Anyone not had their children in braces?

[Prairie~Phlox]

It just seems so common anymore.  Dh did not have braces, I did, mine was because of crowding, 2 older children have pretty good teeth, I noticed youngest ds has slightly more crooked teeth, our dentist has never pushed ortho and neither have we.  Just curious if any else has gone that route?  Braces are actually very hard on your overall mouth, I have receding due to having them and one dead root.  Shifting teeth quickly is not good for them. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Congratulations on winning the genetic lottery (said with great sincerity).  Dh skipped braces, but I needed mine in order to have a functional mouth and to be able to clean my teeth properly.  The kids inherited my tooth structure.

[AK_Mom4]

Two of my kids inherited my teeth - no braces.  Two of mine inherited their dad's and got the full metal set.  Those two now have lovely straight teeth like the other two.

 

As the PP mentioned, genetics is a big deal - some people are fortunate to not need braces.

[KungFuPanda]

It makes me all-around skeptical that braces seem to be the norm and not needing them is viewed as winning the lottery.

[Mimm]

I would definitely have skipped braces here. I can deal with teeth that are a bit crooked. But one of my daughter's teeth was above her other teeth. One right on top of the other. It was so unattractive.

[SKL]

My teeth are crooked, especially the bottom ones, but I don't think my smile looks gross, and I don't have problems eating.  I did not get braces, probably because my parents would only pay for work that was seriously needed.  I do have a challenge keeping my teeth clean, but I can handle it.

 

One of my kids has no overlapping or other tooth alignment oddities.  I don't see anyone ever suggesting a visit to an orthodontist for her.

 

My other kid's front teeth are a bit bucky and overlap a bit.  I am not sure about her.  I don't think she is funny-looking, but I'm not objective.  She would like to get braces, but she probably doesn't realize what a pain they are.

[kewb]

I had braces to fix my crooked teeth as a kid. No long term dental problems.

Dh has naturally straight teeth and my children won the genetic lottery and received his straight teeth.

 

Ds did have a couple of concerning teeth when he was younger but the ortho felt they would self correct and did not want to do anything. He was right. Beautiful teeth.

 

Most of my kids friends have had some orthodontia. From pallete expanders to braces.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Probably won't get braces for our kids.  Minor cosmetic needs, but I can't afford to give them everything.  There are other things I'd rather spend the money on (for them..this isn't about me spending the money on something frivolous for myself).

 

 

[EmseB]

Maybe I will change my mind, but unless there's a medical issue or severe cosmetic problem, I don't see braces as a given. An imperfect smile doesn't seem like a horrible thing to me. I kind of view braces for cosmetic reasons the same way I'd view any other cosmetic surgery for my kids.

[Ali in OR]

In my family that I grew up in, 2 needed braces, 2 didn't (I didn't). My dh had braces and had some teeth pulled and some teeth he didn't even have which helped with the crowding situation they were fixing. In other words, his mouth was a mess. Two of my kids had/have braces and I think it was necessary (crowding for one, messed up bite, buck teeth with huge overbite, gaps for the other). Only my disabled dd didn't have them and if she possibly could have I would have done it for her transposed teeth--one eye tooth came in where the molar behind it should have gone, so the molar kind of came through in the eye tooth spot, but not fully. Looks like she's missing a tooth.

[3 ladybugs]

I had 6 years of braces. NOT fun. I have tons of scars in my mouth because of them. DH didn't need braces and I have been praying the children will not need them. Too early to tell right now. Neither of my parents had braces but my father needed them badly. He ended up getting addicted to meth though so all of his teeth came out. Not the way I would choose to deal with the braces issue, but it worked for him (I can laugh as he has been clean for almost 20 years). 

 

I do think it is sort of a right of passage now. However I still don't want my children to have that right of passage. BTW I still have messed up teeth. 

[JudoMom]

So far, our oldest has skipped them, though his teeth are a bit crooked, it doesn't bother him. Next oldest needed them because his teeth were very, very, very crowded and crooked. Not sure on the rest yet.

[pinkmint]

I'm waiting to see how my kids teeth turn out. I'm a little nervous because neither DH or I have straight teeth. Neither of us got braces because it wasn't a priority for either of our sets of parents. DH's teeth look a little like Mater from the movie Cars (our DD preciously pointed this out when she was a toddler) and I have lateral incisors that stick up and out with central incisors pushed down and back (moderate to severe crowding). In the right lighting and angle with a flash on the camera my teeth look pretty straight, but from many angles I look a little like a crack head. 

