Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite

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Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« on: July 31, 2009, 11:12:18 AM » by khix

I was wanting opinions, advice, shared experiences on whether orthodontic treatment is really needed for mildly crooked or mildly crowded teeth (or a bite that is a little off) in a pre-teen child (say around 10-12 years of age). And also if orthodontic treatment is needed in general, no matter what the age of the person or condition of their teeth. Can a person live & eat fairly well with crooked or crowded teeth for their whole life? Don't teeth move & shift our whole lives? (not just during our growing years?)

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2009, 05:56:29 PM » by IMPersuadd

Hi Khix,

I have crowded lower teeth and it has never really bothered me that I didn't get braces as a child/teen. I've thought about it in passing and for me it isn't worth the money. I have never had a problem with speech, eating, pain or any mouth/dental related issue . . . .

Except, there is one problem that I am noticing as I get older (44) - because the teeth don't line up and are different heights, one of the top front teeth is slowly getting "chipped away" by one of the lower teeth. I have just noticed this in the past year or so and thus far neither myself or the dentist feel there is anything to do about it.

We did get braces for my daughter - but we took a measured approach to even that. We only did the top half - the bottoms aren't perfect, but certainly acceptable. And I waited until she was 16 and I knew all her adult teeth were in and her jaw/face for the most part had matured.

We also had good insurance which covered at least 50% - had we had to pay all of it ourselves, we probably would have weighed the "need" a bit harder - if that makes sense.

HTH,
Lori

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2009, 06:27:48 PM » by mykidsmom

Now I'm going to give you the other side.... My oldest DD is 11 1/2. She has all of her adult teeth. Her teeth are mostly straight but she has quite a bit of space. Not necessarily between any one tooth and another but all the space added up in her mouth is a lot. She has a pretty good over bite even though her teeth are fairly straight. A short while ago she really started complaining about her back teeth hurting her. We figured it was yet another cavity as she's prone to them. When the dentist checked her out he said she had no cavities and the pain she was experiencing was actually a result of her top and bottom teeth not lining up correctly so they were hitting each other on the top surface when she was chewing and it was causing pain. Could she live with that? Probably. But in the long run, that misalignment is going to lead to a root canal in at least 4 teeth because the roots will eventually become inflamed from the constant hitting of the teeth over the years. Since a root canal is $1500 each (meaning $6k) and braces are $4300 we're doing braces. Root canals also have horrible health consequences. We would have done braces anyway because of her overbite but it just cemented for us the need to do them as her back molars are really bothering her.

So there's the other side.

hth

patti

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2009, 10:52:44 PM » by khix

Thanks, ya'll.

Anyone else?

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2009, 07:15:23 AM » by his.silly.wife

If you have a good orthodontist, it could go well. The one I had was impatient. The one I had encouraged my eye-teeth to grow in faster by pulling them down. I now have "fangs" because they are lower than the ought to be. Sad

Also, 3 years of braces and thousands of dollars can be erased in one childhood accident. I was horseback riding and my stirrup slipped while the horse was running. She stopped and I was flung off, and hit a metal gate with my jaw. "Good-bye, Straight Teeth." This was at age 14, 6 months after my braces were removed.

If I had to make the decision, unless the child had serious problems, I would tell them to wait to adulthood, where "crashes" are less common.

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2009, 11:02:57 AM » by ladyhen

Khix,

Your OP implied that your children's teeth are crowded. My children have that problem; large crowded teeth packed into a jaw that is too small. We delayed braces as long as possible to see if this would correct itself, but it doesn't. The teeth ended up being very crowded with some teeth overlapped and then wisdom teeth trying to come in with an already overcrowded jaw. It was a bad situation.
Their teeth were painful, difficult to clean, and had too much chance for decay in the tight spaces. My 3 oldest had to have at least 6 teeth pulled prior to getting their braces. Still haven't had orthodontia on the 2 youngest. One of our youngest wore a devise for a couple of years to 'expand her jaw'. It may have eliminated the need for braces.
We have an extremely conservative dentist and an orthodontist that is easy to talk to. The orthodontist is quite a perfectionist, but then, I think that is why he was attracted to this field.

I suggest that you get a couple of opinions, if possible. This is an incredibly expensive procedure, as has been said. There are certainly some cases where it is necessary. I've been told by some people in the field that there are other options, like the expander that our dd wore.

