Won't Wear Head Gear

[mickeyboat]

HA, let me tell you *my* headgear story. Your DS should be getting down on his prayer bones and thanking the angels above that he didn't have my braces-plan.


I had to wear headgear 24 hours a day.

IN 7TH GRADE.


Yeah, you got that right, MIDDLE SCHOOL. At least he only has to wear his at night .

agnes!

Me too. It was horrible. I put it on, left the house, and took it off at the end of the street.

I had full time retainers, too.

I wish I had done what the ortho recommended back then. My parents really sacrificed so that I could have braces.

Denae

 

[Cool-Beans]

DS was very non-complaint with his orthodontia. It was a pain.

It meant a lot of, "Did you put your rubberbands in?" and "Why aren't your rubberbands in?" and "Wear your God-dang rubberbands!"

It was such a big part of life back then. I think his orthodontia will be one of those things that remains in my brain when I'm 85 and have lost my mind. I'll be telling the nurses, "I have to get home and remind my son to wear his rubberbands."

Can't blame the kids too much for not wishing to do it. The rubberbands are uncomfortable and distracting and the headgear is more uncomfortable.

There were days where I was like, "You know, this is costing us a lot of money that we really don't need to spend. And when you don't do what you're supposed to do, it makes this whole thing last longer and IT COSTS US MONEY!! If you want goofball teeth, we can just put an end to this orthodontia and you won't have to worry about rubberbands and we won't have to pay for them!"

No, no, he wanted good teeth. He just forgot. He'd do better. ...over and over.

I'd rather have worn all that crap myself than have to get him to wear it.

But he has nice teeth now.

Kids just don't know what they put their parents through. They really don't. Someday he'll be so grateful.

 

[SC Minnie]

DD didn't have to wear a head gear but we had problems for while with her wearing her retainer. She thought she could get by not wearing it and nothing would happen as in her teeth would not move. She would lie to me when I would ask if she wore it at night. I could see her teeth shifting. Well, you guessed it. Went for a check up and her retainer didn't fit. We had to buy a new one. I was furious. I told her right there in front of the orthodontist that I would buy her another retainer but if she didn't wear it then too bad. I wasn't buying a 3rd one nor was I paying for another round of braces. She would just have to deal with crooked teeth until adulthood when she could afford them herself, her choice.

 

[agnes!]

I just had a mean NASTY thought about a way to deal with non-compliant kids & braces.

Go out and get some buck-teeth from a costume-store. Make DD or DS (whichever is appropriate) wear them for maybe a weekend. Take pictures, lot and lots of pictures. Print out some BIG prints, put one in the bathroom, put one next to the TV, put one in the car near where he usually sits, scatter them around the house.

Then tell the kid that the next time (maybe give them a couple of strikes and you're out) they take their stuff off and don't wear it at night or take it off and don't wear it at school?...the braces are coming OFF and their teeth will look like that buck-tooth toy.

Yeah, mean, but $2000-$6000 is a lot of money.

Oh and I like the idea of tying necessary brace-wearing to what kind of car might be available.

agnes!

 

[denisenh]

Its too late for OP but maybe it will spare others.

IMHO some kids, actually, I could probably add some young teens, are too immature and/or too non compliant for braces.

If you are not taking care of your teeth properly and thoroughly and consistently while wearing braces your teeth will decay or start to decay.

It is a huge amount of money to spend and wind up with unhealthy, unattractive teeth.

I had braces in my early 40's (just a few years ago) and it was a real commitment and much more time consuming cleaning my teeth properly.

I got my braces applied when my dd, now 16, had hers and I hoped that I could set a good example for her as she was lax in oral hygiene and also in head gear wearing.

Anyway, I love my beautiful smile but when I look at dd's who has eroded enamel in areas, I feel bad.

She was my second child with braces.

My 3rd, dd13, still has to be reminded to brush and floss and I still have to check her teeth so we will hold off on braces for her until she is better with care. Her teeth are not crooked or unattractive though.

A beautiful smile is an asset and healthy teeth are important to overall health.

