What Age Did You/your Child Get Braces?

I'm 34 y.o. and I had braces about 4 years ago and its a big responsibility. You have to really keep those things clean and you have to be careful about what you eat because the wires could pop. In my opinion, I think it is kind of young for her to be getting braces. You all should wait a little while longer, because either she will have to wear them longer or wind up getting them put back on later in life. And it is very important that retainers are worn because I notice my teeth shift when I don't wear them. Tell what you decided.

Both of my sisters childern have had either braces or stuff done to get them ready for braces when they were 7 or 8. One is now 20 and he only had to have them once he got them off b4 we went to middle school. One had to havve spacers but in b/c there was not enough romm for the permanent teeth to come in. they did that when she was 7 and she got the braces when she was 12. My children are not old enough yet for all of that but i know it is coming in the next two to three years for my daughter she is 5 and i can tell that when she starts to lose her teeth she will not have enough room for the permanent ones.

Hi C.

My son got his braces when he was ten. He also had problems with needing to have his pallet expanded to be able to fit his adult teeth. He still has them on!!! the adult teeth took FOREVER to come in and although there was room for them, they just didn't want to come out.

My daughter had the same problem, but the Orthodontist used a retainer type pallet expander for her and said once her adult teeth come in (we're almost there)she can then get the braces put on to straighten the teeth. She was 7 when she got the retainer BUT only wore it for 2 years (we expanded it almost every day for about a week then every week then every month for about 1 year and went in every 6 wks or so for adjustments.

So it all depends on the child. The Orthodontist was the same for both of my kids and they started treatment at the same time. This was and Orthodontist in NJ and now I'm in the process of looking for a new Orthodontist here in GA to finish treatment for my son and then start my daughter up!!!

Hope this helps!!

L. Pizarro

Hello C., I am in my late 20's with braces on. I also had them on as a child age 12. I was told by my dentist when I was 8 that I would need surgery to correct a jaw issue. Well my dad could not afford to finish treatment when I was a child so they took my braces off mid-treatment. As an adult my dentist started to push the issue. I just completed a major jaw surgery, which if I would have been going to the orthodontist regularly as a child I probably would not have needed surgery. I asked my orthodontist when i should bring my son in and he said age 7. They might not even do anything they are just keeping track of growth, so they can help the teeth come in straight. You are doing the right thing by taking her now. You could be preventing things down the road. I know of a great orthodontist in the snellville area if you are close. He is good with kids as well. Let me know if you want his name and number. Do your research on a good orthodontist. My husband had braces on as a kid for 4 years and you would never know it, the guy was a scam. So make sure you are using the best. Hope this helps.

Hey C.-- this is the first response I've ever given, but I do think I'm a bit qualified to give a little advice. I got braces when I was 15. My parents couldn't afford it til then. I wore them for 5 years, and got them off at age 20- 6 weeks before my wedding. I had a bad crossbite and had to wear an appliance to spread out the top of my mouth. I also had to have my 4, 12 yr molars pulled because my mouth was too small for all my teeth.

I have 3 children. All three have been under orthodontic care since they were very young. All three had cross bites. My oldest child is 17. He's a sr in high school. I can't remember exactly, but I think he went to the orthodontist for about 9 years. Bear in mind that some of that time is just a waiting period. He had to wear the expander in the roof of his mouth, as well as head gear. He got his braces off about 6 months earlier than what they predicted (and that was about 2 1/2 years ago) because he did everything he was told. He also had to have his wisdom teeth extracted afterward. He does wear a retainer at night, but doesn't have to EVERY night.. every other one I think... not sure.

Right now I have 2 in braces. My girls are 14 and almost 13. My youngest child had her first "evaluation" when she was about 3. Dr. Pool looked at her- during a visit with one of my other children- and told me that she would be the worst one. He has been accurate. If we hadn't started on her when we did, she'd have had to have her jaw broken and re-set before she was 20 years old.

All three of my children had braces more than once. NOt a full set necessarily, but braces nonetheless. And various sorts of headgear. All three had to have the expander in the top of their mouths.

Lots of people wrongly think that orthodontics is only for crooked teeth. That is so NOT TRUE. It is also for the formation and growth of jaw bones and mouth structure. If you help the bones and surrounding tissue grow correctly the FIRST time, it won't have anything wrong to revert back to.

My children can look at pictures throughout their childhood and see various stages of orthodontic treatment. They have, and are working on, BEAUTIFUL smiles. Although it costs a lot, and we have NO orthodontic insurance, I don't regret for a second starting treatment on any of my children when we did.