Just as a sideline, my children were solely b-fed, WPF diet, totally low risk for dental problems other than genetics. Yet, genetics won. Praying that their children will have a different pattern.

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #6 on: August 03, 2009, 07:20:36 AM » by khix

Thanks ya'll.

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #7 on: August 03, 2009, 04:25:46 PM » by Darcy

My turn.

As a young child, I was diagnosed with an extreme cross-bite, crowding, TMJ, and an uneven jaw. The answer was 7 years worth of orthodontic work, 5 of which was spent in braces. My jaw is still a little off, as is my bite, but after doing reseach, I know it would be a lot worse if my parents didn't do the orthodontics. As it is, because I can't afford to get my wisdom teeth out, my once straight teeth are getting crowded and overlapped again. So make sure whatever you do, do it all the way! Get rid of those wisdom teeth eventually if you decide to go for braces. And get lots of recommendations before choosing an orthodontist. I had a terrible one. My youngest sister is now getting braces and when my mom told her ortho what I went through, he just stared at her and shook his head in disbelief. 'Course, that was 10 years ago and a lot has changed since then.

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2009, 02:16:11 PM » by orcuttranch

I will give a little different angle maybe. My daughter just turned 9. We took her in because we could tell that her jaw is small and is going to be overcrowded. She also has some overbite issues. Our ortho said that if we could put her in this removable device now, we very well could avoid braces in the future (except for some cosmetic things he said - which I don't care about cosmetics as much as function). If you take your kids in early enough, their jaw has not stopped growing yet. So this device helps push her jaw to grow more giving her more space in her mouth for her teeth. It also trains her teeth to line up correctly and her tongue to hit the roof of her mouth when she swallows instead of the back of her teeth. They usually want to start kids on this between 8 and 10 I believe. Anyway - she wears it all night and 2-4 hours during the day. My daughter is afraid to get braces, so she has been really good about remembering to put it in.

It is called a T4K. Here is a lot of info on it. http://www.myoresearch.com/cms/index.php?t4k

So for the good news. She had been wearing it only a month and the ortho saw her and asked me if I noticed a difference. I told him that I thought I did, but was wondering if I was just wanting to see a difference. He said that he thought so too, so took really good readings on certain teeth he wanted to watch to measure the next time she came in. She went in three months later and he did the measurements and showed me pictures. It is amazing the results so far and she still has another 7 months to wear it. She had a tooth that was almost completely perpendicular to the tooth next to it and it is now straight on where it is supposed to be. Her teeth aren't protruding out as far in the front and so far, I am completely amazed at the results. The ortho actually is really amazed, too. But he said the whole key is to wear the device. When the kids wear it, it is great. But most 8 year olds aren't disciplined enough to keep up with it. She went in this week to get her teeth cleaned and the hygenist told her that her teeth looked straighter than she remembered from last time.

We have dental insurance. But it would not cover this device because it is removable. We ended up paying $1,000 and that covers the t4k for a year, all visits, x-rays, etc. and a retainer that she will have to wear at night after her teeth are aligned. I am assuming that when she is a little older we'll have to pay for another retainer once her jaw is fully grown. I love it and so far it has done wonders for her. Our dental insurance only covers up to $1,000 for braces anyway, so we still would have had to pay around $3500 or so for braces. So if I can get away with this now and not need braces in the future, it is well worth it.

HTH

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2009, 09:42:18 PM » by denim&lace

Well, I waited to adulthood to have my slightly crowded, crooked teeth fixed. Now, what was only minimally crowded has a big ole gap between my front two teeth and I have had two root canals as a result of having braces.

My children all seem to have teeth similar to mine and my dh and I have decided to let them make the decision when they are adults, knowing that even thousands of dollars and years of orthodontics later don't make for perfect teeth... If there were pain, breakage or cavities as a result of their current condition we would consider orthodontics more carefully, but as it stands, it isn't a necessity in our opinion.

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2009, 10:53:38 PM » by orcuttranch

I did forget to mention one thing that my ortho said. He said that the majority of kids with an overbite/protruding top teeth have problems with chipped teeth. He told me that was his biggest concern with my daughter. According to him, he has seen so many kids that end up with chipped teeth, that mostly could have been avoided if they had their teeth aligned right. To get a chipped tooth looking good again is costly - most times requires a cap.

