Orthodontic treatment for my daughter - WWYD?

[ScottyTeapot]

Took my daughter to the dentist yesterday, and have been advised that, due to slight overcrowding of the top teeth (visually, it’s barely noticeable at the moment) and a further degree of overcrowding at the bottom (slightly more of an issue, but still only noticeable if you’re really looking), we’re to go back in 3 months for an assessment and a possible referral to an orthodontist.

My daughter is 10 and still has 12 (I think) teeth to come through. I had 4 teeth removed when I was slightly older than her, and wore an overnight brace for a year or so – something I’m grateful for now, as my teeth are really straight.

However, I will never forget the horrendous experience of having the teeth out, and the ongoing fear of the dentist that plagues me now, and I’m really worried about putting my daughter through that. (For the record, my childhood dentist was a wonderful man – its just the brutality of the experience that has stayed with me!

So what would you do? Put her through it for the benefit of her adult self, or leave well alone if it looks like her smile is going to be slightly less than perfectly straight?

Aargh.

Put her through it! She will thank you later.

Put her through it.She is still growing so your orthodontist may be able to sort them out without extractions.

Definitely go through with it if it's needed. Decent teeth are so important. Of course her jaw may grow and coupled with some strategic teeth removal at the right time, she may not need to have braces. I do think dentists are much gentler than they were, but totally understand where you're coming from as my daughter found the orthodontist terrifying and stopped visiting the dentist as soon as she was 18 because of it. That eventually led to a whole load of problems with cavities and wisdom teeth and the pain forced her back. Luckily she found a lovely gentle dentist and she is all sorted out and goes regularly now.

I only have 24 adult teeth left. I had the rest pulled - and numerous baby teeth as well to make way for the adult teeth to grow before they came out. And this was the days before anaesthetic cream so it was multiple injections directly into my gums. I fainted most times. It was fucking awful. Oh - and my teeth aren't straight even after that.

But the days of removing teeth are over. My 9 year old DS already has a retainer with a screw to widen his jaw so that his teeth will fit. I know loads of kids with extenders and whatnot so make their teeth fit. I've got two other DC with braces - it's totally different now.

I think maybe you’re unusual OP, in the extent to which it affected you? I had 8 teeth taken out and railway track braces, and I have no fear of dentists and love my nice straight teeth. My DS has braces now and so do half the kids in his class!

My childrens orthodontist doesnt remove teeth so it might not be quite the same issue

You can always check with them if and when you get an appointment

But i think it will probably be ok

I say he doesnt remove teeth

Obviously he would do if there was a bloody good reason

My DS 21 had two teeth removed in his teens to have train tracks fitted. His teeth are perfect. As are my DD at 25 who had the same braces, but no teeth removed.

It's so worth it in the long run.

I had 6 out and was out under general for it. It wasn’t an issue, nor was recovery, and I am grateful my parents allowed the recommendation as otherwise my teeth would have been horrendous. In photos of myself at 11/12 I look like a different person it’s changed my whole jaw and face shape.

An up to date orthodontist will be VERY reluctant to remove teeth. There are far better ways if creating space in the mouth for crowded teeth than removing teeth and forcing the remaking teeth into an unnatural position. P’ease, OP, seek a second opinion for your daughter. Get moving quickly as the sooner the orthodontic work starts, the easier it will be to take advantage of natural growth.

Yes get it done. Maybe get someone else to take her, she'll already be picking up on your fears. If you need re-assurance talk to the dentist/orthodontist on your own, in the 20+yrs since you went through this there could well be advances, I mean I know having teeth out is still having teeth out but in terms of painkillers, instruments they use, time it takes & so on. Finally you can empathise so you can line up some treats that you know your DD will like and make sure the medicine cabinet is fully stocked.

Dd2 had a brace fitted at 10 (before all her teeth have come out) as the overcrowding was so bad at the top she was in danger of losing a front tooth. The brace has fixed that part and she is now having a break while other teeth come out (naturally) and will go back for a further brace. The orthodontist has been fantastic and very gentle, discussing it all with my daughter.

My dd1 and ds have had extractions and it was not as brutal as I had worried it would be.

I thought that unless the issues are pretty bad they don't offer on the nhs and can only recommend treatment privately.

DS has had several teeth removed. I think I was more traumatised watching than he was! The fact that he willingly went back for the second lot astounded me!!

I did ask the orthodontist what the alternative to extraction was. He helpfully replied “don’t have braces”, I guess the implication being he’s not removing them for the fun of it, it’s a necessary part of treatment.

Having been for many appointments with them both so far, I can honestly say I’m so impressed- not just with the amazing results which start to be visible within hours sometimes- but with the care and precision that goes into selecting each wire, spring and band they put on. It’s an art form!

My DCs are already so much more confident in their smiles now that they can see the results changing in front of their eyes. DD has just had a twin block fitted which makes it hard for her to talk, but despite the inevitable teasing and annoyance of having to wear it, she’s so excited about having a lovely straight smile when she’s older that she’s happy to put up with it for a few months. I’m so proud of how well they’ve both taken it all in their stride.

