ok, I am in need of advice please on fixed braces, specifically with regards to an 8yr old boy. And I WILL self bump if you all ignore me[wink]!

[psychomum5]

ok.

DS1 has a fair few dental issues......namely that when I was pregnant with him I had a car accident and the drugs they gave me to save me and him actually affected his baby teeth that were at that point forming in his gums (I was 28wks pregnant if it makes any difference to the post).

anyway......his baby teeth came thru in a bad state, and at 5 after fillings etc he had to have 7 taken out.

fast forward 2yrs, and his adult teeth that have come thru are very crooked, and other adult teeth that haven;t come thru cant as when they removed the baby teeth the gaps closed up, meaning that the guidence was lost for the adult teeth IYGWIM.

he has been for xrays etc at the orthodontic hospital and they say that he, in places, has got three teeth trying to go into a gap that has space onky for one.......so he needs lots of juggling.

soo

a fixed brace is going to be fitted.

on 5th feb (well, first appointment is 5th feb, I am guessing for measurements etc).

so, advice please on what they will do, how long it will take, and how much discomfort I am to expect him to be in. Bear in mind that I have got a fight anyway as he is dead set against it.......he is being over-ruled in this as DH and I know it is for the best, but I need to be honest with him still as if I lie he is not going to trust me to be telling him the truth about why he needs it (if you understand).

TIA

[Idrankthechristmasspirits]

Hi, my 8 yr old dd has her first appointment in the first week of feb for s fixed brace (crowded mouth) so will be watching this with interest.

[missingtheaction]

my ds had braces for years, all cosmetic . Had fixed ones, ones you take in and out, ones you only wear at night. Had absolutely no trouble with them at all, just occasionally needed a couple of neurofen after they had been changed/tightened up.

the train track type now come in a wide variety of colours and designs (the little rubber bands) for added fun

You do need to keep your eye on dental hygiene, although my ds was and is rubbish at that and he still has not one single filling.

[psychomum5]

is this her referral appointment??

DS1 had his very first appointment last june......has taken a while to actually get to this appointment which I am assuming will be measuring etc. it is long winded, just to wanr you

[psychomum5]

missing, how old is your DS?
or, more how old when he first got braces.

[Idrankthechristmasspirits]

Hi, she has had the x-rays etc, this is now the next stage...... whatever that may be!

I'm pleased though that she is having them at a young age, it should all be out of the way by the time she hits teen angst status.

We were quite lucky with timings, there was sujpposed to be a years wait ish but we got a cancellation appointment about 2 weeks after referral.

[GrinnyPig]

Psycho, is it Bournemouth Hospital? Honest, I'm not a scary stalker, just noticed from some of your posts where you live.

If it is they insist that you and your child attend a workshop first. It's just a talk about what will happen when braces are fitted and how they need to be looked after, change of diet etc. They emphasise that the treatment will only go ahead if you both agree to it.

The first appointment is usually just xrays and impressions of the teeth as they are. If he needs to have any teeth removed, you go to your own dentist to have that done.

In Dds case she had four teeth removed and then a removable brace was fitted for a short time before the fixed braces. She does have quite a high pain threshold so has never complained of any pain - although having the teeth out couldn't have been pleasant. She has said (but only because I asked her) that it's a bit sore every time she goes (once a month) to have the braces tightened. Hope that has helped!

[psychomum5]

yes, bournemouth.

we have had a talk about the implications of the braces.......DS1 had to sign something himself to say that he promises to keep his teeth clean etc, is that the workshop you are talking about??

we did xrays last year, and then they said that the actual brace fitting would be in about 6mths, which should have been xmas. they said they wanted it pretty soon as his front two top teeth as 'scissored' (IE one goes in front of his bottom teeth as is normal, the other goes behind).....they didn;t want his big teeth to stay perminantly(sp?) set like that.

I am hoping no more teeth need taking out, he has lost enough already, altho then, they were baby teeth not adult........is it likely then??

[GrinnyPig]

The workshop thing is just a talk by two of the dental nurses. It's held in the waiting room and when we went there were about 10 patients (and parents). They show them some photographs of what will happen if they don't look after their teeth properly - tbh these were enough to make DD very careful with her brushing!