I also know that my sister waited until she was an adult to get braces. They told her because she waited so long that her jaw was already fused that way. In order to really get her mouth right, they would have had to break her jaw and she would have had her jaw wired shut for a few weeks. She didn't do it and had her teeth fixed as best as they could without breaking her jaw, but it does seem like it would be much less invasive and much less of a problem if mild corrections are taken as early as possible to allow the teeth to come in or align correctly while the jaw is still forming.

My mother-in-law says that the one thing she wishes she would have done was had her teeth worked on earlier. They just didn't have any money. Now, she does have bad teeth to begin with, but they cause her so much pain now and they're worn down really bad on one side of her mouth because things aren't aligned correctly. She also has many cavities in between her front teeth because they overlap so much and so regular tooth brushing didn't get all the food out.

She made the comment that your teeth are one of the most important parts of your body - because they allow you to eat in order to live. Grin

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #11 on: August 05, 2009, 08:47:01 AM » by khix

Thank you so much, everyone, for sharing your experiences & perspectives. They have really helped. I have made 2 appointments with 2 different orthodontists, so I can get 2 different opinions. (Thank God consultations are free!). I will post here when I find out what they say.

Also, a couple years ago, one ortho told me that teeth shift all your life....has anyone found that to be true? Has any other ortho ever told you that?

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #12 on: August 05, 2009, 09:06:21 AM » by rainygladness

IMO, orthodontics are rarely necessary. My daughter got them when she was 12 and it was a long ordeal that if I could go back in time, I would have decided against. Especially the headgear and high racks. These things were for jaw widening. The ortho widened her jaw too much saying that it usually always shrinks back some. But hers never did. Oops. Yeah, oops for the doctor, but my daughter has to live with his mistake.

I think orthodontists operate under an objective of ideal. Their perspective is "Here is a PERFECT MOUTH. This is how far off YOUR MOUTH is. Here's what we'll do to make your mouth as perfect as possible".
So knowing what I know now, I would have told the orthodontist that we were just concerned with straightening a few teeth. Not getting a perfect mouth. All the jaw widening stuff is for that perfect mouth syndrome where they'll talk to you about how many milimeters your bite is "OFF". Who cares? If it's not causing you pain, it is a non-issue.

Our son who is 10 yrs now was born with a condition that caused slower growth in his lower jaw (along with a few other issues). His teeth were very crowded so the ortho's carefully planned when to remove some at specific stages of his development in order to make room for the incoming teeth. Otherwise his teeth would come in all over the roof of his mouth.
To us, conditions like his make orthodontics a blessing. And we hope that is all the orthodontic work he'll ever need.

But for just ordinary crooked teeth and aesthetic purposes, I would recommend either forgoing orthodontics altogether or being an active participant, fully armed with information, stats and what YOU want for you (or your child) and skip all the jaw widening stuff and ask for just the simplest method to straigten a few crooked teeth.
I think the invisalign braces look lilke an interesting, non invasive, fast and easy option.
HTH

PS
I've learned to take what a doctor says with a few grains of salt, (like telling you that teeth shift all your life) and research myself to see if that claim has been substantiated anywhere else. Sometimes a doctor will tell you something that is just not true or is even their own opinion but they want to appear knowledgable so they say it with authority. I say this from a LOT of experience with a LOT of doctors. So do your research before making any decisions. And pray for wisdom. Wink

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #13 on: August 05, 2009, 11:29:53 AM » by orcuttranch

Quote from: khix on August 05, 2009, 08:47:01 AM

Also, a couple years ago, one ortho told me that teeth shift all your life....has anyone found that to be true? Has any other ortho ever told you that?

My mother in law's teeth have shifted quite a bit from when she was younger to now. Her overlapping teeth are more so than they used to be. She has never had orthodontics before. I know that when I was younger, I had my teeth whitened and they molded a tray to fit my teeth. I cannot put those same trays on now - they do not fit my teeth anymore (that was about 15 years ago). I was 17 at the time, so I would think that my jaw would have been fully formed then? Huh

It does probably depend on the wisdom teeth (and I don't know about my MIL wisdom teeth). I had my bottom wisdom teeth coming in straight at the tooth in front of it. So that probably accounted for the bottom teeth pushing together more. But the top tray doesn't fit anymore either and the top wisdom teeth were coming in fine. I had all four teeth out about 3 years ago, but now I don't have anything to compare to - so I don't know if they are still shifting or if having my wisdom teeth removed helped at all.

