Dd wants her braces taken off. What to do? Angst.

[Pooka]

Yesterday dd had an advancsync device fitted to her lower teeth to pull the bottom jaw forward, in conjunction with top and bottom braces. It's permanent. Not remove able.

She hates it. It's sore, she can hardly talk, doesn't sound or look like her. She's got a party to go to tonight, out with friends tomorrow, on school trip abroad in 2.5 weeks.

I hate how upset she is. I'm worried about the timing - lots of things where she wants to have fun and see friends and she was crying this morning that she doesn't want her friends to see her like this. I feel stupid because I had no idea that they would have such a drastic impact.

Can anyone reassure me that things will improve? Really sorry for her. :(

Please don't listen to meowli.

Don't be so controlling, MrsMorton.

Pooka posted with a dilemma, and was canvassing ideas/opinions. I'm not even advising any particular course of action. I have no axe to grind, I can just sympathise with how the op and her daughter must be feeling, given that the orthodontic work on her jaw doesn''t appear to have been an issue. It's actually the shape of her face that is being changed by the advancsync. I don't think it will affect the beauty, health and ease of cleaning of her teeth. Op's dd has already been wearing the braces for her teeth for 6 months.

Please don't listen to MrsMorton, op. You and dd make up your own minds.

If only I was a dentist and knew what I was talking about... Oh, wait...

If only I was as entitled as Mrsmorton to post on the thread ......Oh, wait...

I also think you are wrong, Meowli. Sometimes the parent has to make the final decision and be that Mean Parent for the benefit of the child.

Children often live in the moment, they don't consider the future.

"is there an option to remove the actual braces for the summer, then re-introduce them?"

omg, is that a suggestion that the girl go thru all this pain a second time?! The first 3 days can be rough, it gets hugely better. And more importantly, it doesn't get as bad again unless they are completely removed for a spell. Don't suggest a 2nd time around.

Mrsmorton - obviously I wouldn't be asking you for specific information since dd isn't your patient, but gist is that she had an overbite and has got quite a small chin. Not bad enough for NHS - think overbite about 1-2mm lower than threshold. That's partly because she actually had her first brace at 10, for a year. Came off when she started secondary while we waited for some adult teeth to come through. The current top and bottom braces are dealing with alignment of her adult teeth. She had sleep apnoea as a younger child until she had her tonsils out at 8, and orthodontist said her mouth breathing may have contributed to the shape of her bite? Does that make sense?

Generally speaking, is the lower jaw thing-y beneficial in oral hygiene and health terms as well as cosmetic?

She's gone to the party. Bit subdued, but wanted to go and I thought would be good for her to tick off the seeing friends bit before school on Monday. She looks really different from the nose down - fascinating/disconcerting how much of a difference just an adjustment to the jaw seems to make, and I'm hoping (I think this is the case) that the adjustment will be less immediately noticeable as time goes on because I do feel a bit sad.

As I said, she's had the upper and lower Damon braces for the last 6 months, having previously had a brace at 10 - with no significant problems either time, no noticeable difference apart from to her teeth. So it's been a bit of a shock how upset she has been and what a big change this has made.

I do like her orthodontist. I think I trust him. but I feel sorry for dd and for a moment this morning I was pondering how wuickly we could have them removed. We will try and persevere, and see how things go. If it's still horrid for her after the 7 days referred to, will maybe book an appointment for a chat, with a view to being reassured about the benefits.

Is an NHS orthodontist? I thought the threshold for treatment from them was quite high. Ie, must be pretty concerning or they wouldn't treat.

The overbite is technically called an overjet (overbite refers to a different orthodontist related thing so it's helpful if uou need to google etc). Any overjet is related to higher chance of trauma to the top teeth as they're more prominent and the lips don't cushion them in the same way as teeth with a typical overjet.

The other thing is, if you leave it often the lower teeth will overgrow (over erupt) because they want to bite the top teeth so they keep shifting to find something. This is a combination of tooth movement and bone growth so is complex to fix once the ship has sailed so to speak.

Stick with it for a week, it will honestly feel so very different then.

I have to agree - it is really difficult to get this treatment on the NHS, honestly she must really need it.

How she looks now as a 12 year old may be great, how she will end up looking as an adult may be far less so and with all the ongoing issues of not having a suitable bite.

Thanks for info. I've just found something reassuring on a trade mag online - talks about over correction then allowing the jaw to drop back into place without an over jet returning. So what we see now won't be how dd will look when all done. Hopefully.

No lljkk - not NHS. Got referral when dd was about 9 but she didn't qualify, just, but at that time had really quite wonky teeth and was clearly going to have some overcrowding. Unsurprising really given the number of teeth I had removed when I had NHS braces 30 years ago. My chin/jaw more prominent than dd's. Dh has quite a small chin. I think it was about 6 teeth I had removed in the end. I have 25 in total, includes 2 wisdoms that came through later (had 2 removed). Aim here was really to avoid dd having to have tooth removal by doing early work. Dh had twin tracks, I had top only and no head brace thank god.

X posted - true randommess.

I also think you are wrong, Meowli.

How can I be wrong, when I haven't even expressed an opinion??? I have no opinion about it.

All I did was ask questions, because I am not familiar with the procedures involved in having braces. If the op and her daughter decide they wish to go ahead with the treatment, that's the right decision for them. If the op and her daughter decide not to go ahead with the treatment, that's the right decision for them. I have no agenda. Unlikely on MN, I know!

omg, is that a suggestion that the girl go thru all this pain a second time?!

'Omg', I wasn't making a suggestion, I was asking one of several questions - you know, when you want to find out more about something?The clue lies in my prolific use of question marks.