 

DH and I are self conscious of our teeth but we're relatively healthy. I want braces but feel guilty about asking us to budget for them since our kids might need them. It's not fair how people are seen as lower class if they don't have machine-like straight teeth. I know that when my DH goes to a job interview they probably judge him and it makes me mad. I guess in many ways class is something you have to be able to afford. 

[Guest]

Four kids, no braces.

 

I had a significant gap between my two upper front teeth as a child and wanted them, but my dentist assured me that it would close. It took forever, but my twelve year molars finally came in and that took care of the gap.

Edited February 10, 2016 by Guest

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

 

I had braces because my teeth were very wonky.

 

 

Both my kids have reasonably straight adult teeth, so any braces would be purely cosmetic.We won't be doing them.

[Artichoke]

Half and half here.  Older two have dad's teeth and no braces.  Younger two inherited my wonky teeth and all three of us have had braces.  

[UCF612]

I wouldn't downplay braces for cosmetic reasons. I needed them for crooked teeth, no other issues. I didn't get them until college but my crooked teeth really affected my self esteem in high school. I vowed I'd put them on my kids if they needed them. I am so much happier with my smile now. I have other annoyances now (weight issues mostly) but I never regretted getting braces. My youngest will most likely need them. His front teeth are very crooked. Obviously we'll watch how they do as he grows and what happens when he gets his spacer. His bite is way off. My oldest has a spacer and face mask, as his bite was very off as well. So far his teeth look great so hopefully he'll avoid them.

[Liz CA]

I'd have an ortho or competent dentist evaluate "bite." This is important to properly chew your food and aids digestion.

My ds had slightly crooked bottom teeth. Top was fine. Ortho said we could go either way. He would not lose any sleep over ds not getting the bottom teeth straightened.

We skipped it.

I had to have braces because I looked like a rabbit as a child.

Dh's top is fine but his bottom row is rather crooked. Ds seems to have lucked out in inheriting a straight top row from Dad and less crooked bottom row from me. :)

[Miss Mousie]

DH needed (and had) braces; I never had them.  DS, fortunately, does not seem to have inherited DH's teeth, so despite a few mild cosmetic imperfections he does not have braces.  If he decides as an adult that he wants model-perfect teeth, he can deal with it then.  Adult braces are much more common now than they were when I was young, and they seem to work just fine.  Plus, if he decides for himself, there are no battles about it.  :)

 

 

[LucyStoner]

I lost a tooth and had a lot of uneven wear on my teeth because I didn't get braces as a child. Getting them as an adult has been a huge help.

 

My older son has a need but we are having him checked out every 6 months to decide the best time to start. I do not want them going on until he can be as careful and meticulous as he needs to be about them.

 

For anything worse than a mild cosmetic issue, we will do braces. Both of my parents had full dentures at 40ish because their teeth were that decayed from not being able to care for them properly due to crowding and shark teeth. Yes FORTY with full dentures. So genetics are not on our side here.

Edited February 10, 2016 by LucyStoner

[magic]

I had braces twice- once as a teen and again in my early 30s.  Both times were for my bite not crooked teeth.  My husband did not have braces but did have head gear and a retainer to correct his bite.   All four of our kids have had braces and head gear. Our youngest 2 are still in them.  Are second son had to start at age 8 due to overcrowding and overlapping teeth.  He did not have full braces until 13 as it was a slow process.  His teeth and bite are now beautiful and he has been out of braces for 4 years.  Our oldest only needed braces for 20 months due to having an overbite but his teeth were straight.  Our third son needed braces for his bite and also because his baby teeth wouldn't fall out.  At 13 he still had many baby so they gradually pulled them and then made room for the permanent ones to come down.  He had to have 2 permanent teeth built up in December because they were peg teeth (genetic on my husband's side).  He is now 15 and the last of his permanent teeth should be in place later this year.  Our daughter also had crowded and overlapping teeth but not as bad as our 2nd son.  She started braces at 11 and still only has top braces.  She had to have oral surgery last year to have 4 baby teeth removed- 2 of them were growing into her bottom jaw instead of dissolving.  Once those permanent teeth are in place she will get bottom braces as well.  We are glad that we have gone with a proactive approach to braces and bites for our kids as it has been much easier to address than waiting for them to be older.  For all of our kids we consulted our dentist, orthodontist, and an oral surgeon to make sure that they were all in agreement as to our course of treatment for each of them.