I also know that if my sister doesn't wear her retainer regularly, it doesn't fit right anymore - but she has had orthodontics done. Teeth might shift more if ortho has been done?

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #14 on: August 05, 2009, 12:24:01 PM » by denim&lace

My teeth are continually shiffting. I'm 35 and I don't see that changing. Partly I think due to the fact that I keep my teeth clamped together at night when I sleep (I don't sleep with my mouth open unless I have a very stuffed up nose) so they push against each other and 'move' ever so slightly.

I also have a pretty decent overbite that I decided against having fixed after the other problems from the orthodontics came about... I'm pretty rough and tumble compared to most, and I have no problem with chipped teeth. I think part of that is due to my father teaching us to keep our mouth's shut and teeth together when we were romping, fighting, wrestling, or breaking a horse... Cheesy

He didn't want to pay for broken teeth either. Wink

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #15 on: August 05, 2009, 02:05:51 PM » by orcuttranch

Quote from: denim&lace on August 05, 2009, 12:24:01 PM

I also have a pretty decent overbite that I decided against having fixed after the other problems from the orthodontics came about... I'm pretty rough and tumble compared to most, and I have no problem with chipped teeth. I think part of that is due to my father teaching us to keep our mouth's shut and teeth together when we were romping, fighting, wrestling, or breaking a horse... Cheesy

He didn't want to pay for broken teeth either. Wink

Wise father - and good to know!

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #16 on: August 19, 2009, 04:56:47 PM » by khix

OK, here's the info from both orthos:

Both think 10 yo ds is too young to start, although he WILL need work done. One said an expander would be needed, to make room for slightly crowded upper teeth...his bite is good.

Both say that 12 yo dd's teeth are a mess - she has many problems. Crowding, underbite, missing permanent teeth, teeth late in coming in, etc. Ortho #1 said she would need an expander, which would involve a head gear. Shocked

Ortho #2 said dd would need to get 9 (yes, 9!!) baby teeth pulled, wait for the adult teeth to come in, then pull 2 adult teeth (b/c of overcrowding), then do an expander, then braces (and I think she mentioned more stuff, but I can't remember it all). Double Shocked

So, what do ya'll think? I'm thinking "NO!" to the baby teeth being pulled. That just sounds strange to me. I can understand maybe 1 or 2, but 9?!?!

And then the idea of head gear seems drastic too.

DD does have problems, but I'm not sure if such drastic measures are needed. (FYI, they are not trying to milk me or my insurance for money - kids are on medicaid). I think I'm going to wait until dd (& ds) are older. The only issue with medicaid is that they only approve once, and you use it or lose it. There's so much red tape with medicaid!

My dh also thinks that the above procedures are drastic, especially the pulling of 9 baby teeth!

Anyway, any opinions would be much appreciated!

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #17 on: August 19, 2009, 05:13:40 PM » by ladyhen

khix,

the daughter of ours with the most dental problems, including severe overcrowding had a LOT of her baby teeth pulled as they were late coming out on their own. I was told that they were causing more problems with the permanent teeth if they remained. They came out easily and really didn't cause too much stress.

I have one dd who has wisdom teeth coming in. They are coming in straight, but very slowly. Dentist advised pulling them, as they will remain slow and will shift teeth that have already had braces. But she wanted to wait. Now, 6 months later and leaving for college this week, she is wishing that she had gone ahead.

The dentists and orthodontists really have seen much more than we have and usually aren't trying to rip us off or mislead us, imo.

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #18 on: August 19, 2009, 05:50:32 PM » by mykidsmom

Khix,

As a person who's had braces 3 times (yes, I said 3), I would advise you to go for the least invasive. I also had baby teeth come out late. When I was 15 they finally pulled my last 4 baby teeth because it was becoming a problem. I'm glad they did. But at ten, it was still early to do any pulling. I also had headgear. Two out of the 3 times I was in braces I had a head gear. It's easy, wore it at night, and it's not invasive. If these were my kids I would go for the least invasive procedures. I would hold off on pulling baby teeth until a child is at least 12. If a kid doesn't have their 12yr molars by then, then they likely are slow sprouters and it would be good to take care of it. Otherwise, what's the rush? I would definately go for head gear over teeth pulling IMHO.