Dd didn't have the piston device, but had fairly intensive brace issues with molar brackets and springs, and a lot of movement - including the changing of her profile.

It all went on a year ago - May 2015. And after the first week its been fairly stress free. DD found the first few days hardest - its a big change. And their face shape does change - DD didn't have the advance sync so not as drastic I imagine.

However, it all comes over on Monday - a retainer goes on Wednesday, but the rest Monday.

And, in DD's mind as well as mine - it really has been worth it. Her teeth have changed drastically.

I would recommend leaving it a while and let them settle.
If she has secured NHS funding then it won't be just cosmetic reasons.

Is an NHS orthodontist? I thought the threshold for treatment from them was quite high. Ie, must be pretty concerning or they wouldn't treat

I thought that too but think it depends where you live. I was stunned when the dentist referred ds as I considered ds's teeth really good. He had Damon braces for only 8 months and was considered so borderline that the Orthodontist said it was entirely ds's decision as it really was a minor issue. Every other kid has them here which helps. Ds has a real Hollywood smile now

Sorry, bit off topic!

As I said before, I would absolutely not give her a choice and the fact she's gone to the party shows already she's getting used to them.

It's hard seeing our babies in pain but it's good in the long run!

We have recently come out the otherside of wearing braces - just over 3 years. DD has just had the all clear from the orthodontist and just wears a retainer at night. When they discharged her they gave her the cast that they originally took - oh my goodness, her teeth were a real mess. She sits it on her dressing table as a reminder to wear her retainer.

She knows that it was hard work, not only for her but for me too - journeys to the orthodontist which was 45mins away every few months. She now has a stunning smile, her teeth are so straight, no fillings and a lovely white.

Bear with it, it is so worth it in the long run ( I do remember those few weeks at the beginning) Good luck!

Dentist possessing specialist orthodontic training are listed on the General Dental Council website.
www.gdc-uk.org/Pages/SearchRegisters.aspx
It was explained to us that to maintain the teeth in a stable position when braces come off it is important that the teeth interlock and the jaws fit together. This is why functional braces are used to move the jaws and fixed braces are used to move teeth.
There are many different types of brace to move jaws but most work best when worn whilst a young person is growing. ( Pubescent growth spurt is ideal). So now is the probably the best time for your daughters treatment.
If the growth spurt is missed, jaw movement is conducted with surgery supported by braces - which although is a routine surgery, it is a much longer and more difficult treatment.
So if your daughter can persevere for a few months, she may find that the easiest treatment for her teeth and jaws is this one.
I would encourage her to speak with her orthodontist and ask how much her overjet measured at the start and how it is reducing and where he wants to get it to. This may help keep her focussed on the end point. We also know of some young people taking side view/profile selfies to map their face change, as treatment progresses.
Our dn's. face looked a bit strange with her similar brace at first too, but it seems most of this was her jaw posture it wasn't permanent however if this is concerning your daughter I would contact the orthodontist for reassurance.
Good luck with the treatment

Yes we were told that we'd left dd's correction very late, and she had all the appliances put just days after her initial assessment, with a warning that she might need to have them in for a long time. Luckily she has had quite a bit of growth and the correction has gone well. If not she would have to have her jaw broken and reset in a couple of years.

Similar situation to you OP + am also a dentist . So see it from both sides.
DD has had fixed transpalatal arch on for 3 months, now after the extractions, fixed upper + lower train tracks have just been placed . All the same issues you have described, but I had anticipated a difficult few days.
It does make me feel secretly awful+ wish I could do it for her! but it needs doing.
Am taking the no nonsense / practical approach -pain relief regularly, hot salty mouthwashes, ortho wax and soft food. My DD is getting used to the trio of appliances, day 4 now.
Every time there is grumbling I remind her (1) it's not just cosmetic (2) she'll thank me when she's older (3) she is very lucky to qualify for NHS orthodontics.

How's your dd getting in after the weekend?

Dd's braces came off today and we are extremely pleased with the results.

Was just going to post! She's weathered school and lots of questions (well-meaning). She's not managing much food wise. Rice pudding, soft pasta, yoghurt, soup. So plenty in terms of nutrition, but not much cop in terms of her having much choice. It's really sore in one side from the sticky out bit of the piston-y thing, and wax doesn't seem to adhere very well/ I'm not very dexterous. But she was given a few of those dental roll things and I've managed to shove one far enough back to sort of lift the cheek away from the device. Understandably though she's a bit self conscious because makes her look a bit more puffy. Am getting some numbing gel tomorrow.

Anyway - long and short of it is that she wants to keep going. She's hoping will be out sooner than the max 6 months, which will leave her with just train tracks for a while. They're nothing in comparison though!

Thanks everyone for the help and advice, if only to just kindly tough it out. She still looks strange (to me) and the reading I've done has been helpful in reassuring me that this is a big over adjustment with the view to a less extreme one once the things come out. Dh said that the orthodontist is hopeful for removal towards the end of October (4 months) at minimum because he was surprised he was able to get such a big adjustment straight away. Fingers crossed! :)

I'm so glad your dd is so pleased with the results hula baby. Congrats to her. Must be a huge cause for celebration, being brace free. I remember how strange my teeth felt....

Glad to here she is going to keep going. It will be worth it in the end.

As said before - dd didn't have the piston thing but did have to a big Spring thing at one side for a few weeks which was uncomfortable. We never got on with the wax.

Dd's smile and mouth/chin shape changed a lot over the treatment but the final result is less so than when they first started moving it all. She has more of a pout type profile after the treatment than before - not sure I have any before pictures of her profile though.

Oh her smile looks brilliant. Totally worth it.