Braces! Orthodontists, Dentists, Parents - any input valued :)

[KarryHane]

Hello

My DD has been referred to the orthodontist. Waiting time for first appointment is a year apparently . I have questions I can't wait a year for!

DH takes the DC to the dentist as he works shifts and I'm full-time. However, he is rubbish at asking questions - I even made him a list and he 'lost it'. I think he is just nervous about asking, so I have no information whatsoever - grr!

So, DD is 13 (14 this year). She plays french horn in an orchestra and rugby for the school team, and I expect will have a boyfriend before all the braces business is finished - especially as it seems to be taking sooo long to start.

Will she be able to play her instrument properly, rugby (mouthguard?), kiss anyone when she's 16 ?? How long is it all going to take? How often will she need appointments?

I don't know what kind of brace(s) she needs . I think her jaw is fine, but what I can see is that her top teeth kind of point back into her mouth rather than straight downwards - like this / side on, not like \ which seems to be more common?

If anyone has any insights, or suggestions as to where to find this sort of stuff out, please say

[Coconut0il]

DS1 was referred to an orthodontist by our dentist. We went for the appointment and he spent a long time looking and measuring DS1's teeth. He had a chart with about 8 photos of different teeth on. After about 10 minutes of measuring and looking at the photos he said DS1 didn't qualify for NHS braces as his teeth weren't measuring far enough out and on the photo chart he matched photo 5 which was not severe enough for NHS braces. He said the cost would be £1800 if we wanted to go ahead and they offered a 0% interest scheme.
I started a thread on here and the consensus was that it was a good price. However, DS1 was not keen and as the orthodontist said it really came down to how happy he was with his smile we haven't gone ahead. I hope he doesn't regret it when he's older.

[Coconut0il]

If you Google index of treatment need you can find some info.

[Ginmakesitallok]

I can't answer all your questions - but I had a brace at 18, and it never stopped me kissing anyone! (I just avoided kissing other braces wearers as I had a fear of us getting tangled...)

[LIZS]

Ds played his brass instrument with braces. Depending in type of braces, her growing phase and extent of treatment she could have them on from a few months to a few years (ds is approaching 3 years and counting) .

[MrsGsnow18]

You could always phone the dentist and ask questions over the phone.
Generally though braces do not affect every day life. She will have to have routine ortho check appointments usually once a month and sometimes after the braces have had elastics changed/different wires etc put on it can cause a 'pulling' or 'tightening' feeling but it doesn't last.
Some people find that the braces annoy their checks/lips but you can get wax from the orthodontist to cover the bits that are cutting in etc.
Instrument playing should be fine. You can get special ortho mouth guards for over the top of braces, just boil ones not the proper moulded impression ones (as obviously they would need changed too often)
Kissing/eating etc everything else just as normal really!

[EnormousTiger]

My son who has a music scholarship and indeed played the French horn stopped playing when his braces went in (he is older than your girl). However that was probably more because after grade 7 he just wasn't so keen. His oldest brother did not have braces put in because of worries about his playing too by the way (trumpet) and perhaps his teeth were not as bad.

My son who has braces in now was very keen to have them in (I thought his teeth looked fine - I am not really into mattering about appearance but he is) and he wanted it done before going to university (my children have not had boyfriends etc until university perhaps because at single sex schools so that is not an issue now and anyway plenty of people with braces have boyfriends).

He has managed it all well. I do pay for the dental hygienist as even though he's good at cleaning this teeth they still seem to need that extra help. He has just learned he does not have to have two teeth taken out (relief from me as I hate the idea of removing perfectly healthy teeth).

Plenty of people can play brass instruments with braces by the way.

[KarryHane]

Thank you for your reassurances, especially regarding instrument and sport, and kissing of course! I am shocked at three years of braces! I guess a lot of the impact on DD will depend on what kind of braces she will need.
I have managed to get a little more info from DH/DD - she needs something to being her lower jaw a little forward and something to make her top teeth go down vertical rather than pointing backwards.
Has anyone had these issues, or know what kinds of braces they use for this?
I googled the index of treatment and looked at various related images, but tbh don't really understand what I'm looking at. It is really frustrating.

