Braces.

[Miss Peregrine]

First off, let me say that I am not in the early braces camp. I am also not in the every kid needs them camp. Unless there are more severe issues I am fine with an "imperfect" smile. I wait until all the teeth are in and moved around on their own for a few years.

 

My DD14 is going to need them. We waited through all these years of the dentist saying we need to start braces. She has all her teeth in and they have straightened out majorly (spell check is saying that majorly is not a word)on their own. She has two problem teeth, one is growing under the others, like where another row of teeth would be.

 

Time to do something. The problem is that DD doesn't want braces all that much. She says she will get them if she has to but she does not want any teeth pulled. She is insistent that she will not be having any teeth pulled.

 

If the choice is teeth pulled or no braces she will pick no braces.

Would you insist that something be done at her age or would you let her decide ?

[AuntieM]

Have you had an orthodontic consultation yet? I think you need to gather more info before making such a decision. And definitely before letting a 14yo do the decision-making. JMO.

 

Is cost a factor? Or are you aware of the price of braces and perhaps have insurance (think $3-6K)? Because the cost may just answer for you.

[fairfarmhand]

I'm in the same situation that you are in. My dd doesn't want them. However she really needs them. Also the type of bite she has could cause bog problems for the future (possible jaw issues) so, she has no choice. We are going forward anyhow.

 

Most orthodontists around here give you a free consultation, telling you what they will likely have to do and how much it will cost. I'd go see one and see what the orthodontist has to say before deciding one way or the other.

 

Keep in mind that with the teeth being as crowded as they are, it will be more difficult to keep them clean, so without braces she may be setting herself up for future dental issues.

[Laura Corin]

I'd not push it: she may decide for herself to get it done if she's not pushed. She might notice after a while that her teeth are not as regular as other people's and choose to get braces, or she may not. It's her mouth, and braces are not a now-or-never decision - she can do them later if she wants.

 

I didn't mention to Calvin that he had a choice about braces - he had seriously buck teeth that rested on his lower lip. His braces came off today and he looks great. If he had really objected I don't think I would have pushed it: it takes commitment to look after braces, so the child really has to agree.

 

Laura

[Lily of the Valley]

My dd had to have four teeth pulled before getting braces. She didn't want to do it, but we didn't give her a choice. :001_smile: I had severe issues with my own teeth, but wasn't able to get braces until I was an adult. I didn't want her to have to worry about paying for that on her own in the future.

 

In our area, orthodontists do free consultations. They also typically do interest-free financing for two years. Dd's braces were about $4500, and our insurance paid about $1500 of that. We were able to make payments over the course of two years.

 

She is now having some issues due to not wearing her retainer frequently enough, and the ortho is taking care of that for no additional charge.

[LisaKinVA]

Nope. Not giving my kids a choice on that one.

 

My oldest dd has already had to have 4 teeth pulled, because the adult teeth came in behind her other adult/baby teeth... they were like that for 18 mos. Teeth pulled. Period. Improper alignment such as you've described can cause gastro-intestinal problems due to ineffective chewing (not fun...), and TMJ (that is NOT a fun surgery, either.)

 

Some minor issues? I probably wouldn't give it a second thought. But, with at least 2 of mine, they will have teeth pulled, and, they will have braces. In this case, I do know better.

[mysticamethyst]

The way it was explained to us, dd also had extra teeth, is that it is not just about her smile, it is about her jaw formation. Eventually over time my dd's front teeth would have been forced out and up giving her a not so pleasant appeance. I am not sure I would let a 14 yo decide this one only because I am not sure she would understand the long term effects of not pulling the teeth. I think in the long run she will understand that it was all worth the hassle.

 

Go for a consult and see if she will listen to the orhotdontist. Like others have said it is usually free. I hope you guys can find something that you can both be happy with.:001_smile:

[SBP]

Nope. Not giving my kids a choice on that one.

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

My children don't get to decide about orthodontia any more than they would get to decide if they wanted a cavity filled. No one wants to have a cavity filled, but there will almost certainly be long-term health and aesthetic issues arising from letting one go untreated.

 

I agree that minor imperfections can be overlooked, but it sounds as though you know that your DD's issues are more serious than that. If you can afford to fix them, I really think you should do it without involving her in the decision. Chances are very, very good that she'll thank you for it one day, even if that day isn't the day she has to get a tooth pulled.

 

SBP

[NancyNellen]

Just fyi, not all orthos pull teeth. Mine doesn't. Both my 13 year old and I have braces with no pulled teeth.

 

Honestly, if she's insistent that she doesn't want them, I would skip it. She can always get them when she's an adult (like I just did :-)

[Chaqar]

Just curious...what is the big objection to pulling teeth, if necessary? My ortho. tried for four years to adjust my severe overbite w/o pulling teeth, then finally needed to pull four of them. It took a year after that for the other teeth to move into place. I had a small palette, so it needed to be done. My only regret is that it took him four years of braces with no progress to figure this out!

 

I have had no problems with teeth shifting since my braces have been off (15+ years), but I surely would have if my mouth had remained overcrowded. Having the teeth pulled was no big deal.

[5wolfcubs]

Timely post for me. My 15yo dd had 4 teeth pulled today. She has been in braces for 2 years. We just moved and found a new orthodontist -- while her frontal alignment is much improved, some serious issues have been caused by the previous orthodontist.

 

The new ortho offered 3 options:

-pull the 4 first molars and align things as properly as possible

-work with what she has, knowing the limits of correct-ablity at her age/altered position of teeth

-take them off now and let what will be, be

 

I really, really thought dd would want #3 because she didn't want braces in the first place. Truly did not want them. And she'd had several baby teeth pulled trying to get adult ones to come down straight. And it had been two years and now there will probably nearly 2 more.

