rather not do that if at all possible.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Hate to say it, but the orthodontists won this war, and they know it! Orthodontists know that perfect-looking teeth is expected in society, so any "flaw" has to be fixed with usually years of braces and appliances. Not uncommon for a kid to start treatment at age six and run through teen years. Unless a kid has naturally perfect teeth, they need braces. No doubt about it, just a matter of which ortho you go with and feel comfortable with. The expected norm in society nowadays is to have straight teeth, with no visable flaws. Less-than-perfect teeth can negatively affect a person in so many ways.

If your ortho already sees many problems, and if your child's teeth don't look too straight, then prepare for the braces at some point. 8 may be young to start, but braces are needed at some time in the future - it has to be done.

 

[mudnuri]

DD9 WANTS braces- and was told by her dentist- sorry your teeth are perfect...imagine a kid being upset by that!

That said- kids getting braces on their baby teeth. What happens when the adult teeth come in? What if the adult teeth are fine, and you've spent 5K on aligning baby teeth?

then you can go this way- kids not getting braces on baby teeth- what happens if they are like me and have no adult/permanent teeth to come in? i only have 4 two top center and 2 bottom center. The rest are baby teeth. I wish my mom had known this when i was 5 or 7 or whatever. She would have done anything to save the teeth and make them perfect. Years and about $20,000 later, my teeth have been rebuilt a minimum of 2x each, and i just had 4 extractions from teeth that could not be rebuilt....

Guess you have to weigh the pro's and con's

Brandy

 

[Christine]

There is no way that I wouldn't get my kids braces. Well, I guess there is only one way: does your child have a perfect bite? Meaning that when he closes his mouth to all teeth hit the surfaces the way they are supposed to?

If not, this all causes problems starting around the 50s and 60s. Tooth surfaces begin to wear unevenly. Also from teeth not hitting properly, it can create pockets in the gums. Again, no problems until old age but they wil happen.

My mom is 61 and her teeth are fairly straight but she has an overbite and her teeth don't "lock" properly in the back. Her tooth surfaces have worn down and she has a hard time with steak and stuff that requires a lot of chewing.

 

[lisajl]

My son, Kyle has braces right now, due to his bite being off.
We opted for braces because his older sister had the same problem. Her teeth are much better now, but she does not use the retainer.

A friend of mine did not want to get braces for her son, his bite was not that bad. She got a second opinion and that dentist said a retainer would work better for him.

Just depends on how bad the teeth are aligned, I guess.
Get a second opinion if you are not too comfortable.

Lisa

 

[Zandy595]

I had braces for 3 years (age 10-13). As soon as they came off my teeth started to get crooked again. There was just too much crowding. I know the ortho did something wrong. There must have been a way to prevent that from happening. All that money for nothing.

BTW, I thought your top front teeth were supposed to overlap the bottom teeth slightly, when you bite down.

 

[Bearvet]

This is how our ortho explained it to us: By correcting for improper bites at and early age (8 or 9) by using braces and headgear and whatever else, they can actually help the bones grow into the proper position rather than waiting until teen years and having to move the bone. They also get much better compliance with younger kids (doing what they're supposed to do on a daily basis).

That said, DS17 and DS13 have both had braces and I wouldn't do it any other way - it's too important. Any problems that occur during and after treatment are all covered with our original fee as long as they have an annual checkup with ortho and wear their retainer.

So far DS11 looks like he may escape braces! of course he's had to deal with glasses for a few years now! (BTW he just got contacts and LOVES them).

 

[RitaZ.]

On the orthodontist referral, I would ask friends for recommendations. That's how I found DS's ortho, he was recommended by a neighbor.

 

[golfgal]

DS13 is in braces right now. From the time he was about 4 our dentist told us he was going to need braces. Our ortho does yearly consults (free of charge) to track kids and when the best time for braces would be. DS13 lost his last baby tooth the day before his braces went on-with a LOT of effort, he didn't want the dentist to pull it. DS11 will be getting braces in a couple years when his baby teeth are out, major overbite. DD11 went for a consult and he said her teeth are aligned properly and are straight so no braces for her.

 

[pixiepower1971]

I have one daughter in the first stage of braces. Her braces are not affixed to her baby teeth. She is 9.

My ortho WILL NOT put braces on a young child to straighten teeth. He will do it if they require something to fix the bite, reallign the jaw, etc.

In your postion I would take him for a consult and then decide. It is too important.

My DHs parents never got him braces and he suffers now. I will not do that to my daughters...who inherited his awful mouth!

 

[minkydog]

All of my kids have that high narrow arch and a mouth full of teeth. The two older one had expanders when they were 8-9 to give them more room. Neither one required any teeth to be removed, even though at the start of treatment they had NO ROOM for their permanent teeth to drop down. Looking back at the before pix is really pretty amazing--their teeth were pretty awful.

DS19 didnt take care of his braces too well, wouldn't wear the retainer, etc so his teeth have shifted quite a bit since getting the braces off. DD13 is more motivated, takes good care of the braces, wears her retainer religiously and her teeth have lined up pretty well. She'll be starting her 2nd phase of braces next week and wear them for only about 15months, thanks to the previous work.

Back when we were kids it was unusual to get braces. Parents didn't have dental insurance, so you had to have a rich Daddy to have them. If your parents couldnt spring for them, you just lived with the ugly teeth. I'm very proud of the fact that my kids have great looking smiles thanks to orthodontia. They don't have to go through life with crooked teeth or gingivitis due to crowding. Hopefuly, the $$$$ investment will pay off in later life by keeping their mouths healthier.