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Teenagers

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

Original poster

Braces

47 replies

Thismumrunsonhugsandtea · 03/12/2025 11:16

I’ve just been to the orthodontist with my son and they said that he needs braces. He has more than an 10 mm overbite and they want to give him a retainer. We’ve made an appointment for six weeks in the car. He said he doesn’t want the braces because he’s worried about getting bullied. The dentist didn’t help by saying you have to wear them all the time and you have to have good character because some children get bullied when they wear braces.🙈 what do I do? Do I give him the option bearing in mind he does have jaw pain sometimes or do I tell him he has to wear them? I don’t know how I’m going to make him wear the retainer. It’s one that you can take out or is it okay just to wear at night? I’m really not sure what to do about this situation.

OP posts:
Whereisthesun99 · 03/12/2025 11:21

Hi how old is your son? When DS and now DD had braces most of year group did too , so no one thought anything of it. They both had the fixed style brace.

ErrolTheDragon · 03/12/2025 11:23

How old is he? It’s completely normal for kids to have braces/ retainers.
The answer to potential bullying isn’t to cave - if there are bullies in his school/peer group they’re probably just as likely to make fun of an overbite as the braces.

MrsSkylerWhite · 03/12/2025 11:23

Both of ours had braces (lots of their peers did). Neither were bullied. Probably won’t thank you if you decide not to go ahead and the result is lots of expensive, uncomfortable treatment as adults.
Both adults now, great teeth.

Whereismyfleeceblanket · 03/12/2025 11:24

Sounds like he needs them to reduce pain not just to have nice teeth! If he needed medical treatment via GP presumably you would tell him it's not optional?
My dd had braces. As did most of her mates. His chance to put on big boy pants and front them out.

PGmicstand · 03/12/2025 11:24

Whereisthesun99 · 03/12/2025 11:21

Hi how old is your son? When DS and now DD had braces most of year group did too , so no one thought anything of it. They both had the fixed style brace.

Pretty much every single one of my DC's friends has braces AND glasses. When I was growing up, either of these would have seen you being bullied mercilessly. They, however, don't seem to care in the least about such things.

Applesinapie · 03/12/2025 11:28

My DS is having braces put on in the next few months. Lots of his friends have retainers or train tracks. The orthodontist had to have my DS say he wanted braces otherwise she wouldn’t have agreed to continue. But I said to DS that if he doesn’t get them now, then he would need to pay £1000s in the future because it wouldn’t be funded when he’s an adult. He is not too bothered though so was happy to agree.

Original poster
Thismumrunsonhugsandtea · 03/12/2025 14:35

He 13 There’s not many of them that have them

OP posts:
Original poster
Thismumrunsonhugsandtea · 03/12/2025 14:41

I really would like him to get them done,Unfortunately he’s seen children get bullied because of braces at his school.🙈

OP posts:
floppybit · 03/12/2025 14:42

My ds has train tracks, weirdly he really likes them! There’s quite a few young celebrities with them, like the footballer Lemine Yamal, so I think they are sort of fashionable at the moment.

Original poster
Thismumrunsonhugsandtea · 03/12/2025 14:43

In my Area it’s really unusual to even have an NHS dentist. We’re really lucky that might be why a lot of them don’t have braces.,

OP posts:
Original poster
Thismumrunsonhugsandtea · 03/12/2025 14:44

@floppybitthank you are telling me him that 🙂

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Onemorestepalongtheroad · 03/12/2025 14:45

In my experience of kids want to bully someone they will find any reason braces or not. He might get a few dick ish comments but if he’s not typically on the receiving end of bullying then I would push on with it.

he may thank you now for letting him off the hook but as someone whose just spent £5k and four years with braces as an adult I promise he will regret not getting them done and dusted now!

