speaking of braces..to do or not?

[ktgrok]

My oldest had fine teeth until he had an adult tooth that didn't fall out, and crowded the front teeth. Now his front teeth push in a bit. In other words the top 4 teeth slant in towards the inside of his mouth a bit. It's better a year or so after pulling the baby tooth, but not great. He could use braces. However...he has awful oral hygiene habits. He doesn't brush as often as he should, etc. So I'm VERY hesitant to get braces, and have him end up with a ton of decay under them from not brushing and caring for them properly. Is this a valid worry?  If it is, then we are waiting at least another year until he is more mature (he just turned 17 and is just starting to show some maturity...aspergers). Is waiting the right thing to do?

[nd293]

Yes. Compliance is a huge issue with braces. It's not just the cleaning, but not eating foods that might damage the braces, wearing elastics and then wearing a retainer (or I'm told the teeth don't stay in the right position otherwise). If you have doubts about him having the maturity to comply, wait for now. It's a lot of money to spend if they don't really care enough to put the effort into making it work!

 

Dd was 15 when hers went on, and I have to say I think the added maturity has really made braces a non-event for us. She has managed the process without any input from me. I did shell out an extra $500 (Australian) to use white porcelain bracket things on her front upper teeth instead of the usual metal ones. It has made them less conspicuous, and as she was older and moving schools I felt that the extra boost to her confidence was worth the additional money. (Although she was never really worried about it - I was!)

Edited August 10, 2016 by nd293

[lmrich]

UGG - I have to get braces at 46! I hope I am mature enough to handle it. My kids all hated braces so much. 

 

I would ask the orthodontist if the issue with his teeth is just cosmetic or a bite issue. A bite issue can cause a ton of problems later on and should be fixed (ask me how I know) but a cosmetic, you can wait until he is truly ready. 

[Annie Elle]

I think the best thing to do is to take him into an orthodontist and have him examined. Then you can find out all the problems he may have and you can share your concerns with the ortho. A consultation is usually free. He may not need braces at all. There is a window of opportunity to get some things fixed and its best not to wait until adulthood. This happened to me. For whatever reason, my parents didn't get my obvious orthodontic issues with my teeth fixed when I was a teenager and it made my orthodontic treatment as an adult trickier.

[City Mouse]

With a kid like yours, it might be more helpful for him to hear it from the professional. The Otho could explain to him the reasons for getting braces and the requirements for hygiene during the process. If child buys into the process and agrees to manage the hygiene, then I would go ahead. If he does not buy into it, I would not bother at this time and maybe put some money aside for later. Another factor to consider is insurance coverage for braces. Some dental insurance plans will only cover braces for children (under 18)

 

I will admit that I have a similar kind of kid. At one point her ortho threatened to remove the braces due to poor hygiene. She just squeaked buy. Her oral hygiene continues to be a problem. Once she went to college, I was totally hand off on hygiene other than genial suggestions. Unfortunately, the result is $12,000 of crowns and other dental work and many, many trips to the dentist over her summer break. The dentist had a frank discussion with her that if she did not change her behavior, it would be a waste of money to repair her teeth and she might as well have all the bad ones removed. She has agreed to the process, but As a result of this expense, she will have to take out some loans for college, and there will be no "new" car when she graduates in a year. On the other hand, my 14 yr old understands what $12,000 means and his oral hygiene has improved greatly as a result.

Edited August 10, 2016 by City Mouse

[Bluegoat]

I tend to agree that you'll need him to buy into the process to some extent.  I had braces as a teen, and there was a fair bit of attention I had to pay even apart from cleaning, just to make the whole process work. 

[itsheresomewhere]

I have a child like yours just a bit younger. DS has teeth were bad and very crowded.  While he tries, he is not the best at dental hygiene so I have a few extra cleaning scheduled to help.  The cost OOP for the cleaning is much cheaper than fillings. With his sensory stuff, our orthodontist is awesome. Call and schedule an consultation. 

 

 

I did have my front teeth crowded as a child and young adult.  It was just a few teeth and my parents never did anything about it. I can tell you that years later, my teeth have straightened out nicely and no longer overlap.  

[MEmama]

Taking him in for a consultation sounds like a good plan. It might just be aesthetic, but there might be larger problems as well. I was surprised to hear my son already as a bit of wear on a couple teeth due to what I assumed was merely a cosmetic issue.

 

The ortho might have some suggestions on the hygiene problem. I'm sure he or she has seen it all and knows how to work with all different personalities.

[ktgrok]

A consult isn't a bad idea. He also supposedly needs his wisdom teeth out first anyway, we will do that maybe over christmas break, between his college semesters.