itsheresomewhere Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Talk to me. This is for a teen if this helps. I just want real experience/advice from those who have been there, done that. Did you take the extraction route for severe crowding/malformed teeth? Did you try to save the teeth and was it successful? Or did they have to come out later? How long was your child in braces? Any regrets on having them? Thanks in advance. :crying: ( this is my checkbook). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Our ortho doesn't do tooth extractions for crowding. That is pretty old school. They are more likely to do palate expanders and such. However, one kid had a malformed tooth that needed to be removed. There was decay due to the malformations and lack of proper enamel. They removed that tooth and left a space where that tooth should go. We may get an implant there in the future, but, for the meantime, the ortho put a fake tooth on a wire and cemented the wire to the back of the adjoining teeth (kind of like a bottom retainer is often done.) We are very happy with the results. ETA: This child was in braces for 2 1/2 years. Neither of our kids needed palate expanders. But both had a lot of crowding. The older kid had 2 phases of braces because there was risk of tooth loss if we didn't fix a problem quickly, but he hadn't lost enough teeth to have the full program done. When this one tooth was moved out of a crossbite situation, the first phase was removed and we waited until more permanent teeth had come in before putting them back on again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthyfamily Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 My daughter's teeth were very badly overcrowded and she had a pretty bad overbite, we did not however have to remove any teeth. The only times she really complained of pain was when she first got them (the spacers, and the brackets (which we helped with wax)), any time they were adjusted (she would complain for about 1.5 days) and after she had them removed we had to wait about a week for the retainers, and those hurt pretty badly for a few days. She had them on for nearly three years. No regrets at all, they are so beautiful and she's very glad she went through all of it. She got them on when she was 11. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjzimmer1 Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I don't have any BTDT at that particular age but we have had some extractions in our family at other ages. First what age of teen are you talking? A younger one that is still growing, I would probably want to know if a palette expander would help. For an older teen who is past the growing stage, I think there are fewer options. My DH had braces in his mid 20's. They had to extract one tooth because at that age, the ability to shift/move the teeth and jaw is much harder. That was about 15 years ago, and he hasn't had any problems from it. I've also had many teeth pulled (12 baby, 4 permanent plus 3 wisdoms). However, with the exception of the wisdom teeth they were all pulled before I was 12. However, they didn't have the same ortho appliances back then and there simply was no enough room in my mouth for all my teeth. I don't have any problems with having fewer teeth. If a tooth is malformed, I wouldn't have any problem with removing those. But if the teeth are otherwise healthy, I would probably want to see about making more room first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 DD16 just got hers off. She didn't need extractions, her crowding was minimal. She had forsus springs instead of headgear so that helped to speed the process along a bit. She was in and out of braces in just over a year and a half. No regrets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Two boys have been in braces. Calvin had one tooth extracted, then was in braces for about eighteen months or two years. Teeth look great. Hobbes hasn't had any teeth taken out, but has three or four stages of braces, one after the other, to correct a severe misalignment and then other issues. It's been two years, I think and he should be finished in May. His whole face looks more balanced. No regrets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 My 14 yo had crowding issues. Our ortho doesn't like to have teeth pulled unless absolutely necessary, but he didn't rule it out for dd at our initial assessment. However once the arch wire went in, her teeth adjusted nicely, no pulling necessary. Her front teeth were a little smooshed in and I think when they opened up a bit there was room for the eye teeth to come down (they couldn't before) and everything ended up fitting nicely. Ortho guessed 20 months, we were mentally prepared for two years, ended up being 22 months, all between 12.5 and 14.5 years of age. Very positive experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 Ortho is really nice who I want to use. He says he normally not recommend removing teeth but this is bad. No palate expander. DS has some sensory issues so we are doing what we can to make this easier. His jaw is extremely small. The teeth they want to remove are malformed. We have had a few opinions who want to extract the teeth but this guy wanted the few extracted and he gave the option to try without extraction. Although, he said it still stands a large chance to needing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 A thousand years ago, my sister had to have 8 teeth pulled to get the braces done. Her teeth look fabulous to this day, and she is into her 