Sons overbite age 12

[paul2louise]

My son's dentist has just changed. Previous dentist mentioned that he might need treatment for overbite but he still had a lot of baby teeth to come out so he would keep eye on it. Went to see new dentist last week. Totally different attitude. You need to get the overbite sorted as soon as possible. If one particular baby tooth hasn't come out by 3 months I will take it out. I am referring him NOW to ortho but it's 2 year wait. I am also referring him to hospital and that might be sooner.
Woah. Quite alarming and son was bit panicked. I assume she is more on the case than previous dentist but felt like I had been neglecting him. I know he can be a bit lazy with attitude to good brushing and I do try and guide him to do all the difficult areas. She was quite brutal with him and maybe he needed it and me too.
He hasn't been troubled with his teeth before and I just wondered is the dental treatment like this for long term health of teeth or is it more for facial appearance.
As he is NHS patient and she is telling me he Needs treatment, is this also on NHS or will I get a big bill coming in the future. I have read other threads and been really useful but most seem to know a bit more of what's going on that I do. I wish I had asked more questions at the time but I was I bit shocked and just agreed with what she was saying.

Thanks

My DC had an overbite and dentist was a little like your first one, saying would refer at some point in the future.

Checkup after checkup went by with no further mention. Eventually I reminded him and DC (age 13) was seen by an NHS orthodontist who to our complete surprise said it was almost the end of the optimum treatment window for what was needed! Apparently if a block brace is needed to realign the jaw, it's best done early. Later correction might require surgery instead,

DC's brace treatment was completed a year ago and has just been signed off now, (aged 18!), five years after the first orthodontist appointment. Covid slowed that a little but it's still a long haul if having block brace then fixed brace. We had nothing to pay.

I'm going through the same process with DD just now. She was first referred to the orthodontist aged 11 and is soon to have her braces fitted, age 13. I'm not sure what the hospital referral is for, as everything for us has been handled either by the orthodontist (private orthodontic practice which also takes NHS referrals) or our regular dentist. The orthodontist had to send away all her X Rays and photos of her teeth to get approval for NHS funding but I've been told that now she's approved it will all be covered with nothing to pay, except if she repeatedly breaks the braces by not heeding the advice about how to take care of them and foods to avoid.

Just go with it. Attend the referrals and find out more. It sounds like you’d be eligible for NHS treatment.

In my experience, orthodontics is about so much more than “just” cosmetic appearance - although I wouldn’t downplay how important that is - because having crooked teeth can impact tooth health in the future. I visited a hygienist recently who mentioned that having straight teeth in a big help when it comes to being able to keep up with hygiene at home (I had a ton of orthodontic work and mentioned this).

If I had a child with an overbite I would grab the opportunity for treatment with both hands.

The dentist wouldn't recommend treatment if it wasn't necessary. NHS don't do 'cosmetic'. When our DC were sent for braces, I actually overheard another orthodontist speaking to a teenage boy and his parent and saying that he would not treat the boy because his dental hygiene was too poor.

Perhaps the new dentist's approach is the wake up call you and your son need.

What exactly do you mean by an overbite ?

An overbite, or overjet, (where the top teeth go over the bottom teeth, when biting on the back teeth) should be about 2mm.
My DD had an over bite of 9mm and was approved for NHS treatment. Twin blocks should be placed while the jaw is still growing so the earlier the treatment starts the better. Usually between 12 and 14.
But oral health is taken into account as good brushing becomes much harder with braces so if it's not being managed well before it's unlikely to be managed during treatment and can cause more problems.
I would go to any appointments you are offered and ask lots of questions, even if it's follow up questions after you've had time to process all the information.

I ask because many people say overbite when actually it's overjet they're describing

What is difference between overbite and overjet. All I know is the dentist said he had overbite and I have noticed his top teeth stick out a bit.