Braces...when is a good age?

[fizzfiend]

My dd is 11 and has the problem I had..protruding canines. I have noticed that some American friends with kids her age already have braces fitted, but I thought this was too young? Should I be doing something now do you think?

[Themumsnot]

DD3 who is 8 has this problem. The dentist says she will be referred to the orthodontist when she is 12. Maybe you should ask about it at her next check up? Where I live, referrals come through quite quickly, but I don't know if it is the same everywhere.

[TheOriginalNutcracker]

My dd has just had her first brace at age 11.

It was considered to be a bit early, as she still has a couple of teeth to come in, but her orthodontist was so worried that she would damage her front teeth if she fell on them that he fitted one as soon as it was possible.

[TheOriginalNutcracker]

Dd was referred just before her tenth birthday.

[anniepanniepears]

my daughter is 13 and she has been atending the orthodontist for an over bite since 10 and they will not fit a brace to her mouth until all her baby teeth are out and adult ones an in , so my guess is everyone is diffrent

[PenelopePitstops]

word of warning, later is better

i had mine all done and dusted by 13, my teeth are all pretty much back where they started since my wisdom teeth arrived!

[Grumpystiltskin]

The problem is your teeth are geneticall programmed to be where they are (hence DD having the same problem you had) so without good retention (ideally bonded onto the teeth and forever) they will always move back to where they were (with a few exceptions). Sometimes early intervention can "use up" compliance and children get fed up of their braces after a while.

[Grumpystiltskin]

*genetically

[crazycarol]

DD has had braces for 2 years now (since age 12 yrs 6 months) She was referred to orthodontist about 2 years before that as she had impacted canines. Hopefully we are just about at the end of this treatment. (appt tomorrow!) I would speak to your dentist at next check up

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

I was told by an orthodontist not to bother until DD was around 12. She will definitely need work done but according to him, if it starts too early, the roots of her teeth will twist. I should add that this explaination took place in German and my German understanding is not fantastic.

[WhereamI]

my dd who is 9 has irregularly poisitioned teeth and the dentist told me that girls mouths had a tendecny to widen as they progressed through puberty and often as the jaw widened there appeared more space for the teeth to grow so just to hold fire and wait and see until she was much older

[thirtysomething]

DS got his first brace at 12 - well before he'd lost all his baby teeth. This is mainly to correct an overbite and will be replaced by a fixed brace when he's lost the baby teeth.

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

Where we are its not based on age but stage of teeth development.

They won't put braces on until all baby teeth are gone. DD's having her fixed brace off next Wednesday!! She had it put on aged 12. She's had it for just over a year and will move onto a retainer.

[missmehalia]

Interesting what Penelope said. I had mine fitted as soon as all my adult teeth were through, though at the orthodontist's appointment they x-rayed to see how the wisdom teeth were shaping up before they actually gave me braces.

I hated them, and it made me self conscious, but the results were worth it. I also had a few extracted before the braces were fitted so there was space to get them all in the right place.

It certainly put me off dental work for a long time, despite how early it was done. Didn't go to a dentist as an adult for 20 years after that.

Make sure the dentist/orthodontist is good. Friend of mine's a cranial osteopath, and says she can always tell if their dentist is left or right handed because of how their jaw has been wrenched as a result of any extractions carried out. Yeeuch.

[KatyMac]

I had mine from 11/12 I had 6 teeth removed

my teeth are not significantly better than they were & I have some gaps

My DD is following in my footsteps but our current dentist says wait - her jaw will grow, things will change do nothing until she is her adult height & size