[Catherine]

Two of my three have had orthodontics.  The one who has not has slightly, charmingly IMO, crowded\crooked teeth, bottom worse than top.  We were not interested in paying for it and he couldn't care less.  We explored it a second time when he was 18 and he again decided that it was not work it for the cosmetic improvement.  

 

My other two are another story-both had abnormal bites and the youngest in particular has had braces for almost 5 years now...the end is finally in sight I think...he had to have every known treatment including extractions, palate expander, reverse headgear, rubber bands, etc etc etc.  The poor kid feels like a guinea pig, not surprisingly.  He had such a severe underbite that he needed all of the above to even begin to bring his jaw into line with his face.  Seeing the chronic pain and eventually, very costly corrective surgery and implants other family members went through convinced me this was worth it.  

 

For cosmetic crowding it's really a matter of both preference and ability to keep the teeth clean to prevent decay.  I would let a child play a role in the decision about whether to proceed in those circumstances, assuming you can afford it.   

[lllll]

nm

Edited February 13, 2016 by - 8 95

[MedicMom]

I am 34. I have a crooked tooth on the bottom and less than perfect smile but braces would have been cosmetic. When I was 22 I switched dentists, and he told me that now they would recommend braces for teeth like mine but they were much more stringent back in the early '90s on who got braces, i.e. It wasn't for minor cosmetic issues. I've since had three other dentists tell me the same thing, so he wasn't just trying to sell me braces.

My parents actually offered to pay for them when I was in my early 20s as they had paid for braces for all of my younger siblings, most of whom had less noticeable cosmetic issues than I do. I saw the orthodontist who said under the new guidelines I should have had braces, but I never went through with it. Now I kind of wish I had.

[freesia]

Two of my kids inherited my teeth - no braces.  Two of mine inherited their dad's and got the full metal set.  Those two now have lovely straight teeth like the other two.

 

As the PP mentioned, genetics is a big deal - some people are fortunate to not need braces.

I think we'll be 2 and 2, also. My boys don't need them at all (but one dentist--not our regular--suggested them for ds1. I looked at his perfectly straight teeth and laughed. She looked abashed and said that some people want them for cosmetic reasons. People, they are gorgeous straight teeth! She doesn't even MAKE money on orthodonture. Was it just habit????)

There is still a chance that our littlest won't need them, but regular dentist thinks probably. We opted not to do phase 2 with our older girl. She has some gaps, but they look fine. If she cares, she can do it in her 20s.

[clementine]

We had one with braces and one without...BUT the dentist referred us to an ortho for our second, so we went to have her looked at.  They suggested braces for cosmetic reasons only - ridiculous, as her teeth are BARELY crooked at all.  We gave dd the choice whether to get braces or not & she declined.  In our case, the dentist did push braces a bit.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

We had one with braces and one without...BUT the dentist referred us to an ortho for our second, so we went to have her looked at.  They suggested braces for cosmetic reasons only - ridiculous, as her teeth are BARELY crooked at all.  We gave dd the choice whether to get braces or not & she declined.  In our case, the dentist did push braces a bit.  

 

This is similar to our experience.  The dentist mentions it every time and gives us a card for a referral. Every time my husband asks if this is cosmetic or medically necessary.  He said cosmetic.  We asked our son if he wanted to pursue it and he said no. 

I sure wish the dentist would stop mentioning it though because it makes me feel like a damn scab.  I like the dentist otherwise though so at least there is that.

[clementine]

This is similar to our experience.  The dentist mentions it every time and gives us a card for a referral. Every time my husband asks if this is cosmetic or medically necessary.  He said cosmetic.  We asked our son if he wanted to pursue it and he said no. 

I sure wish the dentist would stop mentioning it though because it makes me feel like a damn scab.  I like the dentist otherwise though so at least there is that.

Exactly!  My dd has asked me to politely ask the hygenist/dentist to stop asking about braces because it makes her self-conscious.  She is totally comfortable with her smile, but the twice yearly comment is getting old.  

[Nan in Mass]

Two of mine did, one didn't.

 

My parents didn't.  My sisters and I didn't.  My wisdom teeth even had room to come in.  My middle child got our jaw and didn't, although the dentist sent him to the ortho to be sure the slight cosmetic irregularities really were that.  The orth had already treated the oldest and was treating the youngest and looked at the middle one from time to time as his permanent teeth grew in for free.