Pandorea · 03/12/2025 14:50

There’s no point doing it if he’s going to refuse to wear them but it might be worth finding some positive images of people with braces to try and get him on board. Two of mine needed them as teens but they wanted them and they seem like they’re almost a bit of a status symbol. Lots of their friends had them. Maybe role play some responses to bullies with him to try and give him confidence about the idea of wearing them.

BrieAndChilli · 03/12/2025 15:18

Obviously every school is different - 2 of my 3 children have had train track braces and neither have been bullied nor any of thier friends as far as I know.

Took DS2 to his appt yesterday and in the waiting room was his friend and a girl - both from his english class that he was missing which he thought was funny - lots of the kids friends have had braces. They are via the NHS but we are in a well off area so I assume some parents have paid private if not severe enough issues for NHS treatment hence why so many have them here.

Itsmrsadlertoyou · 03/12/2025 15:47

Honestly I’m dreading this. My son has autism and needs braces because he had a cleft lip and palate. He will just rip the braces off 🫣

ShesTheAlbatross · 03/12/2025 15:52

Is it the clear aligners he’ll be having?

They are noticeable but not massively so. It’s not going to work if he just wears them overnight and I think it increases the risks because the pressure on the teeth is inconsistent and they’ll move back slightly during the day, then move at night, then back slightly during the day.

Dentist sounds like a bit of a twit though.

user2848502016 · 03/12/2025 16:57

Persuade him to have it done if you can, much better to do it now than later down the line.
My DD is 14 and had hers fitted when she was 13, never been bullied about it and lots of children in her class have them anyway.

Original poster
Thismumrunsonhugsandtea · 03/12/2025 19:51

thanks for all the support I’m going to try hopefully, he will just get used to them, I’ll take all the comments on board.🙂

OP posts:
Original poster
Thismumrunsonhugsandtea · 03/12/2025 19:53

@Itsmrsadlertoyou🤗🤗🤗🤗

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Oblomov25 · 03/12/2025 20:34

Please have them. There shouldn't be bullying. You can have a wire retainer which is the best decision we ever made, and also a plastic retainer that you wear at night.

Holidaypumpkin · 03/12/2025 21:16

He has to get them. It’s a matter of when, not getting them isn’t an option at all. Short term a bit of discomfort, maybe a few comments but long term a perfect smile!

My sons teeth were completely offset, 4 teeth removed to be able to get braces, over a period of 8 weeks this was done. he’s had the braces for 2yrs and has only two more appointments to go and they’re off. And then a retainer.
I promise it’s worth it in the long term!
he has received NO bullying, many of his friends have had/do need/have them. This isn’t uncommon nowadays!

be positive and explain it’s a requirement!

Emmz1510 · 03/12/2025 21:28

He needs to wear them to avoid serious pain and cosmetic issues in the future and you shouldn’t be giving him
the message that he has a choice. Im
sorry you had a horrible response from
the dentist though! He won’t be that unusual in wearing them and even if he is the novelty will wear off for the bullies pretty soon. Teach him some good comebacks like ‘I’ve only got to wear them a few years, pity you’ll always be ugly’.

Doone22 · 03/12/2025 21:39

My parents said no to braces, they didn't really believe they were needed. I spent the rest of my life with dental problems caused by that: correct alignment helps reduce things like grinding, pain, etc
I am now mid 50s and don't have a single good tooth left just a few very poor root canals, gaps , bridges, implants, veneers etc. I wish I'd had braces.

WildHam · 03/12/2025 21:46

We’ve paid for my two to have invisilign aligners in primary school before their palates fuse, we are not rich we have just prioritised this - we were told that they would need teeth taken out and braces when they were older, so we went with this option which broadens the jaw making space for the teeth.

if this is an option I would look into it privately. You can hardly tell they have aligners in and compliance is high usually

ThisZanyPinkSquid · 03/12/2025 21:49

I have had braces twice (two different reasons) one at age 10 and then as an adult 19/20…..I would 100% take them at age 10 again!!

I was never bullied, nobody mentioned and I had lovely straight teeth for starting high school.