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should I get braces for my kids now or later?

 
Trailboss
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I never had braces, so I'm pretty ignorant on this sort of thing ...

We've had dental types trying to convince us to get braces for the kids for a long time. But I can't help but think that then the kids will end up getting braces twice. My 11 year old daughter just lost another baby tooth a few days ago.

My son is 13. I suppose it might be a good time for him.

I seem to remember kids getting braces at 15 and 16. Would 13 be better, or would it be foolish?
 
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I think it depends on their situation - but here's mine...

My daughter's mouth was too small for her incoming teeth - so she started wearing a "palette expander" retainer in 1st grade. She got her braces in 6th grade & off in 7th grade - just a little more than a year. For her, this was better than waiting.

If kids have the braces early, I think there could be less to correct, so they'll have to wear them for less time. Also, if they're done wearing braces at a younger age, you have more "pull" in making them wear the after-braces retainers, which keeps the teeth where they belong!
 
Sheriff
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I and most of my peers got braces in Junior High, around 7th or 8th grade.
 
pie sneak
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I got braces when I was 16. I would have prefered getting them earlier.

I think it's good to wait until the adult teeth are in but not much later.

Oh, and make sure they wear their retainers when the braces come off so their wisdom teeth don't mess everything up again.
 
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I never got any and I didn't need them.
I do notice ever more kids (and even adults) walking around with them.

While this may be due to for some reason suddenly the mouths of people changing a lot making the growth of teeth difficult I can't help but think it's either purely cosmetic (does it make people look prettier after they take them out for some reason, even if only in their own minds?) or a marketing ploy by dental companies trying to get more money out of ignorant people by saying they need braces when really they don't?

My guess is the truth is somewhere in between, many people being told they will have perfect teeth if only they buy braces (and the frequent visits to the dentist for checkups and readjustments that come with them of course which are the real cashcow) and those people falling for it either because they've been from childhood raised to trust the doctor or out of vanity.

If your dentist tells you your kids need braces and you think they don't, best seek a second opinion from a dentist you know will be honest (so one who doesn't know your regular dentist and tell him you'll not buy anything from him anyway, you purely want his opinion on the teeth of your kids).
 
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Got my braces in my Sr. year in high school. YIKES!!! So freshman year at college I was still in braces. That sucked, to say the least. My parents sat me down and painfully suggested I get them when I was in high school. I myself didn't, (at the time), see the need; so I said, "No, thank you." But they strongly recommended them and the look on their faces meant that they were truly concerned, so I took their advice.

Well, it paid off!! People always comment on what nice teeth I have. Of course I tell them that I'd better... !!! When I see pictures of the old mouth, I shudder to think I almost said, "No.".

Wearing the retainer is the key to the lasting success.
 
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Get em earlier ... my dentist wouldn't give them to me while I still had baby teeth, sadly my last baby tooth didn't come out until I was 14 (even then it had to be extracted) and I was to full of teenage vanity then to agree to have them.
I wish I had, had them when I was younger.
They make them practically invisible these days anyway.
 
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i got braces when i was 24. the director of me when i work in milpiras, ca wore braces, he is over 50, father of 3.
 
Jeroen Wenting
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And was there medical indication for any of you or was it pure vanity like with 99% of people?

Braces have become the padded bras of the 21st century it seems.
 
Marc Peabody
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Originally posted by Jeroen Wenting:
And was there medical indication for any of you or was it pure vanity like with 99% of people?

Braces have become the padded bras of the 21st century it seems.



I used to bite down wrong on my food to the extent of temporarily loosening front teeth. I don't know if you'd consider that a medical condition or not. The decision for braces was still mostly vanity but the confidence and comfort gained after having them was well worth the money and two years of discomfort.
 
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Age of 13 appears to me the normal age for braces in my country. Possibly even a bit earlier. I would say that around 30% of my school mates used them at that age in the 80ties.
Me not. Thank godness. I would have lost them 3 times a month at that age.
 
blacksmith
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I have a bit of a different perspective.

I had braces in my mid teens and wore my retainer religiously afterward. I also had my tricuspids removed. By the time I went to college, I had perfect teeth (not that it mattered as I was antisocial anyway).

Then through my 20s my teeth got ragged again as my wisdom teeth started growing in.

I finally had my upper wisdom teeth removed. Within a couple years, my upper row of teeth was perfectly lined up again - with no help from braces or retainers.

I think the teeth will line up right if you give them space. In the old days, I'm sure the first or second molars rotted out early enough to provide space for the wisdom teeth.

My only regret is that I didn't find a dentist who would remove the cavity filled second molars instead of the wisdom teeth ... plus my lower wisdom teeth are impacted, so my lower tooth line is still quite ragged. They still work fine, though.
 
Roger Johnson
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Originally posted by Warren Dew:
Then through my 20s my teeth got ragged again as my wisdom teeth started growing in.



all my 4 wisdom teeth were pulled prior to any orthodonic work. i still remember the dentist told me "you want me do a complete job or don't let me do the job".

to be honest, i forget the total cost associuated with the removal, but i think it is in the ball park of $700~$800 per tooth. the whole removal were done in two operation: left and right. i think they were pretty smart about the plan.
 
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I know you'll find this bizarre, but our DOG had braces!

They were called "bite wings", he got them at 5 months of age when his lower canine teeth came in base narrow and were going to grow into his palette. 20 years ago they would have just put him down. They worked well, although he broke them twice. In dogs this is done for medical, not cosmetic reasons.
 
Jeroen Wenting
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Nothing wrong with medical reasons, that's why I make the distinction.
And yes, teeth getting loose because they're at an extreme angle is a medical indication.

But as I said in the majority of cases braces are prescribed for purely cosmetic reasons and are often not even needed for those (time will straighten things out).
That's a waste of money and you're putting your kids in pain as well (plus potential harassment at school, I know kids with braces had a hard time when I was that age but of course back then 90%+ of kids didn't have them while not the vast majority do).
 
John Dunn
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So Paul Wheaton, has this helped you at all? Seems to be voices on both sides [of] the aisle.

WD: My take of wisdom teeth - completely usesless hunks of calcium. Just had all FOUR removed, even though they came in cleanly, (with great pain, I might add!!). Turns out they were so far in the back of my mouth I couldn't clean them well if I really wanted to. Could have led to bad gum disease. Thank God, the dentist did a thorough cleaning.
 
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Hey there.

I had braces put on when I was 13 until I was 15. Thankfully, my dentist could tell that my wisdoms were going to impact later in life and when he removed the braces, he glued a wire brace on to the back of my front teeth. Then when the wisdoms started pushing at the teeth, they didn't go all skew again. I had the wisdoms removed and 8 months later the wire brace got unglued. But the teeth have been fine since.

So if you go for braces early on, it might be a good idea to have the wire brace glued in so that the wisdoms don't mess up much money's worth of dentistry.

Cheers,
Rachel
 
paul wheaton
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Sounds like "13" is the right time.

Dane, are you reading this?
 
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