 

My husband did.  Some of his brothers did.  When he got them, they pulled out half his permanent teeth and put him in head gear until he was 16, then gave him a retainer.  I was pretty suspicious when the dentist said oldest was going to need them and sent us to the ortho much younger than I thought was normal, but when I looked at the xrays... it was obvious that the permanent teeth weren't going to all fit unless we did something.  He had a palette expander and then some braces, no head gear, and he has almost all his adult teeth still.  And more of a jaw than my husband.  Youngest had fangs, even with his baby teeth, so he also had a palette expander and braces.  He had to have more teeth pulled.  Both of them spent less time in braces and lost fewer teeth than my poor husband.  There were a number of hiatuses when the ortho sent them away "to grow some teeth".  (Mine were very late getting their baby AND their adult teeth.  I always wondered how that played into being late bloomers, as my children for sure are.)   I'm a fan of the new orthodontic techniques. : )

 

Nan

[Loowit]

My two older need braces.  My oldest had braces to correct her top teeth which were causing problems and they are great now. Her bottom teeth still need work.  My middle has the biggest problem and really needs them.  Right now we are waiting to hear if the insurance will cover them or not.  They don't cover them unless it is very severe. So far it looks like they won't cover either of them, but it will likely be another couple of months until we hear officially.  We are not sure if we can afford the expense on our own, but we will do what we can.  I am glad that my youngest inherited my straight teeth.

[katilac]

Two kids, one had partial braces to move one tooth that was severely out of place, oldest had none.

 

The dentist that recommended we get youngest checked was a volunteer with a non-profit that did not charge for dental care and did not offer braces, no profit motive.

 

The ortho we went to was very reluctant to put dd in even partial braces bc of her young age but felt the situation could worsen dramatically; he spent a lot of time in our free consult showing us x-rays and explaining what might and might not happen, very understandable and zero pressure.

 

He took dd into a private room each and every time he saw her, bc he felt she was too young to be in the group room. When he checked oldest dd, he said she could get a minor cosmetic improvement from braces if she wished, but that it was certainly not needed and he didn't recommend it. 

 

I wanted to point all of that out bc so many people say orthos always recommend braces. Not so, and ours spent so much one-on-one time with youngest that I severely doubt he made much money on her at all! There are decent, kind professionals out there with integrity as well as those out for the money only. 

 

I do think braces are becoming more common - for one thing, it is relatively more affordable, and also less painful and more effective. 

 

I don't think that judging people about their teeth is all that new. When I was a kid in the 1970s, the most buck-toothed kid in each grade was inevitably and eternally called Bucky. Moderate crookedness is probably more noticeable these days, bc most people will get that fixed. 

 

There is more knowledge today about the harm that can be caused by some conditions that used to be considered strictly cosmetic, and I think that plays into the increase as well. Overbites, buck teeth, and crookedness do not have to be severe in order to cause problems, even moderate cases can result in trouble chewing, headaches, discomfort, and so on. And kids might not notice or relate it to their teeth, bc that's all they've ever known. 

 

I've never had braces, but I did get a night bite guard in middle age, and was pretty amazed at how much my headaches diminished. Because I've always had lots of headaches, and didn't have jaw pain or stiffness in conjunction, I never related it to my teeth/bite/grinding.

 

Anything that rated mild, with no projected future problems, we would discuss and consider. Anything that rated moderate, medically or cosmetically, I would get the kids braces. It would hurt our finances, but we do have the luxury of being able to do it. 

[wapiti]

My dh wishes he had had braces.  He takes meticulous care of his teeth but he has had many crowns (more than I have, and I'm a total slacker in this department).  His teeth wear unevenly.

 

One of our kids would end up in a similar position when he is older if we didn't do some orthodontic work.  I almost said no after I heard the price.  Then a year later, all of the sudden he started to grow and it was obvious that his sideways smile might not be such a great thing to have as an adult.

 

Another one has one of those mouths where we knew he'd need braces almost since he was born, just a mess - he had a palate expander at 9 y.o. and braces at 12.  Both of these kids will be done with braces before they're out of middle school and then a retainer forever.  My oldest has no issues and one of my younger three will probably need some help at some point, so I suspect about half our six kids will have had work.  The same was true in my family growing up - two of four.

 

It is common for orthodontists to give free second and third opinions.  If you don't feel comfortable, look elsewhere.

Edited February 10, 2016 by wapiti

[umsami]

DH has never had a cavity, never had braces, etc.  He has perfectly white teeth.

