So, do ANY kids make it through childhood without braces these days?

[ereks mom]

We could not have afforded braces, so it's a good thing they didn't need them!

[redsquirrel]

I did not need braces, my teeth are very straight. My husband did have them. My oldest does have them now. My goodness, his teeth were a mess and I am glad he has them. Not so happy about the cost but he would have been in pain as he grew up with his jaw all out of wack.

 

Given our class and educational expectations for our kids, we don't see braces as optional. I have every reason to think he will go on to some 'professional' sort of job/life and he will be judged poorly in interviews if his teeth are a mess.

 

My BIL is in the Air Force and when he started at the academy, many, many of the freshmen had braces. It really stood out. He explained that the Air Force doesn't want officers having crooked teeth.

 

With our second kid it is too soon to tell. My guess is that just as one finishes his braces the second will start.

[ChristusG]

My kids are only 6 and 3 years old, but each time we go to the dentist she exclaims "They have great bites! Looks like you'll be able to save big bucks by not needing to get them braces in the future!"

[IsabelC]

I guess to each his own, but I consider straight teeth very important to one's health and appearance. I've never considered braces optional for a kid that needed them. :confused:

Straight teeth don't necessarily have anything to do with health. It's possible to have perfectly healthy, functioning teeth that aren't straight.

 

Appearance? Well obviously it is, to some extent, a matter or personal opinion. Some people's teeth are so extremely "bad"(for want of a better word) that you could say they are a disfigurement, and leaving them untreated would lead to psychological trauma . But by the same token, people with interestingly irregular teeth pay loads of money to turn them into bland, fake looking barbie/ken teeth.

 

Also, while I won't deny that personal appearance plays a large part in people's lives, what is so special about teeth? Many (most?) parents wouldn't encourage their children to have plastic surgery for non medical reasons. Many (most?) parents also endeavor to raise their children with the belief that there are things more important in life than how pretty we look. Just pondering.