When do/did your kids get braces?

[Aspasia]

My kids will need braces. I accept that, and dh and I are happy to pay for it at the appropriate time. But the dentist has been pushing me for an orthodontia consultation for my 11-year-old ever since she was 7. Everything I read says the same thing, that consults are recommended beginning at age 7. BUT all of these things are written by orthodontists (or writers who are interviewing and quoting orthodontists). I mean, obviously they would love it if we all started paying them to straighten our kids' teeth before they've even gotten all their permanent ones. I'm surprised they aren't pushing for interventions in utero. My mom bought their agenda and I had two phases of orthodontia, complete with an expander at age 9 (because how strange that there would be crowding when a bunch of adult-size teeth are trying to fit inside a kid-size mouth?!?). 

I just don't buy it. I've already noticed a vast improvement with my 11-year-old after the last couple years as her mouth as grown to accommodate her adult-size teeth better and better. My plan at this point is to wait until 12 or 13 and then start with the braces. But I'm curious what age is typical these days.

[Crimson Wife]

When the child has gotten all his/her permanent teeth with the exception of wisdom teeth. My oldest was maybe 11? I can't remember now. Her 12.5 y.o. brother is still losing baby teeth so no consultation just yet. The 9.5 y.o. didn't even start losing baby teeth until 8 so she'll probably be in high school.

[Jen500]

A lot of kids here have 2 rounds of braces-once in elementary school and then middle/high school. Our orthodontist doesn't recommend this for everyone because of the cost and the amount of effort for the kid. I think every child's dental/mouth situation is different. My ds13 had a retainer in elementary school and the orthodontist said he should wait until all of his adult teeth have grown in for braces, so probably next year for him.

Here, the consultations are free.

[JennyD]

My DS13 got braces two weeks ago.  In line with previous posters, his dentist wanted to wait until all of DS's adult teeth (except wisdom teeth) were in.   He recommended them back in February but for various reasons we put it off until the summer, so here we are.  

[jewellsmommy]

Dd was 9 (and not dentally mature, so her dental age was more equivalent to 8). She had a crossbite that was causing gum loss. The dentist sent us to the orthodontist because it would eventually lead to bone loss. She had braces for just shy of a year. She is now 16 and did not/does not need a second phase. I am so happy with her teeth and very glad that we did it this way even though it seemed so strange to have a 9 yr old (still with baby teeth) in braces.

[Just Kate]

I love our pediatric dentist. He doesn’t recommend a consult until all baby teeth are lost, unless there is an obvious, severe problem. Ds was 12 when he first saw an orthodontist. While sitting in the waiting room for his braces appointments, I have noticed all of the literature says that kids need to be seen by age 7. My dd is almost 11 and will definitely need braces (she is way worse than ds), and every time I talk to the dentist he says she is doing fine and will see an orthodontist In a few years. 

[Library Momma]

My son got a removable retainer like expander at age 8, a removable bionator (to move bottom jaw forward) at age 10 and actual braces at age 12.  He's almost 14 and should have the braces off soon.

The bionator and expander made an enormous difference.  I sure wish they had those options when I was a kid.  I just had regular braces when I was about twelve.  My mouth is so small and narrow that as an adult some of my teeth have become crowded and twisted again.  When he started his mouth was just like mine, but the expander widened his entire palate and he has plenty of room, even for the additional molars to come.

 

[Aspasia]

15 minutes ago, jewellsmommy said:

Dd was 9 (and not dentally mature, so her dental age was more equivalent to 8). She had a crossbite that was causing gum loss. The dentist sent us to the orthodontist because it would eventually lead to bone loss. She had braces for just shy of a year. She is now 16 and did not/does not need a second phase. I am so happy with her teeth and very glad that we did it this way even though it seemed so strange to have a 9 yr old (still with baby teeth) in braces.

Yikes! Gum loss sounds like a legit reason to do it early.

[alisoncooks]

My newly 12 year old had her first ortho consult this week. Our dentist follows a "wait until all baby teeth are out" approach. 

[Barb_]

When my college kids were younger it seemed like everyone had their kids in braces at 8 or 9, but the pendulum has begun to swing back. My kids tend to lose their teeth late so three started braces in their mid-teens. One had front teeth that were collapsed inward so the teeth met the bottom and were wearing away. She had six months of phase one on the uppers to round out her upper palate while her bones were still growing. I don’t remember how old she was but maybe 10 or 11?