As far as headgear wearing, I didn't have to wear it but I can honestly understand why one would not want to wear it. I would never force my child to wear headgear out of the house, unless her life depended on it.

Lets be real, it is ugly and doesn't look to comfy either.
I hope that there is an alternative available to that contraption.

 

[denisenh]

I have read a few replies and see that the big piece of advice is hold off on braces until your kids are old enough to care for their teeth!
LOL, I thought I was the only one who figured that out.

About the "elastics" or rubberbands.....I had to wear elastics and it wasn't bad at all. If I could deal with that, any kid old enough to wear braces should be able to.
I could get those things on and off in the wink of an eye. Don't let your kids convince you that it is a pain. As long as they have a bag of them handy there is no reason not to wear them.

 

[StartedAJoke]

I "failed" head gear. I, too, put it on each night and would then take it off in my sleep. Never have I been more miserable. Every night, same thing and I still, 30 years later, can remember that ache. Because I failed to wear the head gear, they switched me to rubber bands. Best thing ever! Took longer, yes (by about 8 months) but they were SO much less painful. My DD14 went through the whole braces process and her overbite correction was done with rubber bands.

 

[FINFAN]

at the very initial consult we had (with the ortho we are retunring to today)he said that he will not put braces on any client with unhealthy dental habits. I thought that was very responsible of him, AND he is the only one that I have heard say that...we checked out 5 different ones when my DD got her braces, and now 3 additional for DS. I am hopeful it all works out for my DS.

 

[RainbowBrite]

I really empathize with your son. Having lived with head gear I can tell you how horribly painful it is...and that he actually may be removing it in his sleep just to get some relief from the agony!

You can tell him it will just prolong the process---but in the end, that may not matter. Horrible pain is horrible pain!! Unless you've felt it, I don't think you can imagine the wrenching ache that it can cause with no relief for hours and hours every single night---for years?

How bad is the overbite? Can they correct all of the other issues and leave the overbite (ie. straighten teeth, etc)?

I can vouch for this. Headgear is extremely painful. I was always taking mine off in the middle of the night just to get some relief. My wife had to wear it too as a kid and it gave her such bad migraines.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Sorry to hijack OP's thread, but can anyone tell me any experience they might have with permanent retainers? DD is getting her braces off next Monday and the ortho is putting in a permanent retainer (top and bottom) in addition to her having to wear her night retainer. Any info would be very much appreciated!

 

[FINFAN]

My DD has a permanent bottom one...I asked her when it was put on was it an issue, she said no, and even now 4 years later I don't think it bothers her at all.
off to the orhto with DS in a few, hoping no head gear is involved in the suggested treatment!

 

[maymom96]

Maybe the whole bit about considering it a "deal" confused him. After all, did he get to practice informed consent, or did you basically tell him how things were going to be, because, "[you] want him to have nice teeth"?

OP here. DS did get to practice informed consent. He came up to me one day about his overbite. I mentioned something to the dentist who referred ds to the ortho. At all the ortho appointments, I told ds that if he decided he wanted braces, it would require sacrifice on everyone's part. He was told that it would be painful and often times unpleasant but in the end it would be worth it. He decided that he wanted his mouth fixed (it's a whole jaw and tooth issue).
I don't think the head gear is painful for him at this point. He needs it tightened but doesn't go back for a few weeks. He hasn't complained about the pain for weeks (he has only had it a month or so).
I think it's just uncool looking (you must still be stylish even for bed) and he doesn't want to deal with it. I have told him that he has one last chance to wear the head gear at home before he must wear it at school. Since I work at his school, I will know if he took it off.
If he is being honest and doesn't realize he is taking it off in his sleep, I may buy duct tape and tape it in place.

 

[FINFAN]

just returned from our new Ortho! DS will need braces,bands, and that SHOULD do it if he plays by the rules. No additional headgear. I am not naive enough to think that there may not be adjustments to the treatment, but DS headgear wires were popped off today, he needs about a month for his mouth , gums to recondition, ( and allow DS to clean better where the headgear wires were) and then the braces will go on, hopefully. I do think had DS worn his gear( like, at all) he woudl be spending less time in the braces, but he has to deal with the result of his stubborness. I also think, most definitely , that his being 2 years older is a huge factor in his level of maturity in dealing with it all. Don;t get me wrong, he is NOT happy about the braces and I see some pretty aggrivating days ahead, but glad to be moving forward.