HOpe this helps you in your decision. I don't know where you live, but we live in Byron, and use Dr. GAry POol in Warner Robins. I highly recommend him.

IMHO it can vary and a reputable ortho will tell you to wait or to do it now. You can get a 2nd opinion though. We actually got 3, 2 of the 3 agreed and we went with that treatment and one of those orthos. We werent taking chances b/c my SILs mouth was messed up by her 1st ortho. The 1st ortho we saw is one of the most recommended in the area we were in yet he wanted to pull 2 teeth and he wanted to wait longer. The other 2 didnt feel like we had to pull teeth if we started the braces b/c they can fix the spacing and then have room for the permanant teeth. My daughter was 8 when she got her 1st set of braces. Had she not gotten them then her permanant teeth woyuld have really screwed her mouth up b/c there was no room for them. She only needed them on the top and only needed them for a year so the price was a lot less than when you do a full set the average time (2 yrs). But by putting them on the top at that age she was able to close up the gap between her front teeth and have a frenulectomy to prevent it from being pushed back open which allowed the permanant teeth that were trying to come into way too small spots to have space to come in. They also were able to do some work on her slight underbite at that time. But they couldnt completely fix her teeth b/c all her permanants werent in yet. So 1½ yrs after she had the 1st set removed she recieved her 2nd set at 11, this time it is a full set that she will wear for 2 yrs. Actually since she received both sets from the same place we received a considerable discount on the 2nd set equal to 50% of what we paid for the 1st set so I am not sure I can say they were in it for the $$ b/c after the discount the 1st set was pretty cheap and after insurance it was next to nothing for our portion of that set.

My 2nd dd is 8 now and doesnt have the same issues. She sees the same orthodontist and he has not even mentioned braces yet and thinks we will probably be able to wait until she has all her permanant teeth to do something, so I know they dont blanketly recommend them just for the $$ at a young age.

My 1st set was at 12 but I never saw an ortho prior to that.

My niece has a quad helix and is 6

i asked ,m dentist about that idea of your husband's cuz' i was of the same belief. At this point neither of my kids need braces so it was just in conversation, nothing in it for him or the ortho. his response is that they have come so far in th knowledge/technology and abilities than they were when we were kids that there are definite benefits to putting them on earlier and its not such a scam for more money.

Hey C.! I see that you already made some decisions but I thought I would add to the info out there for others as well. It all depends on the child. I have four children. My oldest daughter, who is twelve, is a thumbsucker with early dentition and a small mouth. She has had orthodontic appliances since she was eight- she is on her second set of braces(no break) and even with insurance it has been costly but well worth it. She still may have to have one or two teeth pulled but it is better than the four that I had pulled as a child that have now left spaces in my mouth even with orthodontics or the jaw surgery that my younger sister has to have even after braces twice as a kid. My son who is ten just has some crooked teeth even with early dentition- I know that I can wait on his braces until he is twelve or thirteen because he won't have long term problems. My other son thank goodness has plenty of room so he won't be an issue but my baby girl who is five will most likely have to start early like her big sis( thumbsucker also). I feel that a great smile is the first thing that people notice and a bad smile is also the first thing people notice- I have to sacrifice financially for those smiles but it is so worth it and I would hate to have their developing self-esteem affected by something that can be affected so easily. Definitely shop around to make sure you are getting the best price but also talk to others who have been treated by the docs- see what long term results are if possible. Good Luck!

I think I was 13, and I think my nephew was about that age too. My daugter is 7 and I am planning on asking at her next dental checkup when they should see an orthodontist (I know the orthodontist recommends by age 7). It seems awfully early to me... She's lost about 7 teeth so far...I can't imagine what her adult mouth will look like. Can you get another orthodontist's opinion? My understanding was that at age 7 it would be a consult to look at future needs... maybe some spacing, etc... but it never occured to me they'd put braces on a child that young. I'll be interested to see what other responses you get.

Am I to understand she doesn't have her permanent teeth in yet?

Braces go on permanent teeth. Yes, something can be done to help the mouth prepare for the oncoming adult teeth, and maybe they call that braces.. but the braces that I know go on permanent teeth.

Hope that helps.

K.

I think that we have to listen to those who know better than we do. I do not see that your husband has ANYTHING to do with teeth a profession.

I understand his cynicism. I had braces for four years, had teeth pulled and spacers and a retainer that I wore for years. I "tongue thrust" and have an extremely narrow arch. I have crooked teeth. I should have had my arch widened, I am young enough that this should have been standard care; and I should have a permanent bar across my top teeth stopping my tongue from pushing on my teeth. I have did not, and do not. A waste!

