Catherine Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 My youngest was cursed with the underbite his father, grandfather and others before him have, though his is much more severe. He has had his braces for almost 4 years now. Not surprisingly, despite being really conscientious about dental hygiene (for a kid his age IMO) he now has some cosmetic damage to his teeth. Ugh. But that is almost the least of it. He has had everything. First, extractions of 8 of his baby teeth, then brackets on all the the adult teeth. That, I suppose is expected. Then, an 18 month wait for the rest of his baby molars to come out, while no real new treatment was happening and the brackets were just sitting there (doing their damage; I wish I had insisted they be taken off, knowing what I know now). Orthodontist retired and new one takes over his practice and REAL treatment finally starts. In the year since we started seeing her, he has had: new brackets, a palate expander, headgear, spacers to allow rings on other molars that were too crowded for them, and a referral to get his wisdom teeth removed to make room for crowded molars. He has been a trooper, but unfortunately as he has gone through his growth spurt, his jaw growth has outpaced all effort to get those top teeth and jaw-the whole middle of his face really-ahead of the bottom ones. Every time we go in, we think the expander and headgear are ending, and she begs him for a little more time to work on it. As it stands now, after almost 4 years of orthodontic treatment, he is still looking at surgery when he is around 20 to remove a part of his jaw to allow his teeth and entire facial structure to be where it's supposed to be. The only reason I've continued with what seems like torture is that his grandfather endured $30,000 worth of dental work and surgery as a middle aged man to deal with headaches, chronic pain and the gradual loss of his teeth. Today we learned he is taking his headgear to summer camp in July. We thought the expander was possibly coming out today. Granted, he only wears it at night, and believe me, I'm more upset about this than he is. But the mama bear in me wants to go after someone or something...bless you if you've read this far!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Wow, that really is a ton to deal with! :grouphug: Tons of sympathy for you. My ODD is definitely headed into braces, but she's been simple so far and not nearly as involved. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Oh, I hear ya. Hugs to both of you. I had a severe overbite and 5 years of a horrible, almost-sadistic prick of an orthodontist. At least you have one that cares. I'm sorry it's hard. (My teeth are ok bite-wise now, but the lower ones have gum damage due to the appliance and tongue spikes I had to wear. I'll probably lose them in a year or so.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthwestMom Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Your really have my sympathy. Underbite here. And kids with crossbites. For the kids, palate expanders worked wonders. We were warned that we could have issues with growth spurts, but so far so good. One's crossbite is coming back because of a failure to wear retainers. I know it's hard but I just want to commend you for being diligent in getting his care. My underbite is minor and could have been prevented with the right interventions done early enough. You didn't know how it would turn out with your son, but you are doing the right thing. I'm sorry this is going on so long and he has damage and will need surgery. It's tough to go through, but you did the right thing for him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I don't know what my dental issues were but I had 5 years of braces. The end result was totally worth it. I have some super straight teeth! Your son is a real trooper. Hang in there! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I never had to wear braces, so my kids going through it has been eye-opening for me. Dd was fine. Just straight braces, about 1.5 years. Done. Ds got his this past year & needs much more extensive work. They have 'hinges' in there & we thought we were going for that appt. (they kept talking about 'the hardware') & that is when he got a palate expander. I felt blindsided, he was in the chair w/ tears in his eyes, I'm sure you know the routine. Being a mom is not for the weak. :grouphug: to you & your ds. (I tell my ds it is worth all the work because a neighbor of ours had severe ortho problems that were not addressed when she was growing up. As an adult, she had some severe issues w/ headaches, jaw problems, etc.... Her stuff was so severe, they had to break her jaw in order to reset it. Which caused its own whole set of problems & she was on a liquid diet for more than a year.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East Coast Sue Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 My dd had a severe underbite and crossbite. Despite palate expanders and braces early on, she still has an underbite but not as severe as before. She is due to re-enter braces but I don't know if we should even go that route since the braces would simply straighten her teeth and she still has an underbite. If she wants/needs it fixed she'd need surgery. You definitely have my sympathy. I had no idea how difficult (or expensive) orthodontic issues could be before having kids. (((Hugs))) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 You have my sympathy. We moved my DD's orthodontist last month. She's had two years of braces up to this point. I finally figured out that the ortho she had wasn't going to aggressively treat her deep bite and was just straightening her teeth. She would have needed surgery as an adult without question. She is on a break right now for financial reasons, but will begin a new treatment plan the end of the month; she's looking at two more years. The advantage is this ortho is using appliances, and is very upfront with the treatment plan and expectations. We had to go out of our insurance plan to get that though, and the cost is steep. I find it appalling that I had to spend hours reading orthodontist medical journals to understand and realize what treatment should be happening. :grouphug: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 (Hugs) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 We've just got a cross bite here - and that's taking enough work as is. You have my total sympathy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I am so very sorry, poor kid. Youngest just got hers off, she has some damage too. Treating for now with restorative rinse, toothpaste and some thing she paints on her teeth and leaves on all night. We go back in 6 weeks to see how that is going. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zimom Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 8 and a half years. 8. and. a. half. years. My son feels your son's pain. My wallet feels yours. He finally had them removed the week before his senior prom. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Re: damage to teeth.... Since my ds has a lot of hardware in his mouth & some places are hard to get clean, our dentist recommended going every 3 months for cleaning, instead of the usual 6. We pay out of pocket for the extras, but hope it will be a good investment for his teeth in the long run. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 8 and a half years. 