Saying no to ortho work?

[catz]

The other thread reminds me I wanted to ask this. That and my kids were at the dentist this morning. :001_smile:

 

At my 11 year olds last check up, the dentist said we could have an ortho referral if we wanted as my 11 year old has a slight (very slight) overbite. His teeth are about as straight as they come. Neither my husband nor I ever had braces or any trouble with my teeth (I have a slight overbite too), and honestly I thought I should have braces way before this kid does (some of my teeth are a little crowded/crooked). So we declined at that time. But today they said again they'd like to re-eval his bite in 6 months for an ortho referral. $5000+ and a couple years of work seems like over kill for something so minor to me.

 

Any thoughts on this? Anyone else said no to ortho work to a dentist? Is there a huge disadvantage to waiting it out a little? He has almost all his adult teeth already (he was ahead of the game this way). Cosmetically, I think his teeth look fantastic and I know people who've had braces and their teeth have improved but their overbite has not anyway?

Edited February 15, 2012 by kck

[sunflowerlady]

Dd has one tooth that has come in out of line on the top. We went to a couple different orthos and bottom line-we cannot afford it even with monthly payments.:glare: Other than that one tooth, her teeth are fine. The second ortho (which was at a clinic at a nearby dental school where they charge a little less) said it was minor and that she could always have it done when she was an adult.

[GailV]

I would think the main question is whether the teeth align properly.

 

One of my kids had a crossbite, which is something you really should fix. The other dd, the upper teeth are "ahead" of the lower teeth, so the chewing action isn't quite right -- you can see how it would cause problems over time, although we could probably wait if we had to.

 

My nephew's problems were such that, since they waited until he was in college and his growth spurts were done before they started the orthodontia, they had to break his jaw to realign things. He never could chew properly as a child, which meant he didn't like to eat most things, which apparently meant he didn't get the best nutrition for growing bones and teeth -- sort of a downward spiral.

 

So, yeah, you'll hear stories about how it's good to have the orthodontia young.

 

But just for looks? Eh. Your child can get invisalign as an adult if they feel strongly about it.

[Elinor Everywhere]

My son has perfectly straight teeth with a slight overbite. Not that you notice - he chews fine, smiles fine, etc. The ortho told us to correct it; we opted not to. I think the mentality is that EVERY kid needs braces. I don't buy it.

[Soror]

I cannot see that we will do braces for minor cosmetic reasons. I see good reason if it is causing some problem or is really noticeable and would be embarrassing strictly due to aesthetics. I have a dear friend whose son has a serious underbite and all kinds of problems and he has a palate expander iirc, it was certainly warranted in his case, it was really effecting his sleep, eating and talking.

[Laura Corin]

You don't have to do it. If his teeth are pretty straight, there's no imperative.

 

Calvin didn't have his teeth straightened until he was thirteen, so there's also time to watch and wait.

 

Laura

[Princess Peach]

We have gotten referrals for dd and ds8 for the ortho but we've declined to take them. They both have bilateral crossbites, as do I. Mine was never fixed either. I don't see it as a necessity. I have never had problems stemming from my crossbite. They have nice smiles so far. I am not of the opinion that teeth have to be perfectly straight.

[elise1mds]

I had braces for 3 1/2 years and wore my retainer for two years after that. Then I got my (two... I don't have the other two) wisdom teeth removed and couldn't wear my retainer for a couple of days. That was all it took - my teeth went straight back the way they had been originally. Other than fixing the gap between my teeth, my bite was fine, anyway. In the end, braces were a big waste of my parents' time, effort, and money.

 

Fast forward to today... we've been told repeatedly to go see an orthodontist to get a consult for DS' mouth. He's missing the same two teeth that I am (top lateral incisors) and has a gap in his front teeth just like I do. I've told the dentist that until his adult teeth are fully in that I won't be visiting an orthodontist. DS may well decide he doesn't care about having a gap, and the rest of my teeth have filled in all the space that might have been taken up by my missing teeth, and I suspect DS' teeth will do the same. If not, there's plenty of time to correct it.

[Melinda in VT]

Although my son's teeth looked fine and I hadn't noticed his overbite until the dentist pointed it out, we did decide to go ahead and fix it. He should be out of his braces by summer.

