Whether to do braces or not

[bleubell]

In regards to the canker sores I have a few suggestions that have worked in my family. I was plagued by cankers my entire life until I gave up dairy. My children both get them after using toothpaste with Sodium Laurel Sulphate so we started buying an SLS-free toothpaste. Now on the rare occasion that someone gets one (from an injury, or whatnot) we use L-Lysine supplements and/or a homeopathic Borax remedy.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

Braces are usually for more than cosmetic. If a persons teeth do not line up they can cause abnormal wear on the teeth. This in turn can cause jaw pain, broken teeth, caps (later on in life) and other issues such as headaches.

Get your kid braces and do a monthly plan. I pay $100 a month for my child's braces.

 

[minkydog]

Back when I was growing up, you know, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, none of my friends got braces. Our families were too poor for that and nobody had dental insurance back then. My siblings and I could have benefited from braces. All of us have crooked teeth. I've never lost out on a job because of it, but the crowding does make it harder to keep them clean and I've had several cavities between the teeth. Which is why we chose to put braces on our kids' teeth. We have a small fortune in their mouths.

All 3 of my kids were born with small, high-arched palates. In fact, when DS28 was born the doctor took one look inside his mouth and told us to start saving for orthodontia. Sure enough, when he had some giant teeth coming in he didn't have room for them. He had his first set of braces at age 8 to expand his hard palate try to avoid pulling teeth. That helped but not enough and he had his second set at age 13. Unfortunately, he did not take care of his teeth, so he has about 14 small fillings in his front teeth now. You can't tell it, but I'm sure eventually he will need some of them replaced.

DD21 also had two sets of braces. At 9yo, she had such a bad overbite that she was in danger of breaking her front teeth off, if she had a bad fall. She was very self-conscious about them. So she got braces to expand her hard palate and try to avoid pulling teeth. It helped, but by 14 she needed braces again. DD took excellent care of her teeth and she has no cavities, nor discoloration. Her teeth are beautiful.

Christian did not get braces. He is severely mentally handicapped and would never be able to comply with treatment. It is very hard to even brush his teeth; there is no flossing. He has several deep fillings in his back molars, as a result. Christian has the same high-arched hard palate. He has a big overbite and a great big space between his front teeth. I'm sure the other two would have looked just like him, if they had not had the benefit of braces.

I do not regret putting braces on my two older kids, even though it cost a LOT. We didn't go on vacations for about 6-8 years, just trips to Grandma's house. But we did what we had to do, you know?

 

[tlens]

Get the braces. If it strictly cosmetic, they'll be off quick. If there's something greater, then the need is there and it has to be done.

Think of this scenario. Your son is an adult and up for a job. He and one other person are tied for a position. All things are equal. The other guy has a great smile. Your son's teeth are a mess. Who will get the job?

My daughter's braces were $7200.00. I'd pay it again in a heartbeat. Her teeth looked straight but there were other issues at play. Now her teeth look phenomenal and the jaw alignment is corrected.

 

[bjscheel]

DD16 has not had braces. She had a major gap but it has closed as her teeth grew in. Some other minor issues. She decided she didn't want to go through it and that was fine with me.

DD13 on the other hand has a mess of a mouth. We started when she was 8 or so, only because she had a bad underbite and I was told they needed to start while her jaw was still young and moveable. Otherwise I would have been more likely to have a wait and see approach. She also had two eyeteeth trying to come in at odd angles. In addition, she is missing one or two adult teeth, and her bottom two front teeth are missing enamel. So, she needed help. She's had one round of braces and now in retainers and has been for quite a while, waiting for her adult teeth to grow in. She's very slow about it. We're still waiting on one of those eyeteeth to start coming in. However, so far I'm not super impressed with the results of round one. Yes, she got rid of the underbite, but her front teeth are flared out to get past the bottom teeth. With a big hole still beside them it looks odd. Still hoping in the end when all of her teeth are in that we have a good result after all this hassle. She has had a hard time with it.

 

[DopeyDame]

I had terrible teeth as a child and could not WAIT to get braces - I was so self conscious.
My DH never had braces. His teeth aren't terrible, but they aren't straight. He's pretty self-conscious of that and really wishes his parents had given him braces as a child. After all, no one blinks at all at a 13 year old with braces, but an adult with braces stands out a little more. He's still thinking about getting braces as an adult - his current thought is to wait until our kids are old enough for them and get them at the same time as them, in solidarity

 

[nikkistevej]

I needed braces as a child, we were never able to get them, too much money. Now, I don't care that much, have a small gap, but otherwise fine. We recently had to get braces for DD12(she has all her adult teeth already), they said 12-18 months and that they weren't "that bad", she has a slight overbight and her teeth were misaligned, I think we made a good decision, I do think it was mostly cosmetic, BUT I think anything that can help with confidence, go ahead and do it. Plus, DH has great dental insurance, they only cost us $1500.00

 

[robinb]

My Dd had braces for 2 years and I couldn't be happier with the results. Her teeth are really nice.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Went with it as an adult. My teeth were a mess on my bottom row. Had always wanted braces and my mom was convinced it was for vanity. Then she saw my wired mouth and changed her tune. I would do it over again in a heartbeat.


4 kids--only one has an obvious need for braces. Other kids seem to have well aligned teeth. We will get the one, but not sure when as she is still losing baby teeth.