DS1 was a braces refuser, his weren’t as bad but I did offer to pay privately if he wanted them. He said he wouldn’t have them even on NHS so I let it go and explained the consequences if he wished he’d had them when he’s older! I would have allowed the other 2 DCs to opt out too if they’d been really against it - but I’m glad they weren’t. I certainly couldn’t have put DS through the multiple extractions against his will, that’s torture.

I had fixed braces but dm didn't ensure I kept to appointments and teeth moved and were worse.
I get fixed ones again next week at 47.
Make the decision for her as is your responsibility imo.

DD had four teeth out last year in preparation for braces - agree with a PP, it was much more traumatic for me watching than her going through it.

She had two out and willingly went back for the next two.

As long as the child is happy to have the work done, then go with it.

I had extensive orthodontic treatment as a child. I do resent my parents for putting me through it. It has left me with life long dental problems. It has also left me with an uneven face that means I hate having my photo taken. It should have been left until I could consent for myself. Do look into orthotropic s. My daughter will need extensive treatment but I will be enjoying her to make her own decisions about her medical treatment and not forcing it on her.

I am fairly shocked at the widespread acceptance of - even encouragement for - extractions of healthy adult teeth in this thread. Extractions should be a last resort. Very few children need teeth removing in order to havecstraight smiles.

Things have really moved on. I felt a little like you do and was worried when dd got braces. They waited for all of her baby teeth to come out, rather than remove them, before the braves went on. She had one tooth removed in the dentist surgery which went very well, and I don't think she will need anymore out. They seem to do it as last resort now.

Go for the referral, it might be a long wait, it is in our area.
Then see what they say, and especially whether it is bad enough for the NHS to pay, probably then another long wait before treatment can start.
They wouldn't do anything for DD2 until all baby teeth gone. She's had things to stretch the jaw rather than teeth removed.
Much better to get it done in early secondary than once GCSE courses have started when all lessons become 'unmissable'.

I am fairly shocked at the widespread acceptance of - even encouragement for - extractions of healthy adult teeth in this thread. Extractions should be a last resort. Very few children need teeth removing in order to have straight smiles.

Unfortunately MariaNovella, when you're relying on NHS care and can't afford private treatment, you don't get many options, you have to accept the advice given. As I said, I was told no extractions, no braces. As my DS was suffering with jaw pain and presumably needed the braces to keep his teeth and mouth healthy in future, I reluctantly took the experienced orthodontist's advice, as I didn't feel that I had any other options. Yes I could have shopped around for alternative orthodontists but with a 1-2 year waiting list, time is not on your side with rapidly growing teenagers and NHS treatments.

Of course I'd rather not have put my DS through that, but as the same dentist didn't recommend any extractions for DD despite her teeth being visibly much worse, I have to believe that this was the right path for him.

OP I would say put her through it. Your ordeal sounds far from what one would expect today and you may have to swallow your own experience to get DD through it.

Having said that, I am also wondering what to do with DD who needs a brace on her top teeth (front two very prominent). I was all set for her to have train tracks but it turns out in her lower jaw she's got a short root tooth so they are now proposing some awful thing which looks unbearable - twin brace with plastic bits inhibiting her jaw and all sorts. I wondered why they didn't just remove the lower tooth and do normal train tracks but perhaps the thinking has changed and they now prefer not to remove teeth and from that point, you end up doing all sorts of other things in order to move teeth without removing them.

But even so, I'm thinking I'd rather her lose a couple of teeth and have standard braces than go through all of the other stuff with this really intrusive brace at such a crucial period in her emotional development (12/13). So I understand where you are coming from.

twin brace with plastic bits inhibiting her jaw and all sorts

I think that is what my14yo DD has just moved out of. The blocks help encourage the jaw forward or something to get better alignment. DD had a top brace for a while, then 2 with the blocks, and now has railway tracks top and bottom.

So many 12/13/14/15 yos have braces it is really 'normal' these days. When they get on to the railway tracks they get to choose the band colours each time.

rightreckoner that's what my DD has just got too. It looks pretty grim, but she's getting on fine with it. It makes talking a little tricky for a few days, but she soon got used to it, and it's easy to take out if she needs to read aloud at school or to eat etc.

She only needs it for a few months and then hopefully her jaw will grow forward enough by then and she can go back to just the train tracks. It isn't a case of using instead of extractions, its about aligning the bottom jaw with the top teeth to correct the overbite.

DD has been surprisingly ok about it, probably helped by me writing her a note excusing her from participation for a few days while she got used to it! She loved that her teacher would ask her to read something and then go "oh wait, no, someone else can do it!"

Do it.

Dentistry has moved on and the way you are treated now is a million miles away from when you were a child.

“Your dentate, or dental structure is the only thing that supports your lower face. As your dental structure moves, so does your lower face. For many, many years orthodontists would remove teeth of a patient to make room for the teeth that need to be straightened or make room for new teeth still coming in. After years of research, dentists learned this procedure created pre-mature aging as the patient began to age. The teeth that were removed decreased the amount of support for the lower face and lip, causing aging lines around the mouth and lips. Today, orthodontists use a method of 'expanding' the palate instead.”