50s. I am older, and I did not have teeth removed. I also had braces, and then, I had them again when I was in my 40s. My teeth had moved over the years because there was not enough room in my small jaw. I had one tooth pulled for THIS go-around. All but one of the adult friends I had in my 40s who did not have braces as young women had to get them when they were in their 40s. They were wearing their teeth out because of a bad bite, and one was simply not able to chew food anymore because of this. She had to have her jaw broken and re-set to get things aligned by this time. ALL of their kids had braces, even for small corrections. It's a lot more *normal* when you are a teenager. :0) My dh did not have braces, nor did any of the siblings, and they are all fine. They got nice straight teeth with a matched bite. Their teeth are not *perfectly* straight, but they aren't tangled up, either, so it was a good decision. I don't know if I would do it for cosmetic-only--but it is usually something more. That's my theory anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBJones Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 My DD just had braces put on two months ago. She had to have teeth removed due to severe overcrowding and a small jaw. Our ortho is guessing (at this point) that she will have the braces on for two years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 A thousand years ago, my sister had to have 8 teeth pulled to get the braces done. Her teeth look fabulous to this day, and she is into her 50s. I am older, and I did not have teeth removed. I also had braces, and then, I had them again when I was in my 40s. My teeth had moved over the years because there was not enough room in my small jaw. I had one tooth pulled for THIS go-around. All but one of the adult friends I had in my 40s who did not have braces as young women had to get them when they were in their 40s. They were wearing their teeth out because of a bad bite, and one was simply not able to chew food anymore because of this. She had to have her jaw broken and re-set to get things aligned by this time. ALL of their kids had braces, even for small corrections. It's a lot more *normal* when you are a teenager. :0) My dh did not have braces, nor did any of the siblings, and they are all fine. They got nice straight teeth with a matched bite. Their teeth are not *perfectly* straight, but they aren't tangled up, either, so it was a good decision. I don't know if I would do it for cosmetic-only--but it is usually something more. That's my theory anyway. I don't think I would do it for cosmetic only reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 DD had severe overcrowding. We were offered a choice between palate expander and extraction, with explanations of pros and cons. We went with extractions, then braces. She was in braces for over 2 years, but only because of 2 stubborn eye teeth that refused to drop. Beautiful teeth and smile now. I had the same overcrowding issue, and actually had extractions that resulted in me not even having to have braces, because it was done early. The trend now is definitely against extractions, but in some cases I think it works very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 I had 4 permanent teeth extracted before I had braces in the 80's. I wore them for 3 years. I faithfully wore my retainers for years, then lost the retainers and my teeth shifted. Now my teeth aren't perfectly straight, but my bite is fine and they aren't horrible, so I'm sticking with what I've got. My DS just got his braces off after wearing them 3 years. Our ortho told us that they don't do extractions anymore except in extreme cases. DS had a palate expander for a few months before his braces went on. Our estimate was that it would be 2 years for him, and it took longer because we had to wait for some of his permanent teeth to come in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 2 of our 3 dc had braces. One that had them first had them for 2 years (second phase), 4 permanent teeth and 7 baby teeth pulled, not all at once. Severest crowding, small jaw. Only so much space can be gained by the expanders, they work out how much space is needed and then compare that to the maximum they can get through expanders. Braces on from 13 to 15. Teeth look fantastic, she's 20 now. Second dd has had braces on for 3 yrs now (2nd phase) and is not quite done. Severest crowding again, same baby teeth pulled as older sibling. 3 different orthodontists all gave same opinion. This dd also had 3 oral surgeries besides extractions, to remove bone cyst around one tooth, attach a chain and bracket to impacted front tooth coming in 2 teeth over from where it was supposed to be, and another bracket and chain the bring up another un-erupted tooth. We went to an ortho who specialized in the most severe cases. It has been hard and loooong, but several of these teeth would have been lost without intervention. I can see the end in sight. She will be glad for the rest of her life. Not coming from this country, I think orthodontia is overdone here, but in some cases, it's an absolute blessing. My advice would be to get several opinions and compare them. I had braces myself, no extractions, and my teeth are crowded again. I think extractions can be a good thing. I do have my dc sedated for them, awake it can be no fun, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 No regrets, my son's teeth were really messed up and it was clear that braces were going to happen. Younger boy is getting them on this year. I