[historically accurate]

I have 3 kids, and they will end up with 4 sets of braces. Kids all started with a free consult at age 7 with 2 different orthodontists and then yearly after that; one kid ended up with braces then. The other two kids needed to lose all their baby teeth first. Orthodontist doesn't like to do anything until all baby teeth are gone except in cases where there is a danger to the mouth or the teeth or the palate needs expanding.

DD#2 ended up with braces at age 7. She had a baby tooth knocked out from a fall when she was 3. The adult tooth got shoved and came in sticking out. It literally sat on her lower lip when her mouth was closed and was starting to stick out even more from constantly rubbing on her lip. She was in that set for 1 1/2 years.

DD#1 got hers at 14. She was ready earlier (all baby teeth out at age 9). However, we can only afford one set at at time, so she had to wait for younger sister's to come off and then DH switched jobs and we had to wait another year for insurance to kick in.

DD#2 got her second set at age 12, although she had lost her baby teeth by age 11. Age 12 was when older's set came off. She had to start with an expander; we discussed it at age 7, but she was severely speech delayed and we didn't want to introduce possible speech problems with an expander at that time. She's 6 months into this set.

Youngest will get braces when DD#2 is done, so 1 1/2 years-ish. She'll be 13; she also had all baby teeth gone at age 9. 

[Miss Tick]

My oldest are just losing their last baby teeth (at 13), but last time we saw the pediatric dentist he kind of brushed them off and said youngest was the one who might need work done.  So, we'll see. No one has issues that are apparent to me anyway. I guess your poll needs some other choice for families like mine - no braces yet, saving up in case...

[Pawz4me]

We took our boys to the orthodontist when their dentist said it was time. DS22 saw a regular dentist and DS19 a pediatric dentist. IIRC DS22 was around 13 and DS19 around 14. Both of them were late getting all their adult teeth in, and both dentists recommended waiting until that happened. None of us had any qualms with following that advice.

[KrissiK]

My only kid with braces so far got them at age 13.

[teachermom2834]

My first three kids did not need braces but the “baby” went in them at 9yo. She had one tooth that was coming in sideways (perpendicular to her other teeth) so that was an obvious issue and was starting to make her self conscious. The orthodontist recommended starting early and then doing a second phase later if necessary. But he did not push that hard and gave us the option to wait. When he laid out the pros and cons of waiting we decided to go ahead and do it. But honestly I don’t know if that was right or not. I just went with my gut and trusted the doc. One of the reasons was that it already was a cosmetic issue that was bothering her. Another was that my experience with teenagers led me to believe at 9yo she might actually be more compliant and conscientious than a teen. 

She has done very well and has been very good with them. She has had them for 13 months and they will come off soon. Her teeth look gorgeous...for now. 

Our doc did say that anything we pay now will be credited to treatment if she needs more later. But we are all operating on the  assumption she will need more work. 

I guess we’ll never know what would have happened if we waited. I don’t regret the decision for now. I will say that she is the baby and the big kids are about grown. I know my perspective would have been different if this had been child #1 and I was looking at braces for four kids. But knowing she was the only one who would need them made me less conservative, I think.

[katilac]

A consultation is exactly that - a consultation, not the beginning of treatment. You should be able to go for a consultation (they are free where I live), and the orthodontist should print out a detailed plan of suggested treatment, including costs, what specifically is being addressed, estimated time, and so forth. 

Agree to nothing at the time of the consult. Take the plan home and start googling. Give yourself time to weigh the options. A second opinion is always good. 

My youngest was in top braces at 8 because she had one tooth that was completely behind the others, leaving a gap that may have caused the two surrounding teeth to drift (so they would not only be out of place, but that tooth would be behind them). He was completely honest with us that we were paying to avoid something that might not happen; however, if it did happen, the work would be much more extensive. We chose to do it because it made sense that drifting might happen, and it also looked very uncomfortable to me, lol. It was $1,500 to move that tooth into place. 