 

But she (teary-eyed) said we'd put this much effort into it, it should be done right. I'm teary-eyed right now, knowing I took her every month and the ortho was actually creating new problems! :crying:

 

Anyway, to answer your question, I'd get multiple consultations and have dd hear the options from the orthodontists themselves. Then decide.

[QueenCat]

If you haven't had the actual consult with pictures, do so first. Let the ortho. explain the why. Sometimes it is also medical, and will affect the jaw if not done. This can lead to more extensive treatment later! Our ortho did a great job explaining things to my younger ds. He's just starting treatment at 18 (delayed a bit due to mild autism/Asperger issues). We've approached it as a medical necessity, as it will cause him more extensive problems later.

[missmoe]

I would make the decision for her, if not correcting the problem is going to cause health problems later on. I would let her make the decision if the fix is a cosmedic (sp?) one. But if you do need to make the decision to have them, you need to get her on board. She is the only one that can really take care of her teeth. And they will need extra care with braces.

[Amy loves Bud]

If you haven't had the actual consult with pictures, do so first. Let the ortho. explain the why. Sometimes it is also medical, and will affect the jaw if not done. This can lead to more extensive treatment later!

 

This. Right now y'all don't really know the ramifications of not getting them. If it's simply cosmetic, I see no reason to force it. She can just decide to get them later. But if we're talking about jaw and bite problems, then I think you've got to play the Mom Knows Best card.

[StephanieZ]

I would insist. It is a medical issue. It is not her choice. She'd get whatever orthodontic treatment was medically advised by the orthodontist I chose. . . including any extractions. No more than it'd be her choice whether to be treated for any other medical problem.

 

I would discuss good sedation & pain control w/ the dentist who'd do the extractions. And, I'd discuss dd's concerns w/ her and try to ensure that they were addressed (e.g., sedation & pain control during & after).

 

FWIW, extractions have not been painful for my dc. Certainly less painful than many other medical/dental procedures we all face at times.

 

I'd do it soon, to be sure all was done ASAP, and so she has less time to mull over her methods of resistance.

 

So, it becomes a disciplinary issue. I'd tell her that this was not her choice; it is a medical need & it is your duty to make sure she gets her teeth properly cared for. No negotiations. If she doesn't accept it. . . then she'd be grounded/etc until she was ready to comply.

[Miss Peregrine]

Well, she definitely needs them.

 

The ortho said she likes to do it without pulling teeth unless absolutely necessary. Whew! DD is happy. She starts in January.:)

[Miss Peregrine]

Just fyi, not all orthos pull teeth. Mine doesn't. Both my 13 year old and I have braces with no pulled teeth.

 

Honestly, if she's insistent that she doesn't want them, I would skip it. She can always get them when she's an adult (like I just did :-)

 

Cool! Dh got his a few years ago. How fun that you two are doing it together!

[Daisy]

If you have insurance, I would say yes.

 

My parents were unable to afford the dental work I needed. I had an adult eye tooth growing up in the roof of my mouth. It needed to be pulled down with braces. So they put it off and put it off and put it off. As a kid, I didn't care.

 

When I was in my 20's and had NO insurance, the tooth started growing into my sinus cavity. I was forced to have the cheapest procedure done. I had it pulled. Now because I have no adult eye tooth (still have a dissolving baby tooth), the entire structure of my jaw is compromised. I have a severe overbite and major problems with TMJ. I'm told I'll be in pain all my life unless I get braces. Well, guess what? Our current dental insurance only covers braces for the kids. I still can't get it done.

[Angjune]

I am sort of in the same situation as you. I agree with no early braces and know many of my daughter's school friends that probably didn't need braces. My son did not have any but from a very young age I was told my daughter would need them.

 

Our orthodontist wanted to wait till most of the permanent teeth came in and that is what we did. In the meantime, some of her problems cleared up as her she grew and her mouth developed. I was also extremely reticent to start braces since my daughter had a lot of school anxiety last year and I didn't think she could handle one more thing (braces). We are now homeschooling and things have improved in that department.

 

She has now had all the xrays completed and the doc thinks it is a good time to start since she is about to lose her last baby tooth. (She is 13 1/2). I have kind of left the decision up to her (since I'm not the one that will have metal in my mouth for 2 years). But, I think she is slowly coming around to the idea and will eventually take the plunge. I explained that it will be much more difficult to correct when she is older and bones are set.

 

However, as far as extracting teeth, I agree with the others and would get a second opinion.

[NancyNellen]

:001_smile:

[snipsnsnailsx5]

I don't know if this will help or not...but we recently had our 11 yr old get braces.

He had some severe front teeth issues, his top two front teeth were sticking WAY out from the others. The other teeth in his mouth are a bit crooked, but nothing I would worry about at this time.

In fact at our ortho consultation, the orthodontist said that at his age they like to wait a while for the teeth to shift around some. However, because his two front teeth were sticking out SO much, it was actually a hazard to his teeth and they could be damaged or injured more easily.

 

He (my son) was VERY reluctant to get braces. He did NOT want them. However, we got them anyway and now he's sees pictures of before he got pictures and he thanks us for getting him braces. His self-image has improved dramatically.

 

When I was a kid I had TONS of ortho work. TONS. I didn't want to go through all of that for sure. However, I did it because my parents made me (lol) and now of course I'm SO thankful as an adult that they did.

 

Just want to add though that I'm talking about severe ortho issues...not just a case of a few crooked teeth. I think that in that case, just a few crooked teeth, that I would first get the ortho consult and then decide if its something that can wait until she's older or even an adult -and then she can decide for herself (and as an adult, pay for it herself!).

My sister had imperfect teeth but my parents refused to buy braces for her...they already BTDT with me. haha She wanted perfect teeth though, so as an adult she decided to get braces.