Braces - what do I need to know?

[mumofjust1]

So, took 13 yo dd to the orthodontist today after a referral from our dentist.

She has a 7ml over jet and needs fixed braces top and bottom. She isn't too fussed really, but was worried that the dentist said she may need a couple of extractions in a couple of years time.

So we have been given a date (30th October) for a 2 hour appointment to have moulds, and xrays done and have the braces fitted same day.

Just wondering what I need to know about the procedure, your/dc's experiences of it and has it been worth it?
Thanks :)

[CloudRazor]

It's 100% worth it, but it is something she will have to persist with. First night will be painful - have painkillers and soft food at the ready definitely. Make sure she cleans her teeth properly to avoid being left with marks. If a bracket pops off don't worry they'll fix it for you easily. Other than that I think she'll be fine and at the end have a gorgeous smile!

[DontEatTheVolesKids]

Hurts for 3 days after first fitted & for 1-2 days after each tightening.
Look into whether she'll need a mouth guard, & if she will use it!! DS refuses so kind of pointless.
Get mouth wax.
Good orthodontist will tell you what you need to know.

[mumofjust1]

Thanks both of you

The orthodontist we saw today was in an almighty rush - got dd to bite her top and bottom teeth together, put a little metal ruler onto the front or the bottom teeth, measured how far the top teeth were over and said yes, you qualify for nhs treatment, come back on such and such and we wi do everything in one appointment. Gave dd a sheet of rules and we were ushered out

[DontEatTheVolesKids]

you'll get more instrux when actual devices fitted.

[DontEatTheVolesKids]

ps: you are lucky to get NHS orthodontry!

[dexter73]

My dd (15) has just had her braces off after nearly 2 years. The difference is amazing. She had lots wrong with her teeth. She had 4 teeth removed, 2 at a time, 3 days apart and it didn't seem to cause her much pain. Then a couple of weeks later she had the brace fitted. It was uncomfortable at first but she took paracetamol. Her teeth started to move very quickly.
Her appointments were about 6 weeks/2 months apart and lasted about 5 minutes. Towards the end she had to wear little rubber bands that were attached from her top back teeth to her lower back teeth.
It has gone really quickly and she has just got her retainers that she has to wear at night until she is 20! Then she will only need to wear them very occasionally to keep her teeth in place.

[mumzy]

Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the biggest challenge for teens with braces. Get her some interdental sticks (dentist will tell you what size) and a good mouthwash. Its recommended the brush their teeth after every meal.

[CherryCheesecake]

i had braces for 2 years and still have the fixed retainer on the back of my top teeth with has so far been on for 5 years. only needed one tooth moving but hey ho. I found that getting the braces fit wasnt painful but the aching after tightening is worthy or paracetamol at least.

I definitely second the good oral hygiene other wise you can end up with little white squares on your teeth. also be careful on what colour bands get picked for the brace as they can stain from foods like curry.

has the ortho done moulds and xrays yet?

[exoticfruits]

Absolutely worth it! They didn't find it too difficult because it is so common. The oral hygiene is the vital thing - it has to be good.

[MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay]

Definitely worth it!

She will have to avoid ALL fizzy drinks tho (nearly killed my DD to give up coke, but now she can't bear the taste of any fizz!) and stuff that sticks in the braces.
DD1 had train track braces for her top teeth and the difference was amazing, and very quick. She is 20 now and though her braces came off at 16 she still wears her retainer as her front teeth were sort of inverted and would move back if she didn't wear it. Her teeth are lovely now and she says, tell your DD it is worth it!

[VKulla9277]

I'm a teenager, I've had my braces off quite recently - it really is worth it! I had mine on for 18 months, which wasn't bad, but I did get frustrated every time I went to the orthodontist and they told me I'd have to wait another 6 months to even begin to see if I could have them off!
When I got them on, it was painful, but more annoying because it's a horrible type of toothy pain (crap description, I know!) Buy lots of soup because for about 5 days, I couldn't even bite down properly.

As other posters have said, brushing your teeth well is a must. I had those little brushes that looked like tiny christmas trees which helped getting between the brackets.
I would also advice her to take one of the little brushes to school with her to put in her pocket/bag, because I found there is nothing worse than being paranoid all day because you can't get a chunk of your lunch out of your braces - seriously, it's not good!
I was told to avoid all fizzy drinks, which was a huge problem for me as I'm pretty addicted to Dr Pepper! I avoided for a bit however I soon got back into the routine of drinking a big bottle a day . My teeth haven't stained at all, but for peace of mind, I wouldn't advise it, because I was so worried that I'd have stained teeth when I got them taken off.

If you get little elastic bands towards the end, be warned! My mum got so annoyed because she kept finding them everywhere! I had a habit of taking them out and just leaving them by the sink, on the table etc. Disgusting, but that's us teens for you!
I have a retainer now, which isn't bad at all, the first few nights it felt horrible and restrictive, but it's a lot better now, I don't even notice it's there

Hope that helps - and good luck to your DD!

[singaporeswing]

Definitely so worth it - have to say, I wish I'd worn my retainer longer than the couple of months that I did, I'm now 23 and my bottom teeth have shifted a little and are overlapping (probably due to wisdom teeth coming through).

She'll have a horrible, aching pain in her teeth and jaw for the first couple of weeks - paracetamol and Bonjela will become her best friends!

[exasperatedemma]

try to avoid her having teeth removed - this is common practice with NHS orthodontics as it saves them money but has implications for your DD as it can affect the alignment of the teeth, jaw etc and she may get cranial problems when she's older.

My DD is nearly 14 and has had her braces on for 2 long years - it has taken longer than usual as her teeth appear to be slow growing! should hopefully be off in the next couple of months and she's on the elastic band stage at the mo.

Make sure you give her painkillers straight after the regular 6 weekly tightening appointments - in my experience my DD would say she was fine initially, then a few hours later in a lot of pain so its best to get the pain relief in early!

Also, always have something soft like pasta for dinner on those nights!

I used to spend a lot of time and energy encouraging her to clean them well with the Teepee brushes etc, and after about 6 months I have to say I gave up for my sanity - she is just rubbish at regular cleaning despite the warnings that she may have little stained squares on her teeth when they come off. I even printed off photos from Google which showed the after effects of poor cleaning with braces - these are horrific, but still not enough to get her to clean properly!!!

Good luck, it will be worth it in the end - my DD had a massive arch in her top row of teeth and had pushed the palate up from her very vigorous childhood thumb sucking, but already they are looking so much better - the before photos that were taken are quite shocking!!

[jalopy]

Meticulous cleaning of teeth.

Imo, if she has to wear a retainer after her braces are removed, make sure she wears it otherwise the entire treatment is a waste of time.