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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Maximum time DCs have had braces?

16 replies

ifonly4 · 13/12/2016 14:48

DD has had braces for 2.5 years, and to be honest we're sick and tired of orthodontist appointments and emergency appointments as it's broken seven times in the last year (through no fault of her own) and she's in pain - two of these latter appointments have been when she's been away from home and trying to get an emergency appointment is hard, the others have involved last minute phone calls between school to get her an appointment.

Supposedly the braces should be off in March, but looking at what's got to be done there's no way that's going to happen. We want to go abroad this year, but starting to reconsider as we can't risk it breaking then.

Just wondering what the maximum time other DCs have had braces for?

OP posts:
BlueCowWonders · 13/12/2016 15:00

4 years. A long time but worth it!
(Yr6 - yr 9)

twinjocks · 13/12/2016 15:04

Two months short of 4 years (DD) - she never had any breakages, it just took such a long time as her teeth were all over the place.

DS has just had his removed after 1 year 10 months - all finished!

DeleteOrDecay · 13/12/2016 15:37

I had mine for between 3-4years (can't remember exactly as it was a while ago now). It was worth it, but I seemed to have mine a lot longer than friends, one of which had severely 'bad' teeth before treatment. Maybe my teeth just moved a lot slower??

I got mine removed at that point because I had reached my 'third strike' in terms of breakages (unfair as it wasn't always my fault). So would have had them longer otherwise. It was such a massive relief when I did have them out though. No more waking up with cuts and grazes on the inside of my mouth from where I'd been sleeping on my face!Grin

LIZS · 13/12/2016 15:42

Ds is 2.5 years in. Hopefully nearly there.

Stopyourhavering · 13/12/2016 17:30

Dd had braces from yr8 till yr13( NHS orthodontist).....only got them off week before she went to Uni!!Shock.... She did have to get 4 premolars removed to make way and had an asymmetric jaw but has beautifully straight teeth nowGrin

MrsJayy · 14/12/2016 10:12

4 years for Dd1 from 12 to 16 was a hassle but she was great and kept at it.

MrsJayy · 14/12/2016 10:13

Sorry 11 not 12 she had a removable brace first then the fixed ones

MackerelOfFact · 14/12/2016 10:20

The more breakages there are, the longer the treatment will last. I had fixed metal braces for about 2.5 years in my teens and currently have them again in my 30s, the treatment is supposed to last about 18 months this time.

You say it's through no fault of her own, so presumably she's not eating ANYTHING chewy or crunchy, and not having any fizzy drinks/fruit juice (i.e. anything that can degrade the bracket bonding material?) I broke a bracket the other day and it was 100% my own fault for eating something crunchy. I don't really see how they would fall off or break by themselves?!

MackerelOfFact · 14/12/2016 10:23

Forgot to mention, the 2.5 year treatment in my teens was terminated because of the number of breakages I had (which were my own fault, I was a teenager so I didn't really give a flying fuck basically) hence the need for further treatment as an adult.

Original poster
ifonly4 · 14/12/2016 14:29

Thanks for your replies. Sounds like we're going to have to stick it out longer.

The orthodontist said it breaks so often because there's so much going on, straightening teeth, re-aligning teeth and twisting two of them into position. On two occasions the wire just snapped out, one time was eating a slice of cucumber. Unfortunately when it does break, the wire sticks straight into the side of her mouth of tongue, so needs sorting ASAP. She doesn't like sugary drinks and isn't into puddings, so at least some sugars are eliminated.

OP posts:
JustDanceAddict · 14/12/2016 22:27

Only 18 months here.

nooka · 16/12/2016 00:54

I didn't realise some people had to have braces for so long. dd is 18mths in, with another six months or so to go, and it seems like a really long time. Our orthodontist said it would have been quicker if she'd started earlier and she's had some quite aggressive treatment to widen her top and realign her bottom jaw. Most of the active treatment was in the first six months, the last six months has been more about keeping the teeth in place and we're hoping they might come off early now. Much sympathy to all the long term braces wearers!

GetMeOut · 16/12/2016 11:55

About two years here as well but I hadn't factored in the 'joy' of the retainers afterwards. These have been broken and lost multiple times and NHS only allows one free replacement within the first 6 weeks..... The DC wrap them in tissue when they eat and then this gets thrown away .....it happened once at school and then again at home Shock. They have also chewed them Envy They cost circa £140 to replace as you need to get new moulds done - more appointments, lost time. The teeth move back quickly in the retainers aren't worn religiously ......

RoseDog · 16/12/2016 12:03

DD was told before treatment it would be a minimum of 18 months but at her last appointment they said she should get them off in April after just 11 months, she had a severe underbite and her top teeth needed straightened, we will also be glad to not be going to the orthadontist every 8 weeks but sadly DS will be referred just as dd is finishing up!

MargaretRiver · 16/12/2016 12:22

I suspect that she is not as careful with the braces as you think she is.

The braces are very unlikely to break by themselves, perhaps in the first few days there may be a weak bond due to some moisture contamination or whatever, but if a bond has been in place for 1- 2 years it will not spontaneously fail "through no fault of her own"

Fracturing the wires takes quite some force, or repeated smaller forces of the sort she' s been tod to avoid. The earlier wires can literally be tied in knots without breaking.

The later wires, if I asked you to try your hardest to break them with your bare hands, it would take an unusual amount of strength , repeatedly for quite some time, in order to do so, if you could at all

MargaretRiver · 16/12/2016 12:24

The "last straw" that finally leads to the breakage is often not the real cause

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