 

I've been to a dentist religiously since I was 3...and have tons of cavities, two crowns, a failed palate expander, four extractions, and braces. 

 

Unfortunately, all four kids inherited my tiny mouth (I still use a child size mold when doing impressions.)  From the get-go, every single dentist has told me to save my pennies for orthodontia.  It's no surprise.  SO for us, yes....it's normal.  The eldest two are lucky in that they can go through it in one swoop.  DD's two front permanent teeth are very far back and the crowding is really bad so we're likely looking at a two phase procedure.  DS3? Don't know yet. :)

[Guest]

I did not have braces and my teeth are very straight. DH did not have braces and his teeth are resonably straight, though more crooked with aging. DD had Invisalign. Initially, I did not think she would need them, but as she grew into teen years, a couple teeth were turning a lot. They look great now. DS16 has not had braces and I don't think he will, but he does need a different cosmetic procedure due to poor tooth shape. It is not structural so, yes, it is pure vanity that makes us decide we will have this done. Youngest has not had any straightening yet. I do know he has a cross-bite, though.

[FaithManor]

MIddle two are slightly crowded but no bite issues at all. They have good enamel and brush well, so given the costs, we saved the money for eldest and youngest who had significant over bites.

[catz]

I have an 11 and 15 year old who've not had braces or been even looked at by an ortho.  Still feeling on alert, but neither DH or I had them.  Their teeth do look cosmetically pretty good.  I think both have slight over bites.  Neither has ever had a cavity or speech/mouth issues of any kind. 

 

ETA - I've never had braces.  My teeth are a tiny bit crowded, but no one ever suggested ortho for me as a kid or as an adult.  That said, I still have crap teeth.  I had tons of cavities as a kid.  Almost none as an adult.  I have one crown and need to have a root canal this month.  I really don't feel like any of that has to do with not doing ortho for me.  I think a combo of inconsistent cleanings as a kid and genetics are more to blame. 

Edited February 10, 2016 by WoolySocks

[Lizzie in Ma]

One without, one with.  It was for bite issues.  They caused some issues in the long run and had I known, we may have not done them.  Demineralization of her teeth was not something they warned us about. 

[myfunnybunch]

Our youngest will likely not get braces. The other kids had them, and needed them for various reasons, but youngest ds probably won't.

 

Our dentist very tactfully said that orthodontists are evaluating how to give each child perfect teeth, and that while ds does not have perfect teeth, his facial structure, jaw alignment, and bite are excellent, so we might wait until he hits his growth spurt to decide.

 

We decided to wait until ds is mid to late teens to evaluate.

 

The orthodontist is very upset with the dentist. Sigh.....he's an excellent orthodontist, and I can see being upset at someone else getting their fingers into your business, but I trust our dentist's judgement.

[Guest]

My husband has perfectly straight, tightly spaced teeth. He hasn't needed any orthodontics nor had any cavities. He hasn't even been to a dentist in a decade and his teeth are still perfect, white, and plaque free as far as I can tell. I kind of hate him for it :D

 

I also have straight, white teeth, albeit more widely spaced. I do have to visit the dentists regularly and ended up with one cavity as an adult and a few more shallow soft spots we addressed since then. No heavy orthodontics here either and no braces but I did need a retainer for thumb sucking consequences and one bracket on one tooth to pull it down into position. So that may be considered partial braces ;)

 

One of my kids had a severe cross bite and fixing it actually changed the shape of her face. She will probably need braces as well to align her teeth better after the palate expansion but that's the only one we can tell at this point. Kids two and three look to have inherited the good parts of both our teeth and not the bad, so I'd be surprised if they needed braces. We will see on the younger ones.

[JonesinIndiana]

I am a dental rofessional. I had braces as an adult. My older daughter is just finishing 2 years in full braces. She needed 2 extractions of permanent teeth. We had dental insurance when she began her orthodontist treatment but moved mid treatment and it cost us an additional $700. :(

Her sister is class 1 but a deep occlusion that I am choosing not to treat due to money. It is more esthetics than function; she has cuspid guidance. Her teeth are straight.

I see the effects of not having braces as a child and the difficulties of cleaning crowded teeth as an adult. Floss, floss, floss!

[Deb in NZ]

This is similar to our experience.  The dentist mentions it every time and gives us a card for a referral. Every time my husband asks if this is cosmetic or medically necessary.  He said cosmetic.  We asked our son if he wanted to pursue it and he said no. 