 

[jdb in AZ]

DD had a gap between her upper two front teeth -- basically there was fibrous tissue in the way, so she had a frenectomy (Google it.) Once that was removed, her teeth were very easy to correct. She wasn't one to endure pain as a teen, but straight teeth meant enough for her to endure. She plays the French horn and we were concerned about braces injuring her lip, but they have wax for that.

Our nephew refused to wear his headgear and rubber bands, so the orthodontist eventually just removed the braces. Our son didn't want braces as a teen, but now wishes he had.

 

[goldmay]

I've spent many years, both as a child and as an adult, in braces and Invisalign along with jaw surgery.

Braces have definitely made me less self-conscious about my smile. I would recommend it for a child *if* they're responsible/mature enough to practice good dental hygiene and wear the retainers afterward. I wasn't because I didn't care about straight teeth at the time (5th grade), but now in my 20s I realize how important it is.

Invisalign is great too, but it doesn't work for every case, and kind of inconvenient when it comes to eating/drinking.

 

[jodifla]

I'm leaning against braces for my son. We will probably get a ortho consult, and did have a "johnny jumper" to move one tooth into alignment.

My son's upper teeth are a bit spaced and the bottom a bit crowded, but his dentist thinks as he grows there will be plenty of room for his teeth. We'll get the smaller tooth capped.

People tend to go for braces now because they have dental insurance. In my day, you didn't get braces unless you had serious issues.

 

[Ceila]

I grew up in the late 70's / early 80's, and lots of kids had braces for cosmetic reasons. I was lucky and didn't need them. However, DD will get hers later this week. I can't imagine not getting them for her, even though it's cosmetic and a pretty minor issue. The OOP cost will be around 3k, but giving her straight teeth is well worth in in our family.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I would say go for it, confidence has no price.

Exactly.

I know a couple of adults who are getting braces in their 30's and 40's and it seems a bit strange. They all wish their parents would've taken them in when they were younger.

 

[jodifla]

I grew up in the late 70's / early 80's, and lots of kids had braces for cosmetic reasons. I was lucky and didn't need them. However, DD will get hers later this week. I can't imagine not getting them for her, even though it's cosmetic and a pretty minor issue. The OOP cost will be around 3k, but giving her straight teeth is well worth in in our family.

I grew up in the late 60s, early 70s. I actually have almost the same identical "flaws" in my teeth as my son -- mine are actually a bit worse as I have an overbite. I was glad not to get braces. Seemed like a pretty big hassle.

 

[StephMK]

Our girls both needed them and we are very happy with the results. DD20 especially had some side teeth that stuck out at weird angles. She has a gorgeous smile now.

DS did not "need" them but the ortho recommended for cosmetic reasons. Basically his teeth kind of angled in and they are now spread out to fill his smile better. He is in the final stages and all seems to be going ok but longer than expected due to some overcorrections.

I get horrible canker sores too. I read that toothpaste without SLS - sodium lauryl sulfate - will help avoid cankers. I have been using it about 7 months and I do think it has helped a lot. I still get some but not all the time and they aren't as severe as they used to be. I found one of Tom's kinds that does not contain it but they are hard to find. Tom's used to be all SLS free but now only certain ones don't contain SLS.

I had braces as a kid and my teeth have shifted since then. I would like to get braces again or Invisalign because I do feel self conscious about them.

 

[njmom47]

DD#1 had my teeth...so bucked you could fit your thumb between top and bottom teeth, and a split between the front teeth. We both had a frenectomy (i remember being in excrutiating pain...ugh). Her teeth are really nice now.
DD#2 has really white teeth but her two front teeth are a bit out of line with the rest of her teeth. She's mad that we didn't get braces for her, but I think she looks ok.
DS really needs braces. I feel terrible when I see him smile; he doesn't outwardly seem that self-concious about it but I'm sure he is. I feel pretty bad that we didn't get braces for him, but we are helping him pay for college, dh has had a few bouts of unemployment, and my insurance covers $750....which isn't really much. His not getting braces is strictly financial for us.

 

[Kenny1113]

I voted other....

Ds13 has braces now. too early to say if I am happy with the results. I do not regret it. I think we got a decent price $2,000 out of pocket, after ins.

I had braces growing up, I do not regret having them. As an adult I'm glad I had them when I was younger.

 

[shell8558]

I had them as a teenager and I am very grateful that my parents did this for me. My son,15,just got his off a couple months ago and he has such straight beautiful teeth. Absolutely no regrets! My daughter is in them now.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

It's important to do an in-depth consultation with the orthodontist and fully understand why the braces are being recommended. Have them show you the full mouth x-rays and point out where the trouble spots are. Is it a health issue, or simply cosmetic? Both of my boys had cross-bites. My oldest boy's back teeth didn't even touch when he bit down. It was a wonder he could chew his food! If we left these conditions untreated, they could have caused more serious tooth and jaw issues in the future. The bonus was that both not only have nicely aligned bites, but they have beautiful, straight teeth.

Personally, I would have had them get braces even if it was just a cosmetic issue. I tend to notice people's teeth. I notice when people appear to be less than confident because their teeth are crooked. When I see a well-dressed, successful person with crooked teeth, I wonder why they don't get them fixed. It might sound weird, but that's just me. My DS16 is a singer/actor and his teeth are beautiful after having braces. If he pursues acting professionally, I know his smile will serve him well.