Braces - Circle Pines,MN

Hi K.,
I know some adults choose to have braces for cosmetic reasons and I can see how that would be worthwhile if it gives you more confidence. But when you are talking about kids, I think it is totally legitimate to ask if it is necessary. I had braces as a teenager and we knew I would need them as early as about 11. The reason was pain. I had frequent headaches, pain that was centered around my upper jaw and sinuses (but no allergies), and pain in my teeth at times (and to this day I have no cavities). I also had an overbite from thumb-sucking and my back teeth did not match up when I bit down on food. So for me it was pretty obvious. I had big teeth in a little mouth so they pulled several teeth and made me wear an expander before the braces ever went on. But I am grateful for all of it. It is expensive, but believe it or not, even as a teenager I paid for my own braces (I came from a very large family and the orthodontist let me setup a monthly payment plan). It took me about 3 years, but it was worth every penny! If my children need braces I am totally willing to shell out the money b/c I know the benefits (and not just cosmetic) firsthand. Hope that helps!

I had 7 years of braces (from 4th grade through 11th grade) and there was no question I needed them. My 2 front teeth came in so far apart I could stick my thumb in between them and had room left over. Besides being very crooked, my teeth were too big for my jaws and at the time the only way to treat that was to pull adult teeth and move the rest around till they all lined up.
I was hoping my son would inherit my husbands teeth, and his baby teeth were not bad. When we took him for his first real dentist appointment (he was 6 when his baby teeth began falling out), the panoramic xray showed his adult teeth were going to have a major traffic jamb if we didn't intervene early. He had an expander put in to make room for his teeth, and he'll have a total of 2 years in braces (he's only got 1 year to go to finish up). He'll be finished by the end of 6th grade and I'm thrilled he'll be finished way before high school. His smile is already dazzling!
If you fix the problems with the teeth early, you'll avoid a lifetime of trouble and expense.

Before I had kids I was a dental assistant and I worked for an orthodontist so I will tell you what I learned in school and at work. Most people need braces.....it's just that some have worse cases than others. It's not just the teeth but the bite. If the bite is off then that can cause major problems down the road. Adults that have popping jaws, teeth clenching problems, server crowding and so lots of cavities (it's hard to keep crooked teeth clean) lots of bad head aches do to jaw issues could have been avoid with braces. So you might look at your kids teeth and think they don't look too bad but their bite may be off. Or like in my case I had pretty straight teeth but a bad cross bite. The ortho told me that if I didn't get braces as I got older my lower jaw would continue to grow outward and I would start to have my bottom lip sticking out farther than my top lip. So I got braces and problem solved but my Sister never wanted to get braces...she is now 29 and guess what? Her lower lip sticks out. Also your lower teeth will continue to shift forward through your whole life. That is why so may old people that never had braces have server crowding. So if i were you I would get your sons in braces. But I do think it's a good idea to go to a few orthodontist so you can find one you really like and who will do a great job.

K.,

How do you know when your car "really" needs a new transmission?
How do you know you "really" need surgery?
How do you know you "really" need glasses?

You see a professional.

B.
Family Success Coach

I had braces but my husband didn't, and he really did need them. All I can say is don't make your kids suffer because you dont want to pay. Like many people have said, there are many reasons for braces and you should ask more questions. My husband really wishes his mom would have made the investment and has considered getting them now at 36. That is the other thing to consider...I had them at 13 and am glad I got it over with. Kids can be rough but if they get them now while other kids have them, they won't feel as out of place as if they find out when they are older that they need them.

One look at my daughter's x-rays said it all. Fortunately, we have a great ortho who wanted to wait until she was a little more developed before he started the process and she is now 12 and she just got the palate expander put on.

Take a look at your insurance - my husband's paid for 50% of the entire process and because we paid cash for the balance, we received an additional discount. Also look at flex spending if your company offers it. Finally, most ortho's have a finance plan so you can ask about it. Check around and don't hesistate to get a second opinion. Good luck!

There are many reasons why someone would need braces and it isn't always of a cosmetic nature. I had braces for 4 years and prior to getting them I had to have 6 teeth permanently removed because my teeth were too big (this was even before my wisdom teeth would be coming in). I cannot imagine the pain I would have been in if all those giant teeth had been forcing each other around my gums!

