to be livid with my 11 year old?

[TinfoilHattie]

She has been seeing an orthodontist for a few months and was fitted with braces in March. Not the train track ones, the plates which clip over the teeth and can be removed for eating and tooth brushing. She quickly developed a habit of clicking the braces in and out with her tongue and surprise surprise, the upper brace broke after 3 weeks. So we go through the whole palaver of more appointments, more impressions, more time for me taking her back and forward for appointments. Second set fitted two weeks ago.

And she's broken the second fucking brace in exactly the same fucking way. We got away without paying for the first replacement, don't think we'll be as lucky a second time. I am LIVID. She is sulking in her room and feeling sorry for herself.

I did the same. But I didn't break mine. It's a really difficult habit to break.

Op, did you ever have to wear removable braces as a child? I also did what your daughter did, broke mine more than once before just getting the train tracks put on. It's a bloody horrible thing to wear, you never 'get used to it', it's not a normal thing to have in your mouth. Give her a break.

I used to flip mine 360 degrees in my mouth. Am I the only person who always wanted braces as a kid. I loved them!

I feel your pain. My DD has these braces. As I understand it, it is to close the gap between her lower and upper teeth (her lower teeth sit further back when her mouth is closed), and she will then get a traintrack to straighten the teeth. She has exactly the same habitof clicking the braces. it is quite annoying and I am worried it will stop them working as quickly. She has at least not broken them yet though! (she is about 4 months in). They do get left everywhere and she has had to pop back to a couple of cafes but astoundingly also not managed to lose them!

I think the brace must be sub-standard to be honest. They shouldn't break, from clicking. Everyone clicks them

As someone whose children have come out the other side - we had the plates then train tracks x2 - I can understand your fury but please persevere. We just happened to see a before photo today of ds1 whole process has completely transformed his face. Worth every last appointment and your dd will thank you eventually, when she finally appreciates how valuable the whole palaver is.

Google scoliosis and teeth braces
And, posture and teeth braces

(2 separate issues)

I totally get why you are frustrated about the hassle and expense but this must be stressful for her too. It might be something she didn't even realise she was doing at the time. I have damaged teeth from grinding them as a teenager and I never would have done that if I'd been aware of it, it was an unconscious habit. I'm afraid I don't agree with the people saying to punish her by stopping her braces. Dental issues are much easier to fix as a child than an adult, can get worse as the person gets older and can really damage self esteem, even to the extent of affecting job interviews and dates. It does seem unfair for a childhood mistake to have that ongoing impact on her life. Perhaps her dentist can give you some advice on helping her break the habit, it can't be the only time they've seen this.

It's true. If you move your jaw to meet your front teeth you can feel ever so slight movement in your spine

I didn't break mine, but that was simply good luck. It's very hard not to fiddle with 'alien' things in your mouth. She's not doing it on purpose to piss you off. See what your options are.

...and, think about the 11yo old that died at a theme park today, on a school trip. It certainly puts things into perspective - like blue paint on the cream carpet. Normally I'd go nuclear, but today, meh. She's here and nothing else really matters.

When am I LIVID about relatively small things I try to work out what I am really feeling angry about.

I have scoliosis (kyphosis). When I was younger, I had the plate brace for a while. I also had fixed brace, with the awful head brace to wear also

A chiropractor suggested the connection to me about 6 years ago. It's widely accepted in the chiropractic world I believe. But not in the orthodontic world!

I would swap back my goofy teeth for my twisted spine, in a heartbeat

I really feel for her - braces are not fun are they, and so intrusive in the mouth,
I would be coming from kindly angel of why they are there and show her pics of people with protruding teeth so she is self motivated to try and stop.

anna I have obediently googled and discovered the link between scoliosis and NOT correcting overbites and crossbites..

Annah I had never come across that and I was to find research data and the link in between the two!!

Hi

Curious as to how braces can impact upon a growing child's spine?

Never heard of this

Oops X posted

YANBU, that is frustrating. But she is 11. Have you explained that if she keeps breaking them her teeth won't be improved?

It's not a link! It's one or two people's crackpot theory based on scoliosis getting worse in puberty when braces may be fitted (both to spine and teeth!)

There is a link between malocclusions and scoliosis - quite well documented. This malocclusion being fixed can help hinder the progression of the curvature.

Because some teens curvature has worsened (because of puberty) at the same time as their teeth have braces fitted a connection has been drawn.

there isn't any worthy medical evidence. Anna : stop scaremongering.

Presumably you had the kyphosis before the tooth braces Anna ?

I think livid is a massive overreaction.

I used to click mine. Usually in the first few weeks when they were uncomfortable and felt "new".

Poor kid

My teeth were a bit of a'mare when I was a child (overcrowded and they had to correct my bite). Some of the many braces I had did make it really painful to bite using certain teeth for quite a while.

I've not seen them since, but my braces were made of clear plastic (covering either the molars or front four), cemented onto the teeth for about 2-4 weeks at a time, with either wires behind the teeth or clear bands pushing or pulling the other teeth around. My dentist seemed to take the view that kids were better off with a brace that they couldn't damage.

It might be worth asking what all the current options are.

Infuriated I can understand, but LIVID is a bit much. She hasn't done it deliberately to spite you. You can try and help her not to (eg. the phone thing, not a punishment but an incentive) or look into alternatives.

No, I didn't have kyphosis before the braces beans, but like you said it may not be a causal relationship

I'm not scare-mongering, there is conflicting research. As there is with most things