You could get a second or third opinion. It is expensive, but I really think they do it when they have to. My son will be 13 and is just starting, but all of his teeth have been late.

I was 13 I am now 44. My children are ages 5,6,8 they are seeing a orth they may also need braces however that field has come a long way since my day and different things ( not always a full set of braces) can be used instead to prevent the need for a full set of braces at age 13. So hubby is wrong and needs to use the internet to seek more information that is right at his finger tips about braces and the prevention of having to have them. We've come so far back then they didn't have the internet either. Take your child even get a second and third opinion also get some info from them on where to get more educated about braces and other things they use so kids can prevent having them sometimes at age 13. Best of luck

Based on my experience having braces as a kid, she is too young. I was in middle school when I got mine and only had 1 baby tooth left to fall out. Well the adult tooth was coming in but it was over towards the back side of my mouth so they pulled the baby tooth and did something that switched the adult tooth coming in with the one next to it that was already there!!! In other words, my canine and the first small molar are switched around in one spot on my mouth!! lol Freaks a dentist out when ever we move! hehe My teeth weren't that bad to begin with either, I only wore them for a bit over a year. I had a retainer for some time as well. But after I was done with treatment, I had a 'permanent' retainer behind my 4 front bottom teeth to help prevent shifting. I guess it was supposed to stay in till I got my wisdom teeth in or pulled but I had it removed sooner and my front teeth did shift a bit because of my wisdom teeth but nothing that would send me back to the ortho to fix.

With as expensive and ortho is, I'd wait till she is older, and has more of her adult teeth in to see how things are going to play out. (Shouldn't be but 8-10 more teeth counting molars) You've also have a bigger chance of her teeth shifting if you do it now as she gets older, and who is to say the spacers will allow enough room for her adult teeth to come in and not cause shifting as well?? Also, get a couple different opinions too. Not just the one the dentist sent you too.

Good luck!
S.

My niece got her braces when she was young like your daughter and she had to get them redone because she was too young so she ended up having to wear braces for twice as long as she should have. She always wore her retainer.
We had our son checked when he was eight and at out consultation appointment we were told if we put them on at that age he would have to have them redone when he was older so it was better to wait a few years and not put him though all that two times.

BG

My son got braces when he was 12. He had to wear them until he was 15.
P. S

My daughter got hers at age 7 and wore them for just over a year and a half. She got them off over the summer and I must say, her teeth look great! In regards to the retainer, our orthodontist put what he calls a temporary retainer in her mouth. He glued a wire to the inside of her teeth which helps them stay in position as she grows. She has that in her mouth for a year in which we go back for re-evaluation. I like this method in that she doesn't have to do anything but the normal taking care of her teeth.
This was the first experience for our family with braces, but I've heard that when I was growing up, kids wore them for much longer when they got them as teenagers.
Oh, and my daughter had to get a tooth removed as well. She had an extra one in the gum which made the permanent one come in at an angle, but you would never know now.
He only put the brackets on her permanent teeth so that the baby teeth could easily come out. When the permanent ones got big enough, he would add a bracket if it was deemed necessary.
Some people I know are being told that there will be two phases. Our dr. said you won't know for sure until the child is older if he/she might need a second round of braces.
Good luck to you and your daughter. They feel wierd at first and she'll have to give up some foods, but otherwise, she should be fine.
R.

My brother-in-Law owns his own practice and would not put any braces on any of our kids, or his own until all the permanent teeth were in. I agree that a lot of orthos. will put braces on teeth just for the $$. Kids will 90% of the time need braces again after the permanent teeth come in and shift things all around. My daughter is 12 yrs and just got hers. My 10 yr. old needs them too, but we will probably wait till around 12 for her as well. I hope this helps!

7 is young. She hasn't finished losing her baby teeth yet, if she has lost more than 5 I would be shocked. My girlfriend and her husband both had braces and their daughter had braces very early. She had to wear them 2 years initially and then had them removed to give her mouth a break. Now she has them back on again for the next phase. My daughter is 12 and wants braces even though her teeth aren't too bad. I would get them for her but she is so bad about brushing her teeth effectively and consistantly. Even at 12 I don't think she is mature enough to handle them, so I have delayed her treatment. If your daughter is mature enough to handle them, it may not be a problem.

Funny you should ask....my 7 yo daughter just had and orthodontic 'appliance' put in her mouth last week - a quad helix to be exact. She has a cross-bite that needs to be fixed and she still may need braces in a few years. It's better to start them at this age because their bones are still somewhat pliable. She has a friend in her class who has one too. Good Luck!