 

We went ahead because our research indicated that an overbite like his would likely lead to more expensive problems down the road and that fixing the issue would be more difficult, more expensive, and more painful once he stopped growing. True, those would be his expenses, not ours, but since we could do it, we did.

[k2bdeutmeyer]

Is it just the overbite?

 

I was told that I had a problem with alignment, but cosmetically my teeth looked fine. My dad opted not to do orthodontics. I STILL regret that. I grind my teeth terribly, which causes massive headaches (due to neck/jaw tension) and I really believe it's because my teeth don't line up nicely. I hardly ever close my jaw completely because it is uncomfortable because the teeth don't line up right.

 

Anyway....if it truly is only cosmetic, then I wouldn't worry about it. If there is a real issue with his bite....I wouldn't skip it.

 

Just my $0.02.

[Guest]

Under your circumstances, I would say he doesn't need it. My ds has a severe overbite, so we had them put on a couple of weeks ago. The difference is that it was severe. Other kids would make comments. Don't waste your money.

[HiddenJewel]

We don't do ortho unless it is going to affect them negatively in the future.

[kathymuggle]

For minor issues, I probably wouldn't. I do not beleive in fixing cosmetic issues unless they are glaring. Too much money, time and yes, pain.

 

My middle child has fairly serious overcrowding but no bite issues. She doesn't smile in photos - but does in real life. So I would guess she is a little self conscious, but not overly so.

 

I am torn on what to do and every time I bring it up people act like I am a horrible person for not getting my daughter orthodontia - but dang it! Braces are not fun and they are expensive. I can think of many other things to do with $5000.

 

In our ortho-crazy world (where braces are seen as something most kids will have) it is hard to get unbiased information on when braces are a need versus a want.

[Susan in TN]

The other thread reminds me I wanted to ask this. That and my kids were at the dentist this morning. :001_smile:

 

At my 11 year olds last check up, the dentist said we could have an ortho referral if we wanted as my 11 year old has a slight (very slight) overbite. His teeth are about as straight as they come. Neither my husband nor I ever had braces or any trouble with my teeth (I have a slight overbite too), and honestly I thought I should have braces way before this kid does (some of my teeth are a little crowded/crooked). So we declined at that time. But today they said again they'd like to re-eval his bite in 6 months for an ortho referral. $5000+ and a couple years of work seems like over kill for something so minor to me.

 

Any thoughts on this? Anyone else said no to ortho work to a dentist? Is there a huge disadvantage to waiting it out a little? He has almost all his adult teeth already (he was ahead of the game this way). Cosmetically, I think his teeth look fantastic and I know people who've had braces and their teeth have improved but their overbite has not anyway?

 

Yes, we've said it quite a bit. When I was a teen my parents said I could get braces or a new violin. I went with the violin. I have a decent overbite and a little crookedness on the sides, but nothing that upsets me. My 2 oldest kids' teeth are MUCH nicer than mine and have both been told that they MUST have braces. I asked if it was simply cosmetic (an 8% overbite?) and they said there was risk of TMJ in the future. We decided that if they do develop TMJ in the future, we'd pay for the treatment then.

 

FWIW, when my oldest was 5yo, we were told that we needed to have all his front teeth pulled under general anesthesia because his mouth was small and his adult teeth would never have room to grow in. That was a bunch of bull. He grew and his head/mouth/jaw grew right along with him. He's now 6'2" and his teeth are perfect, with the exception of that 8% overbite.

[bethben]

My ds#2 has an overbite that looks exactly like his dads. He had braces on 3 teeth in the back of his mouth because one molar came in crooked and got stuck 1/2 way up. That is all this kid most likely will get. His teeth are straight and his dad's teeth are fine so I suspect his will be too. My other 3 are a different story - my oldest special needs child has a mouthful of mess but even then we're trying to avoid braces. My 3rd has a bunch of different problems even I can see and my 4th has a cleft palate, so I'm happy to have 1 who doesn't look like he'll need much.

 

 

Beth

[KidsHappen]

Is it just the overbite?

 

I was told that I had a problem with alignment, but cosmetically my teeth looked fine. My dad opted not to do orthodontics. I STILL regret that. I grind my teeth terribly, which causes massive headaches (due to neck/jaw tension) and I really believe it's because my teeth don't line up nicely. I hardly ever close my jaw completely because it is uncomfortable because the teeth don't line up right.

