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Original poster

Dentist Woes

28 replies

SoupDragon · 15/05/2003 18:41

Ok, I've just had a Bad Mother Moment at the dentist today. DS1 is a dedicated thumbsucker and I knew this had affected his teeth. It's pulled the top ones forward and pushed the lower ones back. The dentist also muttered something about it affecting the shape of his jaw.

Not only that, but apparently both DS1 and 2 have "large teeth" which is going to cause them problems with crowding later on. They don't look that large to me and not a lot different to other children I've seen. However, both my brothers did need orthodontist treatment and extractions due to over crowding so I assume this will indeed be the case for DSs.

Is it really all doom and gloom and have I sentenced my children to years of braces?? Particularly DS1 with his thumb-sucker overbite.

On the plus side though, they're being cleaned properly.

OP posts:
edgarcat · 15/05/2003 18:43

Message withdrawn

wiltshirelass · 15/05/2003 18:47

I'm not sure how allowing your children to suck their thumbs makes you a bad mother. how are you meant to prevent it? chop them off?! although clearly the large teeth is something you are going to have to take responsibility for and life with for the rest of your life, you wicked woman...

TheOldDragon · 15/05/2003 18:48

Ah, but DS1 is 4, I knew sucking his thumb was affecting his teeth yet (a) I've done nothing about it and (b) this is his first trip to the dentist.

I think he's going to look like Bullseye with the large sticky out teeth the dentist seems to be predicting!

TheOldDragon · 15/05/2003 18:49

Well, anyone who didn't work out who I was sure knows now!

TheOldDragon · 15/05/2003 18:51

The thing about the large teeth that worries me is that I clearly have the same sized teeth as my brothers yet required no extractions to make room AND I have all 4 wisdom teeth too! What does that say about the size of my mouth??

I just feel bad about not stopping the thumb sucking sooner. I knew what it was doing and made half hearted attempts to stop him but he enjoyed it soooo much! I kind of assumed it wsn't a problem til the 2nd teeth came through.

wiltshirelass · 15/05/2003 18:52

I still don't see how you could do anything about it. And presumeably the dentist didn't tell you anything you didn't know.
You may have guessed that my vigorous defence of your parenting methods has something to do with my having a 5 year old who sucks her thumb, has an overbite and has never been to the dentist (but has been looked at by a dentist friend a few times!)

suedonim · 15/05/2003 19:10

Braces aren't the end of the world, truly they're not. Two of mine have had fixed braces and the very first time dd2 saw the dentist at about 18mths she said she'd probably need them as well. I'm even thinking of having treatment myself! Braces have improved so much in design and come in lots of colours and indeed are pretty much a fashion statement nowadays, so fret ye not, Old Soup Dragon.

Original poster
SoupDragon · 15/05/2003 19:16

Chances are he'd have needed braces anyway. I think I only feel bad about it because I've been told off by a professional!

Awww... bless him! I've just told him to stop sucking it (for the umpteenth time today) and he said "sorry mum".

OP posts:
edgarcat · 15/05/2003 19:48

Message withdrawn

janh · 15/05/2003 20:10

I knew you were the old one!!!! (2 dragons was too much of a coincidence.)

As far as the thumb-sucking is concerned don't fret, as others have said, what could you do about it? Chop off the thumb?

The big teeth is a different matter - as you have big teeth too and no problems your boys may well be the the same. My kids also have huge teeth, but small jaws to go with - my jaw is only average and DH's is minute (I made him grow a beard years ago!) - so they have had to have extractions and braces. I am a professional orthodontic parent, Soupdragon!

DS2 has started youngest, at 9 he was given an appliance to stretch his palate (sounds gross but isn't) mostly because his 2nd incisors were growing precisely behind his 1st incisors, so he looked gappy but was actually short of space. The number 2's have now moved forward a bit but are still behind the others and the orthodontist is hanging around to see what happens next. (The other 3 kids all had their baby pre-molars out to make room for their adult canines, and then their adult pre-molars out to allow everything else to shuffle around. All have had tramtracks and hygiene is desperately important!

janh · 15/05/2003 20:13

edgarcat, don't worry too much about the overbite, assuming you have access to a good orthodontist they do wonders with little elastic bands to bring the lower jaw forward. In fact they do wonders altogether. While it would be nice to have children with perfect teeth (and some do, I hate 'em) they can all end up looking pretty good these days.

meanmum · 15/05/2003 20:15

My only word of advice is leave off on getting the teeth extracted until you absolutely have to. I had teeth taken out when I was young (not a teenager at the time) and it put me off dentists in a big way for the rest of my life. It's only just now (34 years of age) that I am venturing back to the dentist.