Several years later, she was referred again because her teeth are so close together, and it does occasionally cause pain. This treatment would have been for multiple years, multiple thousands, and the plan specified that it didn't always help and sometimes hurt. We passed on that one. 

My oldest had a consult just bc she was always there with youngest. Again, he was honest with us, and said we could do braces if we wanted a completely perfect alignment, but it would be a very slight adjustment. We passed on that as well. 

I figure it's always worth a consult, because there can be reasons for earlier treatment. You just have to go in prepared to make it clear that you will not be making a decision that day. Get two or more opinions, do the research, and make the best decision you can. 

I do think that very early straightening often means a second round of treatment as an adult, I know at least half a dozen people who have done this. 

[Wheres Toto]

My current 24 year old got braces at 13 years old, which at the time was later than most of her friends.  But, despite being "late" she only had them for 2 years, then a retainer for a couple years.

My younger kids just went to the dentist last week, they are almost 11 and almost 13.  The dentist didn't say anything about braces except to show us how ds's wisdom teeth look like they are going to come in sideways so will likely need to be pulled and he may need braces after that.

[katilac]

Just now, Where's Toto? said:

 The dentist didn't say anything about braces except to show us how ds's wisdom teeth look like they are going to come in sideways so will likely need to be pulled and he may need braces after that.

 

 

That's the other dental dilemma, whether you should pull wisdom teeth preemptively. I chose not to for either of my kids.  I did some reading and coming in sideways does not mean they have to removed, they may never cause a problem. You can also sometimes use a wisdom tooth later in life if you lose a standard molar. To me, I wasn't going to take the risk of surgery to avoid what might be a problem, someday in the future. If there's pain, that's of course a different story.           

Below comment was made by my cat strolling across the keyboard, in case you'd like her opinion as well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       bgttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttwqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq

[Lecka]

My 9-year-old daughter is getting checked every 6 months right now.  She has not lost all her baby teeth and they are watching for that right now.  She got a referral from the regular dentist when she was 8 or 9, but the orthodontist does want to wait with her.  

Edit:  orthodontist doesn’t think she needs spacers and said she will need serious braces later, early braces wouldn’t save her from serious braces later or lessen her time in braces later.  But I think spacers and early braces are good deals for kids this age who have that recommended by the orthodontist.  

[rebcoola]

Oldest DD had them at 7 her first two adult teeth came in and drifted apart so badly they were blocking her other teeth.  

[Loowit]

DD got hers when she was 9.  We had insurance at the time that would pay half, so we could afford it.  They corrected her top teeth.  She was supposed to get her bottom teeth done a couple years later, but by then we no longer had insurance that helped out, so we weren't able to get them for her.  My middle also needs braces, but they are cost prohibitive at the moment.  They wanted to start them when he was old enough to take care of his teeth well enough and was willing to have them.  They recommended them at 12 but he really didn't want them, so they said we should wait.

[umsami]

DD got 1st phase braces just after she turned 9.  Had them a little over a year.  Her two front teeth were back quite a ways in her mouth and it was causing issues with other teeth and speech.  Her smile is great...and she may or may not need phase two.

DS2 got them at 11 or 12.  He will need them for about 3 years.  

[RootAnn]

I can't remember when DD#1 got her braces, but it was after she lost her last baby tooth. (She had them for roughly 2 years.) DS#1 has been going for consultations for a few years, but it wasn't until the ortho noticed the front two bottom teeth getting shorter roots that we did something. He has headgear (age 10) & that will be it until he loses his last baby tooth. Then, he'll get braces to correct a 'severe impinging overbite'. The headgear is so he doesn't have to have (adult) teeth pulled due to not enough spacing. (My side of the family has a history of having adult teeth pulled due to not enough space.) DS#2 just had his first consult last month. Unless something changes, he's likely good until he loses his last baby tooth also. He has a severe impinging overbite, too. (The bottom teeth touch the gums behind the top teeth - sometimes digging into them a bit.)

DD#2 had a consult but decided not to get braces. DD#3 has no interest in even hearing her options. I'm totally good with that. Unless there are medical issues present, we leave it up to the kids whether they get braces or not.

[Ali in OR]

Youngest had a first round at age 9 to fix jaw and pull in protruding front teeth for one year, then second and final two year set at age 11. Older dd had one two year stint starting at age 12. Having braces is very, very acceptable in middle school years (11-13), a little awkward before then, and it's really nice to not have them in high school where you might feel young and dorky.