[psychomum5]

ah yes, being shown pics rings a bell.......I know we were both cringing at some of them.

how old is your DD??

and have we 'met' on MN before?? did you know that bournemouth mums are trying to arrane a meet-up in half-term

[GrinnyPig]

DD1 is 15. She was lucky to have the braces done on NHS because she was borderline. Her very first appointment was probably when she was about 11 but she was 14 before she had them fitted.

I am a recent namechanger, have been posting for a couple of years. I have seen the meet up threads before, but I'd probably just feel a bit of a spare part at a meet up

[psychomum5]

oh you shouold come along. I had to go for a first one once upon a time (altho I was with flame). they are fun

maybe just do a coffee instead at castlepoint one day??? I do that as regularly as poss in waterstones, and will do next week in fact (tis my birthday this week but I am carless so am owing myself).

[GrinnyPig]

Thanks for the encouragement. Maybe one day
if I feel a bit braver!

[psychomum5]

I will hound you until you are very brave them.

[GrinnyPig]

Actually, I might name change again soon - nothing personal obviously, but I picked this name 'cos I love Guinea Pigs, but not sure if the name really says that.

[georgiemum]

OK - so I had 'tram lines' when I was younger too.

It is uncomfortable to have them fitted and it is uncomfortable when they are tightened. The little 'hooks' are cemented onto the teeth and a wire fed though. The wire is tightened with a teeny-tiny-baby-allen-key-type thing every couple of weeks or so. The teeth feel a little odd and tight afterwards for a few hours then it feels OK. He may have to wear a headbrace at night that little elastic bands hook onto. He will look like a catfish, but it is worth it!

I believe that technology has come on leaps and bounds. 2 of my nieces had them in the US recently and they were 'clear'. You could hardly see them at all.

I had mine for about 2 years, and it didn't bother me too much. I was about 14/15 and had to have one tooth out at the front (it was misaligned and there wasn't room for it) and my 4 baby molars.

If anyone said anything nasty, I just threatened to bit them.

Good luck! Bribery will work a treat.

[psychomum5]

if you do grinny, please let me know, who nudge me, who you are again

[psychomum5]

thankyou gorgiemum.

I had them too when I was a teen, but my experience wasn;lt good so am not wantning to tell him......but if the proceedure hasn;t changed too much then I do know what to expect on those lines at least.

I am hoping they are more discreet tho. children are funny with things like that.

[hk78]

i will watch this thread with interest, dd1 has got to have braces in about another year due to 'scissoring'
good luck to everyone

[captainpig]

When the braces are fitted, make sure you have some dental wax. If the blocks or wires start rubbing you can put some wax over them for instant relief.

[psychomum5]

oooh, dental wax......thankyou for that tip

hk78, someone else who has a son with the same prob. I had never heard of scissoring before now!

[hellymelly]

Well I have braces-I am the oldest teen in town.They hurt when they are tightened up,but I think they hurt a bit more as an adult (I had them as a teen too,and they all moved back )not for longer than a day or two,and sometimes one tooth or another will be a bit tender as they move about.I don't like having them tightened as its not great having them pulled about but getting them put on was not too bad.I have no idea how they get them off though (worried emoticon imagining pliers)

[psychomum5]

getting them off I remember.....they kind of pull, and they 'ping'......very odd feeling.

and the inside of my lips felt as tho my teeth had fallen out.......weird feeling!

[hellymelly]

maybe mine WILL have fallen out.I am so ancient,maybe they will come out along with the braces...

[meandjoe]

i had a brace but i was much lder (16!), it only hurt when it was first put on, and even then not a bad pain. it would make my teeth ache occassionally after being tightened but again nothing bad. i had to have a lot of teeth taken out as i still had baby teeth and other adult teeth trying to get through, loads of extra teeth etc, they were a real mess. it was well worth it and my teeth are all perfect now and i am much more confident as a result. i was dreading having it taken off as i had visions of all my teeth coming out with it but it was fine and didn't hurt at all.

[meandjoe]

ps took mine about 16 months altogether but then had to wear a retainer at bedtime for about 9 months after.