Talk to Me About Braces.

My child had a big space in the front.

I decided to hold off on the "ASAP" braces the orthodontist said were soooo needed.

One yr later, we went in for a cleaning and the dentist said, "The teeth are NOT going to need braces after all.

Get another opinion.

Orthodontia isn't about "perfection" it's about a proper BITE and being able to chew properly. When teeth are misaligned? You can mess up the rest of your jaw biting and chewing.

If you don't trust this orthodontist - go to a second one - and act like you have NEVER EVER been to one before. Then LISTEN to what they are telling you needs to be done to CORRECT a bite.

My oldest son got braces from 8 to 10 - he MIGHT need a second set. But his teeth were off.

My youngest son? He's FINALLY ready for braces. We've been to 3 orthodontists who have all told us to wait until all of his baby teeth came out. One did want to start an expander on his lower jaw - unfortunately - that was at the time my husband had just lost his job and we weren't going to have the funds.

Have the ortho show you the xrays and then have him show you HOW her teeth SHOULD be - they typically have molds/casts of before and after. Understand that this is NOT "just" about LOOKS - it is about proper bite/chewing ability.

Good luck!

Braces have come a long way since I got mine back in the early 80s. It's not just about cosmetically straight teeth. It also has to do with nasal passages, breathing and facial structure.
My 10 year old started spacers for both the top and bottom several months ago. They started them before adult teeth had even come in after the baby tooth came out. He still has a bunch of baby teeth too loose. They have been making room for each tooth as it's coming in. His teeth were beginning to come in on top of each other, they are now coming in extremely straight. His palate was so small and high that it could impact his breathing.
Braces aren't always a money grab. I know they did an evaluation of my other son at the same time and said he was good, they'll check again later to see if that changes. If it was a money grab they would have put stuff in his mouth right then and there to make their money to fix something more than cosmetic.
If you have 2 orthodontists saying the same thing I am inclined to say it's needed then. I know it is expensive but sometimes you have to do what you have to do for the health of your child.

Your daughter is 9 and your son is 4? Is that right? It would have helped if you had told us the ages so that we don't have to guess...can you update?

If your son is 4 years old, then I have to say that I think the idea of doing orthodontia on his is ridiculous. If he is 4, he doesn't even have most of his adult teeth.

With a 9 year old, you probably have more of an idea of what her teeth are going to look like. However, I really believe that 9 is too early. If your ortho is pushing for a 4 year old to have work done, it makes me really suspect that he's full of it for your 9 year old too.

Older kids take care of their braces better. I would wait until she is a teen. I would NEVER put expanders on a 4 year old...

My teeth came in sideways with huge gaps in places.
I could fit my thumb between my 2 front teeth.
I needed braces and I started them in the 5th grade.
Back then there were no expanders.
The practice at the time involved pulling adult teeth that didn't fit and then moving the remaining teeth into position.
I had 8 adult teeth pulled (wisdom and bicuspids) and I was in braces a total of 7 years.
It was torture - but my teeth are straight now.

Our son started with expanders in the 3rd grade.
Then he wore braces for 2 years and he was finished before 6th grade finished.
The expanders made his jaws big enough to hold all his teeth and he didn't need to have any adult teeth pulled.
Hie teeth are beautiful.

My Mom's teeth were neglected.
We got our teeth from her.
She's had nothing but trouble with them her whole life and she has 6 crowns now.
It's expensive.
It's better to get things fixed up front rather than dealing with it forever.
You've had a 2nd opinion.
Have a 3rd if you want to but believe them and don't neglect your kids teeth.
Hopefully they'll live to 100 and enjoy their teeth the whole of their lives.
What better gift could you give them?

Straight teeth are easier to clean, which will lead to fewer issues later in life as far as that goes. And correcting a bite that is misaligned is important, because an uneven bite can lead to all sorts of issues. If you have the financial means, it's worth it to have your kids' teeth straightened. An expander for your younger child can mean that no adult teeth will need to be pulled later in order to straighten his/her teeth, and maybe you'll be very lucky and with the added space, the adult teeth will grow in and straighten themselves to a certain extent. For us, we found that whether we did expanders or not, the price was going to be the same, so we did expanders for our younger child who needed them (our older daughter had enough room, but her teeth were growing in pretty crooked, and she had a bit of an overbite). All in all, I'm happy to give my kids the gift of a beautiful and healthy smile for a lifetime, at an age where it's not very painful to achieve that. If you can, you should, IMO.

I have no regrets about the money I spent on both my daughter's braces. Money well spent IMO.