frequently tell ds1 that he has a trip to Europe in his mouth. Ok, a trip for one person, but still... edited to say: I totally understand your sticker shock. It is terrible and there is that early panic. I am sorry. If you ask around locally you will prob find that the prices don't differ all that much from ortho to ortho. DH was able to get a medical savings plan through work. That allowed us to take the payment out of his paycheck before taxes? It did make it a little bit easier. Very little bit better. But your workplace has to have that already set up, I think. DH works for a university so it is a benefit for all staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 Our daughter had many teeth extracted, and then braces for two years. Now her teeth are beautiful and we do not regret having the teeth extracted. I think her case was very, very severe. Her mouth is very small and petite, and her teeth were so crowded, they were being pushed up into her gums and growing out sideways. It looked really terrible! Now they look perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 No regrets, my son's teeth were really messed up and it was clear that braces were going to happen. Younger boy is getting them on this year. I frequently tell ds1 that he has a trip to Europe in his mouth. Ok, a trip for one person, but still... edited to say: I totally understand your sticker shock. It is terrible and there is that early panic. I am sorry. If you ask around locally you will prob find that the prices don't differ all that much from ortho to ortho. DH was able to get a medical savings plan through work. That allowed us to take the payment out of his paycheck before taxes? It did make it a little bit easier. Very little bit better. But your workplace has to have that already set up, I think. DH works for a university so it is a benefit for all staff. Price wise I had been warned by the dentist a few years ago and I have put most of it in account. I told DS I could buy a very nice used car. Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Price wise I had been warned by the dentist a few years ago and I have put most of it in account. I told DS I could buy a very nice used car. Lol. Yes! I am still driving a 1999 car because my last two car purchases went into the mouths of Kids #3 and #4. I have no regrets, though. DS19 and DD13 both had terrible crowding issues. Bad enough that DS didn't want to hardly open his mouth in public. 20 months in braces and they have beautiful smiles. DS19 is my sensory kid. We have a very patient ortho who worked with him and went the extra mile to explain things and make tiny adjustments that made a big difference to his comfort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I'm curious if prices vary widely in different parts of the country? We got two different quotes - $6500 & $6100 - here in lovely Northern California. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 I'm curious if prices vary widely in different parts of the country? We got two different quotes - $6500 & $6100 - here in lovely Northern California. That is about what it is here. Our price does not include extractions. Thank you everyone for your experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 upstate NY and it was 6,000 for my son a few years ago. My second son is going in soon, and I was told the ortho charges us the same amount for each kid so I guess it's a discount, lol. Oh, and FTR, there is one thing that they will be doing for DS2 that could be seen as cosmetic, and the rest is jaw related. As long as they are in there and I am paying then I want it to look great when it is done. I have so many friends in their 40s who have braces. I think it is easier when you are younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in SJ Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 We started #3 in braces last month *sigh* #1 had a palate expander at 11, braces at 12 and then we played the waiting game while her baby teeth refused to come out. Had the last 3 baby teeth removed at 14, braces off before 16th birthday. Total including extractions $6100 #2 Ortho saw her at 12, said he didn't want to see her until all the baby teeth were gone. She got invisilign at 14, all finished by 16. Total cost $5500 #3 Just got hers on one month after her 12th b-day. She has one baby tooth left & it is loose. Ortho expects 22 months, but it could be less. Total cost would be $5500 but I had a Groupon for $1200 off! All three of them were pretty jacked up before. Crowding, cross-bite, permanent teeth that refused to descend, misaligned jaw. My second dd is even missing a permanent tooth. Now they are gorgeous. My oldest had one of those old fashioned wire retainers and when she started grinding her teeth her first year in college she broke it. She didn't tell us, but when she came home that Summer I could tell her bottom teeth had shifted. The ortho said he could set her up with invisilign for 6 months to the tune of $1000. We couldn't swing that last Summer so he made her a new invisilign-type retainer for $200 to keep her teeth from moving further. #3 is the first time we have had dental insurance that will cover anything so that is exciting. Amber in SJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acadie Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 If you find an ortho where the price is significantly cheaper than others, i.e., thousands of dollars cheaper, that's a huge red flag. The ortho on our dental plan that I went to for 1.5K was a complete quack, and messed up my bite royally. I'm spending 5k to fix it, treatment has gone beautifully and I'm almost done. Thankful to have found a good ortho at last! Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBJones Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I'm curious if prices vary widely in different parts of the country? We got two different quotes - $6500 & $6100 - here in lovely Northern California. $5400.00 out here in the Midwest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildiris Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 DD-17 is a small person with extra large teeth. We went the extraction route. Even with extraction her teeth are tight. She is in the last few months of braces and will have her wisdom teeth pulled. The baby teeth extraction + adult teeth extraction + braces is going to be close to $10,000. over 18 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonwood Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 We are hitting 3 yrs with DD14 in braces. Our ortho isn't completely opposed to extraction, but only in extremely severe cases where there are no other options. My dd's teeth/mouth was very, very crowded, sideways, messed up. lol We have used expanders and other various tools. Things are moving along and she is estimated to be in braces around 4 more months. Though long and tedious, her progress has been awesome and we aren't remorseful at all. The $6000 check...yeah, that was remorseful. But that's it. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I had to do extractions because the palate expanders didn't work. They did them when I was about 14 or so and it was too late. I then ended up having braces basically in college. I got them my Sophomore year and had them out my Senior year. Made a gigantic difference in my life. Our pediatric dentist warned me very early that all of my kids would need braces. They all inherited my very small mouth. (They still use child sized molds and stuff with me.) So, we've been seeing an orthodontist every 4-6 months, and she watches the kids so that she can do the palate expanders and braces all in one swoop. Don't want to wait too long like with me, but don't want to do it too early and need another set of braces later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 We tried to save Ponygirl's teeth...drove 90 minutes one way to one of the best Orthos in No.VA to do so. In the end, the choice was pull the 1 year molars, or completely lose her bottom front teeth. Palate expanders are not an option for everyone. My daughter's palate from front to back is too short. Use of a palate expander to enlarge the space from left to right was not an option for us. We sought multiple opinions. My boys will not need any teeth pulled, and will be fine with about 2 years of braces. Ponygirl will have 3 years, youngest daughters will both require interventions, with the 6 year old starting around 7. Her mouth has been a mess since her first baby teeth came in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Five have had braces. We've had palate expanders and Herbst devices. It hasn't been a big deal. My kids had bites that were actually wearing down their teeth from them hitting each other. We have been pleased and had no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I would highly recommend going to get an evaluation, or a couple if you have multiple ortho docs nearby. Each kid is so different that our stories won't help too much. A good ortho should do a free evaluation with xrays and a consultation. There's a ton more about braces than straight teeth - bite, profile, etc. - so just meet and see what the real deal is for your kids. We waited a couple of years after our initial consult for braces and discussed honestly the need for some maturity with one kid. Our doc totally understood and was very supportive. No pressure.I think that's key to a good doc. I'd talk with other parents locally for referrals. Rescheduling, appointment waits, etc are all critical for me. The kids see the ortho a LOT, so timelines is important. Our guy is awesome about this and I appreciate it. Are they well staffed? Is it a factory or not? How's their billing system? What days are they open? Do they have alternate locations? How do they handle emergencies? Who does your family dentist recommend? What's the timeline? How much face time can you have with the doc (if you need it)? I'd ask and ask and ask, then decide. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 We tried to save Ponygirl's teeth...drove 90 minutes one way to one of the best Orthos in No.VA to do so. In the end, the choice was pull the 1 year molars, or completely lose her bottom front teeth. Palate expanders are not an option for everyone. My daughter's palate from front to back is too short. Use of a palate expander to enlarge the space from left to right was not an option for us. We sought multiple opinions. My boys will not need any teeth pulled, and will be fine with about 2 years of braces. Ponygirl will have 3 years, youngest daughters will both require interventions, with the 6 year old starting around 7. Her mouth has been a mess since her first baby teeth came in. Thank you. This is DS exactly. He has no room and those are the exact teeth they want to pull. This really helps me make the decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigomama Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Midwest here and just got a quote for $5000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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