[kbutton]

I would do a consult and see what is recommended. I would do at least two consults, actually.

Child number 1--he has a perfect mouth. He lost teeth late. I don't know what's in store for his wisdom teeth (if they have room or not). I can't remember.

Child number 2--our very conservative dentist who thinks that two-stage braces are mostly ridiculous declared that he'll be a two-stager no matter what. He probably will. We are in limbo because he had three supernumerary teeth (teeth that grew between his baby teeth and permanent teeth), and they cropped up between orthodontic consults, and the dentist had no idea! He could grow more of them. He had 8 teeth (including the supernumeraries) surgically removed, and the permanent teeth are still not coming in even though they have been fully formed for years. Sigh. We follow-up soon. Between consults at around age 8 and the updated consult at almost 10, he was diagnosed with a genetic condition that doesn't bode well for orthodontic work! He is apparently going to be one of the most complicated patients the ortho has seen (but not quite the worst, which is reassuring). It almost certain that he will have some kind of retainer for life--either permanently installed or one that he has to wear diligently.  

For years, the dentist thought my mom had only one wisdom teeth grow in, but recently a different dentist realized she probably had all four, but she was missing THREE of the BABY teeth, and I think she was also missing another set of molars--I am pretty sure some of that was news to her. Her mouth is so small that it would've been a mess if her teeth all came in. One thing they do at an orthodontic consult is account for what teeth you have, what teeth are missing, what teeth are developing, etc. While the dentist sometimes does this, they tend to do it less frequently and assume all is well if the first look is okay (with my son, it was not--weirdness ensued between consults).

If you don't have a consult, you don't know what you might be missing due to dentist bias (no one ever needs two-stages!) or just weirdness--growing extra teeth after x-rays show everything is normal but crowded, etc. I definitely knew people growing up who had to have their jaw broken, etc. because their parents didn't fix something that had to be fixed while they were still growing. I know someone else who might have to have palate surgery because she didn't have an expander as a kid. That all can be avoided with a consult. 

[73349]

DS (10.5) is going to need them, but the ortho we've consulted (who did mine in my 20s when I could finally afford them) has twice said, "The teeth aren't ready yet--check back next year." We'll see this fall.

[Targhee]

Some early orthodontia can prevent later issues with permanent teeth (eg mine had an undescended baby tooth that we didn’t deal with until 15 and requires a lot more moving of things around in her mouth now).

[hellen]

My eldest was 13 when his braces went in.  He doesn't have too many problems so he will have his for about 18 months.  

My middle child gets her expander next week just days before her 11th birthday.  She has an open bite, cross bite, crowding, and jaw development issues.  I wish I had gone in for a consult earlier with her.  I think she has speech issues as a result of her open bite.  She might need two rounds but it is too soon to tell.  

[itsheresomewhere]

Our orthodontist doesn’t recommend early braces for most kids.  He says it is often pushed more than it should be and in some cases causes damage.  He recommends for most kids after they lose all the baby teeth.  For DS-  he was extremely crowded and needed teeth extracted ( expanders would not work for him as it was that bad).  He had them on for three years.  His teeth look great and really is a massive difference. 

DD got hers on in December.  She had a tooth that was sticking out suddenly and it was discovered that her jaw is not aligned how it should be.  We had a choice to correct it now with braces or face jaw surgery when she is older.  We chose the braces.  

[lea1]

We started taking our two 12 year old sons to the ortho for check ups when they were probably around 8ish.  I knew there were some things that need to be fixed early and if they are not, it can be more expensive or painful later so we just started taking them without even asking our ped dentist.  For the first couple of years, they just had free consults/checkups and said come back next year.  Eventually, one son needed an appliance kind of like a retainer to adjust the position of his jaw and correct his bite when he was probably 10 or so.  It is something he wears at night while he sleeps.  The ortho said it would probably mean one year less of braces later.  They will be 13 this fall and one of them is getting close to being ready.  The ortho has always had him come back yearly for a free checkup but this last time he said come back in 6 months.  The other son with the appliance he wears at night is still only going yearly because some of his permanent teeth are still coming in.