While it's important (and much easier - trust me!) to get braces younger, if you need to wait until they're 12 or 13, then wait. Better to wait then end up in braces again in the future.

patti

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #19 on: August 21, 2009, 08:01:53 AM » by khix

So, in your opinions, both options (headgear or baby teeth pulling) are both legitimate and not drastic.

So, I'm wondering which one to go with then? Please pray for wisdom/direction for me & dh!

Any other opinions/experience would be appreciated as well!

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #20 on: August 21, 2009, 09:57:39 AM » by mykidsmom

Quote from: khix on August 21, 2009, 08:01:53 AM

The only thing I would say is past 12 it gets difficult to get baby teeth to come out (from experience) and you just end up wasting time waiting for it to happen. So depending on their ages is whether or not I would pull teeth. We waited until I was 15 and that was okay except I was much more self conscious in braces by then. But then again, today I'd say bunk to that. Grin

Also, once they're pulled you still have to wait for adult teeth to come in.

Praying for wisdom for you.

patti

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #21 on: August 21, 2009, 11:51:15 AM » by floydian

I had braces twice growing up and tons of head gear. I wore the head gear at night fortunately. I still had jaw surgery when I was a freshman in college.

Honestly, I am grateful for them now because my mouth is comfortable and it was so uncomfortable before I had surgery and braces. My jaw was so far forward that I had trouble biting my food. My teeth didn't meet in front, and I couldn't make them meet. I pretty much tore off pieces of food rather than biting them.

I also have fairly straight teeth now, and honestly, I am grateful for that. I look better. I smile more which IMO is a good thing. I was told later that all the early braces did no good....oh well.

There are some mouths that need early intervention, and some that will be fine if treatment doesn't start till much later. I have at least one of each. My son just had jaw surgery in December...he would not have benefitted. One of my daughters WILL benefit from early intervention. I use the same ortho for both of them. He says that the only way they know is by x-ray. He is supposedly the best in the Southeast and has invented most of the products now used in early intervention.

I forgot to say earlier that many times early intervention can prevent having to remove teeth.

« Last Edit: August 22, 2009, 10:01:05 AM by floydian »
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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #22 on: August 22, 2009, 09:20:22 AM » by boysmama

I had horribly overcrowded and subsequently crooked teeth. The recommendation, which my parents followed, was to wait until most of my adult teeth were in.
I think I was 8 when they pulled 4 molars to make more room and 10 when I started orthodontics. The focus of my orthodontics was to make sure that I did have good bite and the teeth met correctly. They did an excellent job. I have more space between some of the molars and eye teeth than most people, but it isn't noticable.
I can still almost "fit" into the retainer plates which I haven't worn for 10 years. I did wear them for 4 years after the orthodontic work to allow the bone to regrow completely and stabilize my teeth. The only major shift that keeps the retainer from fitting is on one lower quadrant where a wisdom tooth was impacting and moved the molars front into some empty space
I am very grateful my parents did this for me. My bite is almost normal, I can chew comfortably, and there are no pockets of stuck food. I also have almost straight teeth, and no one taken back or forced to stare at overlapped teeth when I smile. Grin

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #23 on: August 22, 2009, 12:35:55 PM » by healthyinOhio

Khix,

I had six baby teeth pulled out at age 11 for headgear(thankfully by my grandfather, who was a dentist). It was normal procedure, and I still believe it is. I think having that many baby teeth pulled at a younger age would be weird, but not at age 10. They should all be pretty much out by then, anyways, except for molars. I wore headgear permanently for a year. This way it would cut down on the time for my braces. Head gear is not drastic, just geeky looking! lol I had braces for 2 years, and then I was suppose to wear a retainer for a year, but I was so tired of everything in my mouth that I stopped my retainer. You can tell on my bottom teeth that they have moved since the retainer, so I wish I had worn it a little longer.
But all in all I am so thankful that my parents paid to have the work done.
My daughter is 11 and has all her baby teeth gone. She is ready to have her treatment started, but it is so expensive. The cheapest was $5000!! And I asked around to about 8 dentists!! They are all pretty much the same in our area. We are hoping to get them done this year and pay it off with a tax return. I think it is worth it. JMO.