 

Anyway....if it truly is only cosmetic, then I wouldn't worry about it. If there is a real issue with his bite....I wouldn't skip it.

 

Just my $0.02.

 

 

I have one dd that had $5000 worth of ortho work and she grinds her teeth to the point that she already has excessive wearing and she is only 19. She had a very narrow arch and needed a palate expander. I thought she looked fine before and she wasn't grinding her teeth so I am not happy about the $5000 that I spent. My oldest dd had the same issue and she didn't get braces. She grinds her teeth as well but she doesn't have the same wear issue as the one that did get braces.

[KidsHappen]

I have paid for three sets of braces so far and it is my opinion that only one of the kids really needed them. She had an extremely narrow arch, an underbite to the point that her top teeth cut into her gums behind her bottom teeth and she had a cross bite. She had an expander, braces and an appliance and her mouth is in much better shape now but she is about ready for her second set of braces. I think all dentist think that all children need braces and I really don't think that is the case.

[Starr]

Our orthodontist waited until ds had grown a lot to see how big his jaw would be. I would say generally no rush.

[Lisbeth]

N/m i didn't add thumbs down and can't get rid of it...

Edited February 16, 2012 by Lisbeth

[lllll]

..

[JenneinCA]

DD13 got her braces off in December after having them on for about a year and a half.

 

She had a huge overbite. Her teeth were not lining up to correctly chew her food. It needed to be fixed. The orthodontist wanted to use the hear gear while she was still growing so we couldn't wait and see. It worked for us.

 

Same orthodontist sees no need to put ds11 in braces now since he is no where near his growth spurt and might make more room for his cramped teeth. He can wait.

[Lolly]

Dd has one tooth that has come in out of line on the top. We went to a couple different orthos and bottom line-we cannot afford it even with monthly payments.:glare: Other than that one tooth, her teeth are fine. The second ortho (which was at a clinic at a nearby dental school where they charge a little less) said it was minor and that she could always have it done when she was an adult.

 

All 4 of my kids have had one tooth, the same blasted tooth, that was way out of alignment. I had it fixed by an orthodontist in one of them because I was told it would never align itself. It was included in the braces for another. Oddly, in the other 2, it did align itself without any assisted correction. Either he outright lied, or he doesn't know everything like he thought he did.:tongue_smilie:

[delaney]

Most of the time the molars do not align correctly. They can only really see that with the full xrays. If the molars are not sitting right then they will grind down. Straight teeth has nothing to do with it really. My DD has straight teeth and when we went to the ortho we found her back teeth were really out of alignment, her bite was a mess, and her 6 year molars were sideways! I would say get an eval before you rule it out. If your dentist thinks you need it then I would go with that. They have nothing to gain.

I know at my ortho they do lifetime retainers. If you have any kind of work done they will do a new mold and fit you again b/c you have to wear them forever. I would rather pay now to prevent future problems. Our insurance covers nothing on ortho but our's does free financing which is great.

[Renee in NC]

My 13yo just got braces and they were BADLY needed.

 

Among other things, he has a 90% overbite, a lower midline that is 2mm to the right, and an overjet that is +8mm. His top teeth have too much spacing (they don't touch) and the bottom are very crowded. It is so bad that he can't chew meat. He has braces now, and will get a Herbst appliance in the future (with elastics.)

 

There was no question that he was getting braces. However, we would not do them for purely cosmetic reasons unless it was fairly severe. The way someone looks, unfortunately, does affect the way they are treated. If at all possible, I don't want to handicap a child in life because of something that is easily fixable.

[catz]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! Obviously, we have some time since they said they will update the x-rays at the next regular dental appt. I am just a bit put off because the dentist we saw last time presented it as very optional and she wasn't at all bothered when I said no thanks to an ortho referral. And now they're bringing it up again. This dental practice has also suggested work to my DH that he thought unnecessary, so he went to another practice that told him to get a water pik and now he's the poster child for healthy teeth and gums evidently. :D So even though I generally do like this dentist, they have suggested expensive solutions to minor problems before. There are a few procedures I have declined there as well.

