Braces on teeth too young

[SueDoughty]

Back in the 1950s a primary school dentist put braces on my teeth to straighten up my smile. Aged 70 that front tooth has moved back to where it wanted to be, not too bad. But the X-ray shows its root hadn't developed fully!
My message is children whose teeth roots are still growing should not have braces put on, wait until the roots are in place.

I think this is standard practice now, or it was when my DS got braces a few years ago.

BUT teeth move, regardless of the roots etc. which is why if people don't wear their retainers at night they can find themselves with wonky teeth again!

I think the current advice is to have braces as late as possible, after you are fully grown, but, of course, nowadays it tends to be in the teenage years. Which us better than in childhood. and to either wear a retainer every night or have fixed retainers attached to the back of teeth to keeping them in place.
Teeth will move back to the original position otherwise.
Very Interesting point you are making as I was not aware of this and I must admit I don't know what age roots are fully formed for adult teeth.
And did having braces too early prevent the roots forming fully, sort of stunted their growth?

Our son had to wait until 14. He’s 21 now.

This is not quite true. For certain problems , particularly when the jaws need expanding eg with twin blocks , it is important treatment starts before the pubertal growth spurt .
Also we now know all brace work needs lifelong retention as otherwise teeth will move back to where they came from . So either with removable retainers worn at night and/or permanent retainers cemented on back of teeth.

My daughters just turned 11 and getting braces beginning of next year. I don't remember my friends having braces at that age and neither does any of hers but she really needs them she has severe over crowding at the bottom and her fangs have grown on the gum and need brought down x

The whole thing about retainers forevermore I find really odd.
I had my teeth done at 14 along with my brothers and cousins over a period of a few years. We were all told to wear a retainer at night for 6 months and that was it 30 years later all 8 of us still have straight teeth. Yet if my daughter doesn’t wear a retainer forever (replacing it regularly) her teeth will move back? I can’t help but think it’s a money making scheme by the orthodontist.

No , for most people they will get relapse . You only have to look at the number of adults who had braces when they were young , didn’t wear retainers, teeth have moved and are now forking out for adult brace work. If it was all a scam this is far more profitable .

Well my family must just have been lucky then.

@SueDoughty unless your a qualified up to date orthodontist you’re in no way qualified to make such a comment.
my ds had a severe underbite and cross bite and began treatment aged 8. Speech and eating are both serious issues that are better addressed sooner than later. He btw didn’t finish growing till past 21. Many young people require early intervention.,

Maybe it's that a lot of people will find that their teeth moved, and there's no way to tell in advance who that will be, so better for everyone to be advised to wear one.

I had braces as a teenager, wore a retainer for about 18 months, it broke and I never got it replaced. My teeth moved back over the following ~15 years and I've just finished Invisalign to move them back. Will definitely wear my retainer this time!