Talk to the orthodontist and ask him/her what would happen if your children did NOT get braces (is this a cosmetic or a medical issue?) and also get a second opinion.

I would get two opinions on this. Also, I would ask a lot of questions. Are their teeth going to make speaking clearly or eating a problem? As they grow, will their teeth become a bigger problem? What, exactly, are the boys' issues? "Because their teeth aren't perfectly straight" is not a reason, in my opinion, to pay for and make them endure braces.

Almost everyone's teeth can be "improved" (made straighter or more perfectly aligned). But not all "need" braces. Many people get braces for purely cosmetic reasons. That is their choice, just like the choice to get a nose job. Professional orthodontists are in business to make money, and the more patients they have, the more money they make.

K.,
I have 3 daughters and had all of them go through braces. Our Orthodontist was really good with us. We received a discount with each child because I myself had also been to the same orthodontict practice. We also had dental insurance through my husband's work that paid 1/3-1/2 of it and the rest I used my flex plan at work to pay off. We were able to make payments once a year with the flex dollars. I am happy I went through it with my girls who have all grown up with beautiful smiles. Our youngest is 16 and oldest will be getting married in Oct. at age 24. I guess it depends on how badly they need braces but I feel it is a worthwhile investment. Are the teeth causing them pain? Are they uncomfortable smiling? Do they have jaw pain issues, etc. There are many reasons to get them. If you are not sure, maybe a second opinion would be worth the time. There are newer and cheaper ways to get straight teeth so some research could be very valuable.
Good luck!

Most kids need braces, not always for cosmetic reasons. However, I recommend you get a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th...) opinion. Not just to see if your kids really need braces, but also to compare prices and methods. I didn't realize until I started taking my kids to the orthodontist that it is an art almost as much as a science and there various ways to get results and different orthodontists have different methods. I interviewed 5 orthodontists before I chose the one we are using for both of our boys, and I learned a lot along the way. We are happy with the doctor we ultimately chose so send me a message if you want a recommendation. She has an office in White Bear Lake so I don't know if that would be close enough for you.

My daughter just got her braces off. We could tell by the xrays that she needed them. She had to first go through having expanders because her jaw was too narrow and all of her permanent teeth were not coming down. It was pricey (still paying on them), but it would have probably been a heck of a lot more pricey if we waited.

A Lot of kids really do need them. I'd start with a 2nd opinion.

I didn't get my braces until I was 25 because I had to pay for them. My hubby has a perfect set of teeth and thank God my daughter got a perfect set.

According to my pedi dentist, about 98% of his patients needed ortho. My daughter is in the 2 perfect of a huge practice that does not "need" them.

There are all kinds of plans out there. I tend to offer cash in order to get a discount.

Good luck

I'm glad you asked this because I wonder the same thing.
My daughter is 7... and some of her classmates who are 7 & 8 years old... have been getting braces. Already.

I know nowadays, that is what is happening. But... I don't know if it is TRULY needed.
In the U.S., braces is the routine thing to do. In other countries, braces are not seen as much nor a "have to" be done procedure.

Insurance also does not cover it... and it is expensive, and a money maker.
For my daughter's classmates... the braces seems to be in a process of YEARS... and different stages of appliances. This is really arduous, for both parent and child.

Most all Dentists and Orthodontists, will say it is necessary.
I guess, get a 2nd opinion.

I had braces when I was 12. I had them on for 3 years. Sure it made my teeth nice and straight. Cosmetically. BUT... now as an adult... my teeth and bite is not ideal... and it causes problems. I STILL have to wear a retainer for example... otherwise my teeth still goes back to its "natural" placement. Like a rubber-band kind of "memory." My Dentist... says this is common... and I probably did not "need" braces.

All the best,
Susan

I would get multiple opinions, for price as well as examining/comparing what the different orthodontists say needs to be done....do ask lots of questions, make sure they explain to you each step of the planned process, for each child, and ask for cost estimates, just as you would with anyone doing work on your house. I was lucky, my Gandfather and Uncle are my dentists, and an aunt and my mom worked as hygienists in their office, so I had the best care, in my best interest, for free.