My son is 9yo. They put a palette expander on and they said he may have to wear it for 6 months or more. It will come off after a year. His front braces went on a few months after the expander and they will come off at the same time as the expander....about 6 to 8 months. Once done, he may not have to have the full treatment of braces (which is what the ortho hopes as well as us) when all of his teeth come in around 12yo. This gives his mouth a chance to do it right without further treatment. His teeth look awesome!

Hi C.,
I had braces for 5 1/2 years, starting when I was going into 4th grade - so I guess I was 8-9 years old. I had to have teeth pulled too. My friend's son got them when he was 6. I think it depends on the child, but I've known a lot of children that were very young when they got their braces! Good luck with this!
S. K.

I'm not sure because everyone is different but my daughter will need braces but her dentist told me to wait until all her adult teeth are in which is around age 12 before thinking about it. My daughter only has a few problem teeth as well. I don't know the extent of problems with your child. My dentist recommends getting braces only after the baby teeth are gone and adult teeth are in. Hope this helps.

I didn't know youcould get braces while you were still losing baby teeth- I was 12 when I got mine and wore them for 2 years and then had to wear retainers for a year or so after...I would think 7 is way too young- but I'm not an orthadontist either.
Good Luck

We went to a dentist who was proactive. He pulled a couple of my second daughter's baby teeth that wouldn't come out. Then, he put a retainer on her bottom teeth. This was all done when she was in early elementary school. As she grew older, the problem wasn't as bad as it could have been. She still needed braces. However, it wasn't as long as she could have had them on.

My first daughter didn't get the same treatment because we had to leave the State at that time. She got them on at 12 and kept them on until 14/15. We returned to the same dentist with the second daughter. She got them on at 12 and off at 13.

I was 8, almost 9 when I first starting going to the ortho (who happened to be my uncle who straightened my teeth for free, so I know he wasn't looking for the $$). I had to have some preliminary work done (spacing, etc) before the braces which I got a few months later. The braces came off a few weeks before I started a brand new middle school in the 7th grade. I remember being so ecstatic that I wouldn't have to wear my braces around these new, cool, older kids. Just something to think about, kids can be cruel, and the older she is when she has the braces, the more self-conscious she'll be about them. I had a friend that wore braces up til the 11th grade and you can't find a picture where she's smiling because she was so embarrassed about her braces.

Hi C., my daughter just turned 11 and we knew since she was like 7 that she would need braces later on. Her dentist suggested waiting until she was older like 12 or so to give her teeth time to come in so we have been saving up since then because braces are expensive! Hope this helps you. Take care.

You don't want to get them too early because they may shift back after she gets them off. i had braces in 5th grade and they shifted back after they took them off and are now crooked again. of course It might have been that my dentist wasn't the best and didn't leave them on long enough or something but that was my experience.

My son's dentist recommended an ortho consult when he was 8 and I too thought it was too young. I actually asked my dentist (he goes to a pediatric dentist and I go to a general dentist) why kids seem to get braces so young now days as compared to when I was a kid (which really wasn't that long ago!) She said that certain dental problems are more easily corrected when the kids are losing their baby teeth and just getting adult teeth. Especially in cases where there isn't enough space or the jaw line is forming too narrow. She just said that it gives them an opportunity to correct certain issues before all the adult teeth are in and it takes much longer to correct certain issues once there is overcrowding.

That being said, the orthodontist we took our son to took xRays and said he could put braces on him when he was 8 but he only had 8 permanent teeth so there was a possibility that he would have to have them again later (he had enough space, his teeth were just crooked). Or we had the option of waiting until more of his adult teeth came in and put braces on later and guarantee that he would only have them once. Since it wasn't a necessity to put braces on him at 8, we opted to wait until now (he's 13 and got them about 6 months ago after he'd lost all of his baby teeth). Plus, our insurance has a lifetime max on orthdontia and I didn't want to have to pay for braces twice.

So I think it all depends on the issue. We have had several of our friends' kids have braces young for only a year or two and then get them off. One knows she will have to have them again and another one is hopeful that the problem was corrected before he adult teeth came in and they are now coming in very nicely and she may not have to have braces again.

I personally got them too early--before all my teeth were in. I don't remember the age, but I was in elementary school. I ended up having to have them put on again--in high school. I asked my dentist about my daughter (age 9), who will obviously need them. He said to wait. My opinion is that it is too early. I would get a second opinion!

T.