I didn't get braces as a child. I didn't want them, despite an overbite, overjet, and narrow bite. My parents respected my wishes and I didn't get braces. In hindsight, I wish they'd told me to suck it up and do it. As I got older, my teeth were a source of embarrassment and insecurity. I finally got braces at 30 and am so glad I did! I still have an overbite, as the only correction is jaw surgery which I'm not interested in. But, my bite is wider, much straighter, and my overjet is gone. My confidence is better and my teeth are healthier. My bite was causing me pain and a few times I chipped a tooth! I'd say go with the least invasive and most conservative approach. You don't need perfection, but teeth that are well aligned are easier to clean and will be healthier in the long run.

Get at least two more opinions. Expanders change the shape of the face and are really only necessary if the soft palate is too narrow. If the palate is fine they shouldn't be used. My kids saw 3 orthodontists; two recommended expanders and headgear for my daughter, expanders and braces for my son. Both said thei palates were fine however. The last recommended nothing for my son because he was at an in between stage - too late to start early and too early for standard treatment, we needed to wait till more permanent teeth came in. For my daughter he recommended braces, no expander, no headgear. He used a special type of wire and we tightened every 3-4 weeks. 11 months later braces came off and bite is perfect, something the other two guys said would only happen with expanders. She might need 6-8 months of braces in a couple of years, but maybe not.

Two of my grandchildren need braces. I questioned the need. One has an overbite and one an underbite. My daughter said that they need their bite corrected so that they can chew effectively. The braces are not at all about appearance. Both have straight teeth.

So, I watched them chew and saw the difficulty. My teeth and bite are normal and I still have difficulty with TMJ. A cousin, born before braces were common, and had a severe overbite. He struggled throughout life, not only with eating but also with ppersonal appearance. I've accepted that braces are a good idea.

I suggest you list the issues that the braces address and the pros and cons of getting the braces. What is best for the children in the long run. Will they wish they had gotten the braces when they're adults? Can the issues be corrected when they are adults? One friend had severe buck teeth that were corrected when she was in her thirties.

My daughter has difficulty knowing how to pay for the work; thus has started it. I'll be interested in any suggestions you have for that.

We might have if you would tell us what this "laundry list of issues" consist of. If the teeth appear to be coming in fairly straight and your child isn't having a problem eating and their smile is "good enough" then they probably don't need them. My niece just got braces and for the life of me, I have no idea why she needs them. Her teeth appear to be straight to me. I really think this is just one of those band wagons that orthodontists are hoping people will jump on. I'm sure they could find a reason why I need braces on my dentures!

I'm in the same boat as you. I've been told both of my kids need them, due to overbites, but their teeth came in really straight. The orthodontist just said they will need braces at some point, could be now, could be much later, to correct the overbite and make sure their bites are not grinding down their teeth. So, I haven't really wanted to fork over the money yet. We'll make sure we do it before they are out of school, so they don't have to fund it themselves, but sheesh it's pricy...and for something that isn't terrible, it's hard to justify the price.

How are your teeth?

I know that my daughter has inherited my mouth... It's too small for my teeth, and even after having two adult teeth pulled to make room my teeth are still crowded and crooked. My DD's dentist mentioned at her 2.5 yr exam that she will likely need braces when she is older, because even back then it was obvious she will need them. She is 4 now, and her teeth have absolutely zero gaps.. Meaning that when her adult teeth start coming in there will be no room.

My dentist recommended waiting until she turns 8, then starting the expanders. I'm planning to go with it, because I HATE my crooked teeth and really can't afford braces at this point.

Absolutely braces are one thing that we will do if we have to eat ramen. It stinks they are so expensive.

For health and hygiene reasons, and also (cheesy, I know) the first thing I noticed about my husband was his teeth. It's a huge issue. They were great, of course. I don't want my kids to meet someone some day, and have crooked teeth, lol.

It's just a really big priority for us.

It's rather late to start with some of the things you're mentioning. I've known kids turning 8 to wear expanders before their jaws finish growing to adult size.

Once they stop growing the only way to widen it is to break it and wire it shut in the position that is desirable.

So do the expander as soon as possible. If reconstructive surgery will effect her jawline/roof of her mouth talk to that surgeon about doing the wiring shut or helping those bones go the right way.

I think that kids do get a lot of dental work and sometimes it is more....of a facade. But I also know kids that needed it just to be able to chew their food better and their parents thought it was silly and just cosmetic.

I suggest you talk to the kids and find out what they'd like to do. They may be totally ashamed of how their teeth look and are excited beyond compare to getting them.

The one thing that's a life saver besides Tylenol on tightening day is dental wax. It comes in a small flat container, it is clear on top and white on the bottom. There are about 5-6 rows of tube like wax. You break off a piece and put it where the braces are rubbing. It sticks until you get food on it or you brush your teeth. Then you put another pinch on it.

We got ours at Walmart by the dental floss.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/DenTek-Wax-For-Braces-2pk/15754255

We actually got another brand there too.

http://www.gumbrand.com/accessories/gum-orthodontic-wax.html