 

We can pay for it and we do have dental insurance that may or may not pay for some of it, but I feel like doctors and dentists are much more aggressive with suggesting treatments for things than when I was a child. Like the time my son had a full kidney work up for a single bladder infection that we had to pay $1000 out of pocket for because our insurance company deemed it unnecessary (I happen to agree). I'm much more cautious since that particular experience. Even if it were cosmetic and he had crooked teeth, an obvious over or under bite, or his teeth were grinding down, we would most likely pursue it. But he's had almost all his adult teeth for a year - he sings, talks, eats all textures with no issues ever. I think he only has 1 missing. I guess we'll see how it plays out! :tongue_smilie: I suppose I shouldn't get too worked up about it yet. It's good to know we could at least watch it for a few years and see how he develops. He's most likely going to be a late puberty kid - small for age despite the early (and very straight!) teeth.

[ma23peas]

My son has perfectly straight teeth with a slight overbite. Not that you notice - he chews fine, smiles fine, etc. The ortho told us to correct it; we opted not to. I think the mentality is that EVERY kid needs braces. I don't buy it.

 

 

Absolutely! I said no to my son's braces, said yes to my daughter's and honestly doing it more for self esteem than need...she had two vampire teeth that were sitting very high...my brother had the same thing, my parents never did braces...histeeth now at 39 are perfectly straight, the natural growth of the jaw eventually helped him out...the jaw continues to grow even after their height has grown.

 

You notice how more developed faces are for adults than a 15 year old...two orthos said my daughter would have to have 2 or 4 permanent teeth removed, I refused, it may be easier for them to make things work at this stage of their jaw but I was told my mouth was too small and would need my wisdom teeth pulled, I have all my teeth and have plenty ofroom.

 

I also noticed that those who have had teeth pulled, as adults, their mouth is shallower than it looks like it should be, my husband had four pulled...just narrow mouth for his head shape...not a fan of orthos, but daughter smiles much more, worth it for us

[ma23peas]

All 4 of my kids have had one tooth, the same blasted tooth, that was way out of alignment. I had it fixed by an orthodontist in one of them because I was told it would never align itself. It was included in the braces for another. Oddly, in the other 2, it did align itself without any assisted correction. Either he outright lied, or he doesn't know everything like he thought he did.:tongue_smilie:

 

This is exactly what I mean, they tell you one hing, but when you show proof against them they claim lucky...I give a lot more credit to the designer of our bodies! It is more an issue of how long you want to wait to correct them..nature does a good job most the time...not sure why British teeth are notoriously poor, maybe lack of calcium to help the jaw?

[catz]

Honestly, it's at least a little comforting to know that if we do not do the treatment we won't be the first parents ever to say no. :D We can all share that slacker parent of the year award.

 

Here's a picture of my kid's smile from within the last month (I may remove this later) just to show that we aren't talking about a seriously messed up mouth! I know you can't see his "bite", but his profile is good. His chin doesn't recede. Once his adult teeth came in, I've had a few people approach me and ask who is ortho is because his teeth look so straight and aligned. :lol:

Edited February 17, 2012 by kck

[TXMomof4]

Our orthodontist waited until ds had grown a lot to see how big his jaw would be. I would say generally no rush.

 

dd has a pretty severe overbite. Our dentist asked us NOT to take her in to an ortho yet. 1) She still has most of her baby teeth and dr. said it's ridiculous to pull them to put metal in her mouth in their place. 2) He said a lot of bite problems correct themselves during the 12 yo growth spurt. Unless there were problems being caused by the teeth before then - impeding eating, causing pain, etc. - he wishes no one would do braces before they've hit that puberty/adolescent growth spurt. A lot of work done before then is undone and work that would have been done becomes unneccesary.

 

I'm not sure how true that it, but it put off braces for a little longer with her.

[GailV]

Once his adult teeth came in, I've had a few people approach me and ask who is ortho is because his teeth look so straight and aligned. :lol:

 

His smile does look good!:thumbup1:

[weddell]

My dentist offered an ortho referral for both my sister and I when we we're young. My teeth are crowded on the bottom and my front bottom teeth crossover each other slightly. It is not very noticeable unless my mouth is open and at an angle. The ortho said that it was purely cosmetic and if I were his kid he wouldn't pay to get it fixed. He said the same thing for my sister years later. LOL. I don't think the dentist who gave the referral really thought we needed wok either, it's just an option they like to give people.