 

[bicker]

OP here. DS did get to practice informed consent. He came up to me one day about his overbite. ... He decided that he wanted his mouth fixed

Then he deserves no slack.

 

[sunnyday123]

Deal? I wore a headgear at night. I hated it. There was no deal involved, I was told to do it. I certainly didn't ask what would happen to me if I didn't, but I was sure that whatever punishment my parents would think up would be far worse than wearing the stupid wire torture device.

Here's a good one, "Well, if you don't wear it while you're asleep you can wear it to school and we'll have your teachers make sure it's on all day."

And this is exactly what happened to me. Except my Mother added, "And if I hear you did not wear it all day, I will come to school with you, to each and every class."

I put that sucker on as soon as I walked through the door every afternoon.

 

[sunnyday123]

just returned from our new Ortho! DS will need braces,bands, and that SHOULD do it if he plays by the rules. No additional headgear. I am not naive enough to think that there may not be adjustments to the treatment, but DS headgear wires were popped off today, he needs about a month for his mouth , gums to recondition, ( and allow DS to clean better where the headgear wires were) and then the braces will go on, hopefully. I do think had DS worn his gear( like, at all) he woudl be spending less time in the braces, but he has to deal with the result of his stubborness. I also think, most definitely , that his being 2 years older is a huge factor in his level of maturity in dealing with it all. Don;t get me wrong, he is NOT happy about the braces and I see some pretty aggrivating days ahead, but glad to be moving forward.

poor kid. he has no idea the bands and the tightening is way worse than the stupid headgear.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Having had to wear the headgear for two years, I am so with your son on this one and glad that ANYTHING else is an option.

It was painful both in the mouth and the places where the headgear went on my skin on the back of my neck. Oh, sure, there was padding but it hurt like hell and caused a rash. And the indents and skin-ripping and blood clots it caused on the inside of my mouth still to this day annoys me and I can feel them.

I refused to wear mine too and there was nothing my parents could have done about it. They even had BOTH ENDS of the headgear locked in (meaning, I couldn't take out the monorail) to my braces. So, I had to have it in all the time.

Until I discovered how to use needle-nose pliers. Eventually, my dad gave pity on me and we ganged up on my mom. And then we told the dentist to go pound sand or find another option.

 

[EveDallas]

I can't really help because I got braces at 15 and did everything the ortho told me because I really wanted straight teeth. That said, my niece got braces at 12 and won't take care of her teeth. I am seriously considering postponing DS12 braces until he is an older teen because maybe then he will care more.

 

[FINFAN]

sunnyday, not sure if I missed something...my DD had braces, bands...no head gear, do you mean way worse as in the level of discomfort?

 

[cteddiesgirl]

I would talk to the ortho about possible other alternatives as well. There are a lot of newer ways they can correct his overbite without head gear, honestly I didn't realize they still used those things.

If there are no other options with the ortho then it sounds like DS is going to have to just suck it up and wear it. I'm pretty old school when it comes to stuff like that, if my child is supposed to be wearing the head gear and they take it off - I would be taking away everything from the child until he learned that wearing the head gear isn't so bad after all.

I also didn't think they used those things anymore. There are so many options now. Heck. I had braces and never had to have headgear. And I had a really bad overbite. I also had one tooth that was turned completely sideways and two more that had to be switched. All of it done without headgear. In the 1980's. Oh. And I started very young.

There are many different options now than there were then.

Sorry to hijack OP's thread, but can anyone tell me any experience they might have with permanent retainers? DD is getting her braces off next Monday and the ortho is putting in a permanent retainer (top and bottom) in addition to her having to wear her night retainer. Any info would be very much appreciated!

I had a permanent one on bottom for years. My ortho put behind my teeth so no one could see it. Didn't cause me any problems.