I sure wish the dentist would stop mentioning it though because it makes me feel like a damn scab.  I like the dentist otherwise though so at least there is that.

 

We have the same experience.  Dd has my teeth (nice & straight).  Ds#1 has dh's teeth (crowded & crooked, but not shark-teeth, etc.)  Dh had braces in the '60s, including 5 teeth pulled + his wisdom teeth pulled.  His teeth are still quite crooked.  We've left the choice up to ds#1 as to whether he wanted braces, but he doesn't see the point of spending over $5k to have a lot of pain with no guarantee of straight teeth.  Ds#2 has mostly straight teeth, but is missing his top eye teeth.  The dentist keeps mentioning braces & inserting false teeth, but ds#2 has no interest in going that route.  

[foxbridgeacademy]

Very happy to say the kids inherited my nearly straight teeth.  DS's have always been perfect.  DD's dentist recommended she get braces years ago, but she didn't realize eye teeth coming in vertically then taking 3-4 years to straighten out was a family trait. Just like me DD will have 1 that will have a slight turn to it so they won't be perfect but close enough.  DH had to have extra teeth pulled and was in braces for years(had to have jaw broke and set 2X), I was terrified that DC would get his teeth, there's no way we could have afforded that. 

[gardenmom5]

I had braces - dh didn't.  (his teeth are better than mine.)

 

I had two who needed them - but we simply didn't have the money at that time.  we were able to take them to a dentist who would do retainers, it helped one.  one will probably still need braces at some point.  however - she will now be able to afford to pay for them herself.

 

dudeling's teeth are by far the worst.  we'll probably need to take him in to be evaluated soon.  Maybe after we're done doing this APD therapy . . . (that's he's fighting, and making it take twice as long as it should . . . .)

[J-rap]

I think a lot more kids get braces nowadays.  In my generation, I can't remember a single close friend who had braces.  I know many people my age who have pretty crooked teeth!  My kids' generation is very different.  Straight teeth has become a lot more important.  Three of my children have had braces.  (One of them was truly bad...  teeth were coming out sideways, above other teeth, etc.)  Two of my kids didn't have braces, even though they do have some crooked front teeth.  They seemed more borderline to me, and they didn't care.

[Tsuga]

I'm one of the only adults I know who didn't have braces.

 

Keep my kids in your thoughts: I think my first bio kid actually has naturally straight teeth like me!

 

Both my partner and his ex-wife had braces and both their kids need them. DSD has braces and DSS is next in line.

[Tsuga]

My husband has perfectly straight, tightly spaced teeth. He hasn't needed any orthodontics nor had any cavities. He hasn't even been to a dentist in a decade and his teeth are still perfect, white, and plaque free as far as I can tell. I kind of hate him for it :D

 

My boss has teeth like that! Her teeth are literally perfect and she has never had a cavity and no orthodontics.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Tsuga

[linders]

DS15 has not had braces and probably won't. When he was 12, our dentist and the ortho were sure he would need them in the next year - he had two teeth that were almost at 90 degree angles, lots of crowding. We waited solely because DS was so awful about taking care of his teeth, and we knew braces required conscientious care. And then...he grew. From 5'1" to 5'9" in a year. And the jaw grew commensurately. It was amazing to watch the teeth adjust and straighten. His friends started complimenting him on "what a great job the braces had done." Only - no braces.

 

DS12, well, based on his growth pattern. he will be getting braces. :glare:

[Barb_]

Both my parents had straight teeth, not braces. Neither my brother nor I needed braces. But so far every one but one of my kids have had giant, overlapping messy teeth. My daughter who is 21 now never cut her 12 year molars because she has no room. And the one daughter who used to have nice straight teeth had suddenly started noticing her bottom teeth shifting around and loosening up and overlapping. I wonder if we have her wisdom teeth out if that'll alleviate things somewhat? She's 16.

 

I don't get it either.

 

My husband's teeth are pretty crooked and overlapped though and he grew up low income in the projects in NYC, so no braces for him. Maybe they got his teeth.

 

Maybe better nutrition grows larger teeth? Lol, I'm rooting around in the dark here.

[DawnM]

No braces here.  None of us.

[Jasperstone]

My dd 13 has crowding and a overbite, so she has been using a soft silicon mouth guard throughout the night for 3 weeks now, and the results are great so far. People have commented that she gets prettier every time they see her etc.... Her jaw line is getting stronger and the arch in her mouth wider.Very happy with it and it's only $180!