I really needed braces, I had teeth too big for my smaller sized mouth, and a cross bite, I had used a pacifier 24/7 for the first 3 years of my life, which didn't help. From 3 years old, the minute they got me to give up the Nuk, I had expander appliances in my mouth, that widened my upper palate and lengthened it. Different ones every 6 months or so, mine were not cemented into my mouth, even at age 3 I had a removable appliance, so I would be able to remove it to brush really well, and remove it to eat, to avoid decay/food getting trapped beneath the appliances. I only lost one, and had a few near misses at school, accidentally tipping it off my lunch tray into the garbage - I spent a few hours later going through all the cafeteria garbage bags to find it , take it home and sterilize it and have to wear it again, and never did that again!

Then I had braces from 11 years old ( had all permanent teeth by them) to 14 years old, also had headgear to wear to bed, and an expander in my upper palate at the same time as the braces....I do still need ot wear my retainers at night a few nights a week, and I am 32, now. But it was all worth it, I have only had to have my 4 wisdom teeth pulled, if they had left me alone, I would have had to have about 6 regular permanent teeth pulled, as well, just to make room for the rest. All this dental work made me very aware of my teeth ( as well as my dental family - 3 dentisits and 3 hygienists in the fam) and I have not had one cavity yet.

My husband's parents did braces on his two older sisters, but then let him choose at the age of 11 if he wanted them - well, of course he said no, he was a kid and wanted to be cool. Now he wishes he had had them, he even has 2 residual baby teeth hanging around in his mouth - he has a small jaw with lots of crowding in the lower front, and none of his teeth are straight. Unfortunately he is not one for pain, and although he wishes he had done it in the past, he is too chicken to get the teeth taken care of now - I wish he would, though, since my family would probably take care of it for a big discount, or for free.

Anyway, gather lots of opinions and gather all the information you can from each one, and then compare and choose the plan that is right for your kids.

My 12 year old just got hers off. She definitely needed them as her teeth were coming in crooked and crowded. They waited until she lost her molars.
My 21 year old didn't get any until he was 16. He had a crossbite but his back molars had come in crazy crooked and so we only put the brackets on the bottom teeth, to correct the crookedness.
My insurance covered $1500 towards braces, the rest was out of pocket. Both the orthodontists we used had payment plans.
In CA 2001 a dentist told me both my now 21 year old and my now 14 year old needed them. At the time my now 14 year old was 6. I laughed at them adn walked out. When I brought her to the ortho just for the initial consultation she said "what beautiful teeth, no braces."
If there are no obvious reasons or if your boys are still under 10 I would get a 2nd opinion and wait a while.

Hear what they have to say, then get a 2nd opinion. You and DH listen, talk and then go with your heart. There are lots of options and treatment plans, not all braces are the same:) There are (usually) lots of payment plan options too!

My kids need braces and it was just obvious. Crooked teeth, cross bite, big gap between two front teeth, etc. If you're not sure, get a second opinion.

The thing is, orthodontia now can in many cases prevent problems down the road. (I had them again recently, to prevent serious jaw problems, and because a few teeth had gotten crooked again.)

I think that not many people "need" braces - meaning that not having them would dramatically affect the quality of their health. However, alot of people are not born with "perfect" bites. I have paid for 5 sets of braces so far (one kid had two sets) and starting for set number 6 shortly (and hopefully the last set - supposedly one kid does not need braces). For sure, one kid's were medically necessary. Her buck teeth were so bad that if she fell, she certainly would have knocked her front permanent teeth out. Two kids were sort of necessary - crowding and jaw issues would have likely caused TMJ later. One kid was pretty cosmetic. This last kid that is getting them is medically necessary since his teeth are tipping inwards due to a chewing disorder (he is disabled).

I would get a second opinion - not because that ortho is going to tell you that you kid doesn't need braces (hardly ever happens), but because you CAN shop it around for the best deal. However, make sure that you pick a place that is close to you and is open early/late - even if it costs a few more bucks. You will spend alot of time driving to appointments and the less you have to take off of work the better. Oh, if you can get both kids done at the same time, you will save yourself TONS of time between driving and appointments.

Good luck :)