My dd is crying about her sticking out teeth - Is there any flexibility on when child can wear braces?

[nettlefairy]

My dd (nearly 11) is getting increasingly self conscious about her front teeth as for the past two or three years they have begun to stick out and are now really prominent. We've been to the orthodontist who says that as she still has lots of baby teeth it will be about a year before a brace can be fitted. My dd is in tears most days about her teeth and keeps asking her friends to "be honest" about how she looks - they have been and it hasn't helped (!) and whilst I've tried to explain that it will be worth the wait I'm really suffering to see her so sad and wondered if there are any cases where braces have been fitted sooner than initially planned for due to the extremity of the case?? Thanks.

I had mine at 10, however I had most of my adult teeth. there is absolutely no point in getting one, going through all the pain if the new teeth just push them out of place.

I would work on her self esteem more and try and get her to accept herself as she is, get to the bottom of if there is any bullying going on etc.

There really would be no point with baby teeth still in there. When they fall out and new ones come in it could undo all the good work braces have done. Dd is in the same boat waiting out that year. They have said if the ones they are waiting on don't come out in a year they will pull them but not before.
It's hard to watch and as a parent you want to fix it but in this case you can't. You need to keep reassuring her for now and wait it out I'm afraid.

thanks everyone! I sort of expected these answers and think I was just feeling frustrated that I couldn't find a way to make her upset go away and wanted to know I really had done my homework before telling her that there is nothing to do but wait! I will continue to work on her self-esteem which is already a bit shaky due to dyslexia which definitely needs long term patience on her part so was hoping this one would be something more easily remedied!!!

my dentist said they will start thinking about it as early as 6. DD was referred for hers at 8, having only lost 8 baby teeth. Different dentists, different options I guess. I was told that if I had taken DD once she was 12 or 13, they would not be able to correct her overbite.

My dd had braces at 10 as she had an underbite. She had fixed braces for a little over a year and then a plate for the last few months.

We are in the same position, Dd (13) still has some of her baby teeth and the Orthadontist will not do anything until they have gone. I feel sorry for my Dd, all her friends have been wearing their braces for the last twelve months. I'm thinking of getting them taken out, so that we can get it moving a bit.

DS has both an underbite and cross bite which caused him to slurr his speech. He started orthodontic treatment at 8.

Could some of her baby teeth be removed. My DD is 11 and is having two baby teeth out next week to help her new teeth grow straighter, My mum had very sticky out teeth as a child and still talks about it knocked her confidence and self esteem 60 years later.

Make her an appointment for the dentist for an orthadontict referal like other posters children my dd started treatment at 10.

She really is suffering, currently crying at least 3 times a week about it and she isn't the slightest bit vain in any other areas. Having spoken to two orthodontists and being told by both that she needs to wait until all her teeth have come out is really making me feel frustrated that I can't do anything sooner for her.

I had very sticky out teeth as a child, but I improved them a great deal, by simply pushing gently on my top teeth with my thumb, while I was reading (I used to read a lot!)

Also, encourage her to keep her mouth shut, at other times, as the slight pressure of her lips will be constantly pushing them back into place.

I do sympathise with her. I finally had braces when I was about 12, and still get complimented on my nice teeth, even in my 40s.

Hi
I work in an orthodontic practice in north east of England. Up here we would take into consideration how the child was feeling as well and it's quite common at the practice I work at to use a form of removable appliance that only clips in around the first back permanent molars (at age 11 she should have these teeth by now) and the appliance would slightly bring back her top front teeth to at least tuck them in a little. Not interfering with the baby teeth. In the mean time her baby teeth would fall out and a more permanent brace can be fit later once all permanent teeth have erupted. It means wearing a brace/being in treatment for slightly longer but it gives the child a bit more confidence in the mean time. Could you not be seen as a private patient and at least get a consultation on this? I realise practices/orthodontists can work differently though.

Thanks so much SanityClause and Conline xx