DD 17 braces never seem to be coming off and orthodontist has advised a bridge? Please help...

[mumof2kidz]

My 17 year old daughter started her 'treatment' when she was 15 years old. She was referred to the orthodontist at 14 years old. We seem to have nothing but problems with them. Her teeth before the braces were straight bar one tooth, however she has a scissor bite.

DD had a baby tooth which did not have an adult tooth underneath. Therefore, the original plan was to keep this tooth. However, towards the beginning of this year or end of last year, this tooth began to sink into her gum and the dentist extracted it. The tooth was quite large but the orthodontist advised that this gap would easily be closed.

This changed the whole course of her treatment and it just seems to be never ending. Her braces constantly fall off even though she does not eat caramel or sticky foods (I know she isn't lying to me when she says this because she doesn't eat that much anyway recently - she's determined to get the braces off!). It is a pain travelling to our orthodontist as because she was referred well into her teens, it is a 40 minute journey to get there. So when we have these breakages, it isn't easy to just go and fix it. Me or her husband have to go and take her for this.

Today, her orthodontist told us that this gap probably wouldn't close and that she would either have to live with a gap (closed as much as the braces will allow) or get a 'Maryland bridge' and get her braces off earlier to accomodate for it. Daughter is desperate to get her braces off as soon as possible as she is 18 in a few months and her confidence has seriously been knocked by having them as she is the only girl in her college and work who has them. All of her friends who did have braces had a very short treatment time or got them off years ago.

I'm worrying about how much a bridge would cost for her though. The orthodontist advised to do some research and when I have, I've seen that these bridges cost £750!!! I'm unable to find out if my daughter would be covered under the NHS for this as she is in full time education and the treatment wouldn't be classed as cosmetic (at least I don't think it would)

I think DD wishes she hadn't bothered with the braces since her teeth were not that bad to begin with... Has anyone ever had expierence of their children needing a bridge after their orthodontic treatment? The orthodontist advised me that bridges have come leaps and downs and look very real. I'm just worried about my 18 year old daughter having to have a fake tooth as it seems so young

btw the tooth is nearish the back of the left hand side of her mouth so it would not be super noticeable - but you know what teenage girls are like !

A Maryland is available on the NHS- free if 18 in FTE and £222.50 if not exempt.
They can debond and need to be recemented sometimes. They do have a limited lifespan before needing to be replaced- 5 years ish- although they can last longer if you are lucky. So factor in a new one at £250+ every 5 years.

Sorry I have no answers but really feel for you and your DD.

DS1 had braces for two years and was recently signed off, just as DS2 got his moulds to start the brace journey. The thought of going back and forth to the Orthodontists for another 2+ years is depressing. all the missed school too.

every 5 years, oh god. The orthodontist has said we will be able to know more about the situation when we go for our next appointment as she is back on elastic bands which should help to close the gaps in her top teeth caused by extractions.
I really feel sorry for her

What does your dentist say? Assuming like us the Orthodontist and Dentist are entirely separate?

It isn't a painful procedure to have it replaced at all though, don't worry. As I say they can last longer as well.

I had similar issues with my teeth. I eventually lost two of my baby molars in my early twenties. My dentist at the time (18 yrs ago) didn't recommend any particular treatment and the gaps began to close up..but not completely.

My new dentist started noticing that I was wearing down the other molars, ending up in a crown on one next to it. The teeth next to the gap were also moving quite significantly. Unfortunately I couldn't have implants so I have two bridges, on either side. I am lucky that you couldn't see the gaps when I smiled so it wasn't for any vanity reasons, rather trying to save the teeth next to the gaps.
My bridges don't feel fake & look natural. I have to be v good at flossing & use a special flossing tape. I know they won't last forever but if they prevent further treatment, then that works for me.
Hope that helps.

I used to have a Maryland - as a pp said they do debond, and ime once they do they'll only last a year before needing to be glued back on. However I had the same one for about 15 years, just going back each year to be glued back in - cost around £30 to reglue.

I now have sacrificed the tooth next to the gap and a crown on that tooth which has an integral bridge - cost £££ but will last longer than me!

Both bridges look and feel real. Never any indication that I had a false tooth, and no particular care needed.

I'd certainly recommend the Maryland, but be aware it might lose its grip over time.

I had fully fixed upper and lower braces in for 4 years only getting them off a few months before I went to Uni!

She is better seeing out her treatment now.

Why aren't the braces fixed?

dentist has advised a dental implant costing £1500

Not sure I'm any use except to tell you of my experience (and I think if I were you I'd get a second opinion about the bridge - never mind the implant).

• all 3 of my kids had fixed braces for a full 3 years from the age of 15. We used the same orthodontist for all of them. The braces never fell off although the odd one has had a single bracket that needed reglueing.

They didn't have any missing adult teeth but 2 of them had teeth removed due to overcrowding.. the youngest had 4 teeth removed (I wasn't happy about that but the Ortho convinced me it was necessary. If your dd is merely missing one adult tooth I can't see why the realignment of the other teeth can't resolve that - but then I'm not a technician.

My youngest is due to come to the end of his treatment soon - the Ortho won't take the braces off until she's 100% happy that her job's done.

Obviously my youngest is very keen to finish but none of them complained much - they all wanted fab straight teeth.

Just to bear in mind, some orthodontists (like any other job) can be bad and wrong. We had a nightmare one, and then changed, and DD's teeth are coming on in leaps and bounds. Could you afford to pay for a second opinion?