8. and. a. half. years. My son feels your son's pain. My wallet feels yours. He finally had them removed the week before his senior prom. Seriously??? I had no idea at all that some kids get orthodontic treatment for such a long period of time. That makes me feel better actually-because I thought my ds was a *total* outlier. I suppose he is atypical, but I cannot even imagine such a long period of treatment. I guess it's what is sometimes needed for extensive problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scbusf Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I hear you. I have 2 DDs with cleft lip/palate. My oldest DD has just started her orthodontic work, but she has a looooong road ahead of her. Just getting her palate expander on was hard enough for me. My baby girl, 7 years old, so tiny in that huge chair, with big tears rolling down the side of her face. We have a long way to go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa R. Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Have you considered getting a second opinion? One thing I've learned about orthodontists is that they don't always agree. Orthodontics is not just a science but also an art. It's about creating a healthy mouth but also an attractive one. It's been my experience that 3 different orthodontists will give you 3 different opinions on how to treat each mouth. Maybe another orthodontist would suggest something else or possibly give you more peace that this the route to go. Maybe there is a less invasive way to go now that he's been in teeaent so long. His issues sound complex, and, in general, it's a good idea to have more than one specialist give input. Around here, orthodontic consultations are always free. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Following because DD is having her ortho consult in 2 weeks. I have no idea what to expect, but I am uninclined to opt for extensive cosmetic treatment for minimal returns. I'm not saying yours is cosmetic, just saying there is a limit to what I would want for cosmetic or minor reasons. I tend to be a "minimal and necessary treatment only" kind of gal; I hope this ortho is respectful of that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I hear you. I have 2 DDs with cleft lip/palate. My oldest DD has just started her orthodontic work, but she has a looooong road ahead of her. Just getting her palate expander on was hard enough for me. My baby girl, 7 years old, so tiny in that huge chair, with big tears rolling down the side of her face. We have a long way to go. Not sure if you are aware of this but your health insurance may pay for your kids' orthodonia since it is related to a malformation. A lady at church told me that she had paid for her sons' braces out of pocket and didn't realize that health insurance would pay until years later. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scbusf Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Not sure if you are aware of this but your health insurance may pay for your kids' orthodonia since it is related to a malformation. A lady at church told me that she had paid for her sons' braces out of pocket and didn't realize that health insurance would pay until years later. Yes, in fact, we live in a state that mandates medical insurance coverage for orthodontia as a result of cleft palate. Our orthodontist filed for us and we are all set. Thank you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Hugs to you and your guy. One of mine has an extraordinarily complex orthodontic situation and it is both frustrating and heartbreaking, to me as a mom, that there's no quick and easy fix. I will say that after many many years of dealing with a very long-term treatment plan, she has learned to look at things from a good perspective. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Yep - we're in it for the long haul too, though underbite and impacted canines and crowding are more our issues. So far it's been oral surgery to expose the canines and attach chains to pull them down and then braces and a palatal expander. It's been a year now with it on and we're wondering when it'll come off. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Ahhhhh stop stop mayday You won't fix the jaw with orthodontics in many if not all cases. Please look into myofunctional therapy. Does he have TMJ (or TMD)? I have much more to say but will wait for your response. I suspect he grinds and clenches. No, he does not have TMJ, grind his teeth, and I don't think he clenches-how would I know about clenching? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Can you point me to any actual scientific research articles supporting the use of myofunctional therapy? I am suspicious of people who claim "extensive training" at "The University of Mississippi, Northwest University School of Medicine, and the UCLA School of Medicine." without listing the degrees or programs completed. She has a nursing degree and an "OMT" and I do not know what that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Teething grinding is a sign magnesium levels being too low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Good question. I started looking at PubMed. You can cater searches to your situation maybe. OMT means Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment. I do not know a lot about it. I know that explanation for the abbreviation. I am interested in OMT as a degree or certification. Can people who do a more limited degree than osteopathy school use this designation for themselves? She has it listed after her name as a degree. Are there articles about it on Pub Med? Please link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I'm so sorry your ds has had to go through all this. Hearing this makes me appreciate our orthodontist so much more. Ds2 had a significant underbite and had 2 rounds of braces--first around 10yo and then again around 15yo. Ds2 didn't need teeth pulled nor palate expander, thankfully. The ortho left nothing in his mouth after the first round was complete, but he did warn us that the underbite would redevelop once ds2 hit puberty and that we should come back in then for an evaluation. The underbite did resurface plus it was causing ds2 some jaw and neck pain. The second round of ortho treatment solved it, and the time in braces was reduced because ds2 was really good about using his rubberbands and, according to the ortho, some kids' teeth just respond more easily. (Ds1 didn't have as easy an experience.) I hope things get better for your ds now that he's getting good treatment. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Well, heartlikealion, I appreciate your honesty. In case anyone wonders, here is the conclusion sentence to a systematic review of 355 studies of myofunctional therapy: The findings of the present systematic review demonstrate the scarcity of consistent studies and scientific evidence supporting the use of OMT in combination with orthodontic treatment to achieve better results in the correction of dentofacial disorders in individuals with orofacial abnormalities. No one wishes more than me that exercising my son's tongue 4 times a day for 10 weeks would make this expense and discomfort unnecessary. I recognize that orthodontia is not a perfect clinical modality either. But I really think it's important to understand the basis for claims made by alternative practitioners, because they may persuade people away from interventions that actually have a chance of working. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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