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #24 on: August 24, 2009, 07:12:32 AM » by khix

Thanks all!

But first - I guess I wasn't clear, it's almost 12 year old dd whose teeth are a mess, not 10 year old ds.

So, at 12 (or almost 12), she should definitely have all her baby teeth out by now? She was late in getting in her first tooth - she didn't get it until she was 1 year and 3 days old. So, that could be why her baby teeth are late in falling out. Plus, she has one tooth that never existed, baby or adult. And the same tooth on the other side, only the baby one exists, there is no adult one behind it. And that baby one has NOT fallen out yet, although it should have years ago.

Anyway, though - all her baby teeth should be out by now?

She does have major problems. In addition to the above, her teeth are crowded and she has an underbite. Her mouth is sooooo small. It's hard to get in there & floss & keep her teeth clean. I think she would also need some permanent teeth removed eventually...that's what I had done when I was a teenager.

So, headgear and teeth pulling are not not drastic, ok, I'll believe you ladies!

But, I'm still not sure which way to go. Keep praying for direction for us!

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #25 on: August 24, 2009, 10:24:46 AM » by floydian

It does seem to be worse for girls, doesn't it?

I have a 12 yo ds who still hasn't lost all his baby teeth. He just pulled one last week. He was also late getting teeth.

If she has NOT gotten her period yet, there will probably be some things they can do inside her mouth to enlarge it and make it so that she does not have to have as many teeth pulled.

I wore head gear only at night, so that wasn't a problem. I don't remember it bothering me much, even when I spent the night with friends. It was just head gear...we all wore it. Undecided

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #26 on: August 25, 2009, 09:45:02 AM » by wlwest

My 13 yr old dd also has some baby teeth. They said they are impacted, and will have to be pulled, and get braces so the other teeth can come in. We haven't made the appt yet, it's not going to be cheap. I was hoping those teeth would fall out on their own, but I don't think they will.

I had braces when I was younger too, but it seemed like my mom wanted me to wait until I started my pd. Dd hasn't started yet, so should I wait? Is there any reason to?

wendy

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #27 on: August 25, 2009, 05:21:02 PM » by floydian

It never hurts to have a second opinion. Most orthodontists' initial visit is free. Also check with your local dentist and see what he thinks of your ortho.

If I could avoid pulling my children's teeth, personally, I would. From personal experience, shots in the mouth are not fun.

The reason that you would want early treatment is to avoid pulling teeth. Well, another reason is that older teens don't want braces. Roll Eyes

But if I had an orthodontist that wanted to pull baby teeth, I would probably seek a second opinion. The newest methods in orthothodonture are leaning away from pulling teeth and widening the jaw from the inside as the child grows.

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And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #28 on: August 27, 2009, 02:09:50 PM » by orcuttranch

I just got back from my daughter's ortho this morning, so I asked him if it was normal to want to pull so many baby teeth even in a 12 year old. He said that it really is not common. The only reasons he would pull so many baby teeth is if they are loose anyway and the child just doesn't want to work on them to get them to come out on their own. The only other reason he would pull them is if the x-rays show that the adult teeth are deflecting off the baby teeth and growing backwards or forwards instead of down to "push" the baby teeth out.

He said that still having baby teeth at that age is average and that he has seen the rare 15 or 16 year old that still have 12 baby teeth (the three side teeth on each quadrant). He said there is nothing wrong with it - to let nature take its course and the only down side is that they have to wear braces when they're older rather than younger. He also said that if the original baby teeth came in late, then they will definitely fall out later than the average person.

Of course - all of that is without being able to see the actual teeth.

If that helps. . .

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Re: Opinions wanted on orthodontics, straight teeth, & a good bite
« Reply #29 on: August 30, 2009, 07:14:28 AM » by khix

Quote from: orcuttranch on August 27, 2009, 02:09:50 PM

Yes, that does help! Thanks! It actually confirms what we had already decided to do, which was to NOT get her teeth pulled out. I came hear to post what we had decided, and I found your post!

Also, I had been praying that her baby teeth would fall out on their own as needed, and I think she has a loose tooth now! Grin

Asking for prayers now for my dd's teeth!

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