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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think toddler needs orthodontist?

35 replies

furious27 · 10/05/2010 14:01

I have a really narrow upper palete - I never had any othodontic work done as a child and hate my teeth/smile as a result.

Anyway I have noticed my 2 year old has the same. I mentioned it to the dentist who agreed there was an issue but said he would not be refered to dorthodontist till he was 12ish.

But I think surely it is better to see a specialist soon - i.e while he is growing. Dont mind paying for private consultation.
Just wondering if it sounds unreasonable or if my reasoning makes sense?

OP posts:

rubyrubyruby · 10/05/2010 14:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

louii · 10/05/2010 14:03

But no work can be done till adult teeth are in.

weblette · 10/05/2010 14:09

My dd had some orthodontic work done when she was 8 to correct an overbite at the side of her top jaw - doing it then meant the dentist didn't need to take any teeth out and her incoming adult teeth now have plenty of space. I know several other children who've had similar.

So you can get work done, it really depends on what your ds needs. It might be worth asking friends for recommendations.

GypsyMoth · 10/05/2010 14:15

never seen young children at our orthodontists...i have 3 dc in the system.

ds is 11 and they are waiting for his jaw to stop growing before doing required work..

age 12 seems to be standard age.....but if you insist,i'm guessing it will be private and cost £££

Original poster

furious27 · 10/05/2010 18:55

interesting u say about waiting for jaw to stop dropping to start work - I would have thought best to do work b4- shows what I know!

OP posts:

NoobyNoo · 10/05/2010 19:14

Speaking as someone who had fixed braces throught their teens, (Not a great result - but hey it could be worse) I really wouldn't recommend inflicting that level of discomfort on a young child. Having braces fitted or tightened is pretty uncomfortable/painful.

I guess you could potentially even set your DS up for a future dentist phobia? Even now I still get a cold sweat and wobbles when I go to the dentist.

No harm in going to a specialist and getting recommendations and second opinions tho!

My DS chipped his tooth last year (the front one.. sob! his beautiful smile!! ) and there is just no way, even now he is 3 that he will sit in a dentist chair and open his mouth to let them fix it. They don't sedate children so they can't knock him out to do it either. At least its his baby teeth...

GypsyMoth · 10/05/2010 19:20

It's expensive work. And nhs have cut right back on un necessary work. The waiting lists are long too. So only fair the children who are ready for the treatment get seen first.

Little ones won't sit or tolerate the work. You're right. Traumatic enough for my 13 year old

HelenRosie · 10/05/2010 19:24

If you are prepared to pay private then go when your child is 8/9. It's much better to expand the jaw to fit all the teeth in than to wait until 12/13 and have to take teeth out to fit a narrow jaw.

Katymac · 10/05/2010 19:29

Well DD had terribly forward eye teeth right in front of 2 other teeth

The dentist keeps saying 'her jaw will grow & the teeth move back'

I kept saying crap - but you know what he is right - they are moving back - I was asking him to take teeth out to make room & there is going to be plenty of room

PixieOnaLeaf · 10/05/2010 19:31

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jollyma · 10/05/2010 19:41

Ds1 is 7 and has a narrow upper jaw and cross bite as a result. He still has quite a lot of saliva too as the lack of space for his tongue makes it difficult to manage it. Our dentist has advised that he has a brace once his front four teeth at the top are through. She says she has fitted one on a 4 year old before but prefers to wait until about 8.

I will be getting a second opinion before we go ahead but think she is probably right.

Original poster

furious27 · 10/05/2010 19:49

Jollyma sounds like similar thing to my toddler

PixeOneLeaf - No of course I dont want my toddler to wear a brace - but I want best for him long term.

OP posts:

PixieOnaLeaf · 10/05/2010 20:06

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TattyCatty · 10/05/2010 20:16

I also had a very narrow palate, and had private dental treatment at 13 (so not that young) to widen it and to straighten my extremely prominant front teeth. The theory behind having the private work was that it would avoid the need to extract any teeth. Yes, it widened the palate but it did bugger all to straighten my teeth (despite removable braces that I wore consistently for 18 months). I ended up with fixed braces aged 16, which pretty much did the job, although I now wish that I'd worn the retainer for longer. I was definitely a case of "too soon" for the work as my mouth had not stopped growing, and went through the trauma of wearing braces twice in my teenage years. (NB - am old duffer and appreciate that more kids wear braces these days, so possibly less traumatic in the "cool" stakes these days )

My dentist has already said that DD (4.2) has a similar palate shape, but I would not even consider embarking on treatment for her for years and years yet.