It's an horrific experience as no matter how much anaesthetic (sp?) they give you, you can still hear the tooth being ripped out. Scars you for life. The needle hurts to as it goes into the gum which is really sensitive.

lou33 · 15/05/2003 20:28

On a dental note, am I the oldest person ever to be getting their first wisdom tooth through (I'm 36), and is this a sign that I am finally an adult?

janh · 15/05/2003 20:29

meanmum, the process is different now - the injection is the worst bit (and that depends on who gives it - I have anew dentist and his injections don't hurt at all) and they have an amazing instrument which kind of pulls against itself so the child doesn't even know the tooth has gone.

meanmum · 15/05/2003 20:32

Thanks Jahn. Showing my age aren't I. I have finally found a dentist who when giving an injection it doesn't hurt either so knowing both of these things I might consider getting my wisdom teeth out now.

Lou33 - not sure if you're the oldest but mine have started to come through but aren't fully through yet and I need to have them pulled. So, I might not be an adult yet either.

jasper · 15/05/2003 20:38

Was not going to join this thread till I read meanmum's remarks. Meanmum I am sorry you had a horrid experience, but I can assure you that is NOT normal nowadays.(but was sadly commonplace in our day)
I absulutely cannot agree it is usually a horrific experience which scars you for life.
Before you all add your gory anecdotes please be assured they are the exception rather than the rule these days.
Yesterday I had two children ( 11 and 12) who both had to have four adult premolars extracted for ortho reasons. The each had two taken out last week and came back this week for the other two. Last week they were a little apprehensive but okay really.In both cases the mums said they were really looking forward to having the next lot taken out as they had liked the experience first time around.
In my experience this is becoming the norm amongst children in the age group when ortho extractions are needed.

The needle should NOT hurt as topical anaesthetic is first used, followed by a very fine bore needle.

Soupdraggon, believe me, lots of kids nowadays WANT braces. I have a hard time convincing kids with great teeth they don't need them.

Girly · 15/05/2003 20:49

Jasper, could i pick your brians please?

meanmum · 15/05/2003 20:52

Jasper - good to hear your views as I fear ds may need teeth extracted when he gets older. Also gives me comfort to know I should go and get my wisdom teeth seen to.

Soupy - ignore my remarks they aren't valid in today's world.

aloha · 15/05/2003 20:56

bad mother? Hmm, my ds (20 months) reminds ME that he should be brushing his teeth, because I never remember. And I never sucked my thumb and had the worst sticky out teeth my dentist had ever seen. Yup, I was that gawky, goofy girl in the playground. All sorted out with braces, though. I now get compliments on my teeth.

lou33 · 15/05/2003 21:55

Why do they need to be pulled meanmum? Jasper will my wisodom tooth automatically have to come out? It doesn't seem to be overlapping with any others, although it hasn't broken skin yet, but I can feel it.

jasper · 15/05/2003 22:36

girly, pick away. I am off on holiday tomorrow for one week, if I don't get your message before you go I will reply on my return.
Lou33, the short answer is no

jinna · 15/05/2003 22:49

jasper - can i ask you a question to - but this is for myself - i would like to get my teeth corrected - do they do braces for adults and are they the metal rail track ones or can you get ones which are more concealed -thanks

jasper · 15/05/2003 23:46

jinna, yes, orthodontics for adults usually works very well but you are likely to have to pay privately( charges vary from a few hundred to a couple of thousand depending on the case and the clinician)
There are various new materials which are less noticeable ( did you see Tom Cruise's ortho brackets? No neither did I because they matched his teeth)and sometimes the wires can even be placed behind the teeth.
I refered a friend in her 30s for ortho. She had to wear fairly noticeable train track style braces for nearly three years but they actually looked fine.
The end result is really lovely.

Another friend in his 30s ( a dentist) is in the middle of two years of fixed appliance therapy. His braces are very noticeable but he looks fine too. You very quickly get used to seeing an alteration in a familiar face.

I should add that you really do need to have something wrong with the way your teeth are aligned for ortho to work well. Very minor irregularities are very hard to correct as there is often a mild degree of relapse. I do see quite a few adult patients who think there is something wrong with there teeth when there really isn't.
Good luck if you decide to go for it.

jinna · 15/05/2003 23:54

thanks for the advice Jasper - i will have a think about it

Tinker · 16/05/2003 00:10

jasper/anyone else - what are pre-molars? Are they the ones diectly next to your canines?