[LIZS]

A twin block moves the jaw forward, follow by train tracks to straighten. Ds had blocks for 15 months , then a break to check it had fixed in position followed by 18 months so far of train tracks. His top and bottom midline are a few mm out so they are still adjusting the brace. There is a twin block support thread as it can take a while to get used to.

[KarryHane]

Bumping this as I phoned the orthodontist today to get a clearer idea of the waiting list, and they said it was now 15 months, just to be seen . Once DD has been seen, it is then approx 12 months before treatment will start. I am so shocked. I had no idea it would so long.
It looks like she will be over 16 before she even gets braces .

I'm beginning to wonder if all the younger kids I see with braces are on paying privately? You see plenty of year 7 kids with them, but at approx 4k, DD is going to have to wait for the good old NHS sigh.

Anyways, my request still stands - if anyone has any words of wisdom or comfort, please share

[Brollsdolls]

My dd is 13 and has had braces for almost 2 years. I asked for her to be referred when she was 9 as we knew she needed braces. Treatment started when she was 11 and in year 6.
She had one year with the twin blocks as her bottom jaw needed to be moved forward and top teeth brought in - this was quite slow as she would only wear it at night - it is a horrible, bulky brace. She now has a fixed brace and I expect that will be on for another year. She is really not bothered by it and so many kids have braces it hasn't been a problem.
I had a fixed brace when I was 15-17 - it felt like such a long process, but I had still had boyfriends and great teeth in the end!

[Lancelottie]

DS switched instruments to one with a bigger mouthpiece (euph to tuba) for two years while he had train track braces. DD semi-coped with the cornet, which I thought would be more of a problem, so I think it'll depend on exactly where the knobbles sit in relation to her embouchure.

For a slight movement forward of the lower jaw, she might not need twin blocks - they seem to be able to do a lot with elastics and bits (technical term, that) glued on the molars.

Don't plan a music exam for the couple of months after the brace comes off - it takes time to get used to not having the brace as well.

[tactum]

Blimey that's a hell of a wait. Where are you? Is there any choice of orthodontist at all? My DS was referred in September, had initial appointment mid December and had his brace fitted 3 weeks ago - we are Midlands. It may be worth at least getting private quotes and as a PP said many offer finance.

He has coped brilliantly so far, no pain and hasn't interfered with his life at all, apart from - according to him - ruining his life as he can't eat lots of his favourite treats - haribo, gum and even apples and baguettes. We will have follow up appointments every 6-8 weeks for adjustments to be made. The better mouthguards the orthodontist sells are absolutely brilliant and can be remoulded as their teeth shift.

[tactum]

Also I'd be pretty miffed at your dentist - I would have thought it very unlikely they weren't aware of the need for braces befgore the last appointment and an earlier referral would have put you higher up the list. Not much use now though....

[frazzled3ds]

I had braces as a teen - first up removable ones followed by train tracks. I was playing the clarinet and had to adjust/relearn how to do that with a wedge of plastic in the roof of my mouth, but got there - every time the braces were adjusted in any way it took a couple of days to be able to play again as the general ache was a bit too much but otherwise fine.

My eldest DS has been told he will need braces, however the waiting list here in SW Wales is 3 years...... or we can go private and cough up around £3k........ for now we're waiting - he's still got baby teeth to drop out yet and things may well settle themselves down again once the adult teeth come through, keeping watch on it meanwhile.

[Lancelottie]

Anecdotally at least, clarinets and flutes are easier than brass with a brace as they don't actually press the lip into the brace clips.

Not that brass players should be pressing the mouthpiece hard against the lips, apparently (both kids were scolded for that by their teachers), but it's very easy to do.

[dementedpixie]

Dd was first referred to the orthodontist in 2011 but didn't qualify for treatment until last year (she went annually for a check up but her teeth weren't bad enough for NHS treatment until she was 12). She got a functional appliance to change her bite that is worn on her top teeth (it's removable but she's to wear it all the time including eating and sleeping). After a few weeks she got bottom tracks on so she has the top appliance plus tracks at the moment. She has only been wearing them for about 6 weeks so far.

I had railtracks top and bottom that I got in my teens and met dh at Uni while I still had them. No problems with kissing!