Quattrocento · 10/05/2010 20:17

Nope - don't agree

DD has braces now but orthodontists x2 said it was not possible to do anything about it sooner ...

marriednotdead · 10/05/2010 20:31

As you are probably realising, going private is the only way you will get work started sooner. My dentist warned me that my son would need extensive orthodontist work following xrays at 8, and that it would have to carried out at the hospital (Guys). Son is now 13 and still waiting for 4 baby teeth to fall out before they will start work- hospital has deferred him 2 years in a row. I don't think he would have been ready for what it involves any younger than 10 tbh.

jollyma · 10/05/2010 20:48

Our dentists rationale for waiting until the top 4 adult teeth at the front have come through is that it cuts down on the number of impressions she will have to take as kids often find this bit distressing. We did discuss starting a few months ago as his excess saliva was interfering with his reading aloud but i'm very reluctant to start yet. Also wanted to get opinions from speech therapist and ent consultant about adenoids but they both think his problem is orthodontic.

The examples the dentist showed me are funky but its gonna get expensive!

CarGirl · 10/05/2010 20:50

Look into orthotropics much more aimed at starting at a younger age and solving the route of the problem.

PixieOnaLeaf · 10/05/2010 20:51

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TattyCatty · 10/05/2010 20:58

Pixie - that's a modern version of the type of brace that I had. Turned a key every 3 days to widen the gap. Went from nothing to around 1cm in about 6 months. It's horrendous!

CarGirl · 10/05/2010 20:59

dd who is 13 has just had that expansion done, started at the age of just 12 and tbh we were only just in time to do it as they don't like using their adult teeth. 2 orthodontists told us to leave it until she was 15 and then they would see what to do the last one very fortunately agreed that if she was his that we should go for expansion (had to pay privately for that part) because if it didn't work she would be stuck with an underbite that would require major jaw surgery to sort out!

AFter expansion for the first time in her life she can breathe through her nose and her face looks so different, I just wish I had fought harder a few years ago and got it done sooner for her. I will be much more pushy with my younger dds, 1 seems to be developing the same problem.

jollyma · 10/05/2010 21:09

The type pixie linked to is the type i've been shown.

Cargirl, ds1 also has problems with not breathing properly through his nose. How did your dd find the whole experience. Was it very painful? How long did she need the brace?

MadamDeathstare · 10/05/2010 21:19

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CarGirl · 10/05/2010 21:21

She had the expansion brace for about 4 months and I think at times it did hurt but painkillers did their job. I also took her to a cranial osteopath and I think it made a huge difference. The orthodontist was very impressed at how quickly & evenly the expansion was working and at the end of that part dd told him she'd been to a CO a couple of times and he said "that'll be why then" so clearly most orthodontist recognise the link between CO treatment helping with expansion work.

She then had a fixed brace but on which I think she's had for about 10 months and I think the plan is for a retainer brace soon.

She is very pleased with the result and has noticed a huge improvement with the amount of tonsillitis and sore throats and colds that she no longer gets - previous winter they were considering her for tonsil removal as she was constantly ill with them. It is also delightful that she no longer snores and doesn't have smelly breath anymore which I think the frequent sore throats and blocked nose caused.

It's also helped her with her PE and sports being able to breathe through her nose.

ENT point blank refused to do anything about her being able to breath through her nose, told me that she would grow into them by the age of 10.

Def worth it, got a quote to have the whole lot done privately by a top guy and it was £6k but we ended up paying £500 for the expansion and this orthodontist somehow got the rest done on the NHS.

jollyma · 10/05/2010 21:30

Thanks. I'm hoping that he won't need too much extra done to his teeth but it won't really be possible to know until his adult teeth are through.

Furious, I would get an opinion this year and keep monitoring the situation. Hopefully his problem won't need early treatment but if its being monitored you can be reassured.

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