Braces. Did you ever have to wear them?

[Shine]

:shrug: Hopefully, you thought it was worth it.

Turns out BOTH kids need braces. Greeaaat.

Ka-ching, ka-ching!!

They're getting them put on next week.

[LeftyMom]

1. My dentist suggested it my senior year of high school

I opted against it. All that's "wrong" with my teeth is a small gap between my front teeth on the top, which runs in the family and I don't mind.

[1gobluedem]

2. Yes, for three years

But the end result was definitely worth it.

[bigwillq]

3. I had them.

Only on the top, and my teeth on top look fine.

A few of my bottom teeth are crooked but I decided not to get them. You can't really see the bottom teeth anyway so I am cool with it.

It wasn't as bad of an experience as I thought it would be, and it's all worthwhile in the end.

[malta blue]

4. yes and yes

even though there are still issues.

Little MB needs them bigtime and the orthodontist wants to start now - at 9 y/o. I am thinking let them get all sqirrely and then get the braces. No reason to spend the next 5 years with spacers, head gear and THEN braces.

[Shine]

13. 9 seems a bit young to me. Has she lost all her baby teeth yet?

our orthodontist doesn't recommend getting braces until that happens.

In ShineBoy's case, he actually had to have his last two baby teeth pulled b/c he's pushing 15 yrs old and it's time to get on with it.

We went through years (literally, years) of going in to the orthodontist's office to check on whether or not he was ready and he kept saying, "Nope, not yet. Come back in another 6 mos and we'll take another look."

After about 2 1/2 yrs of that, he finally agreed that it was best to get those last two stubborn baby teeth pulled, since they didn't seem to be coming out on their own.

:eyes:

ShineGirl, on the other hand, has had all her grown-up teeth for months. It's funny how they're both so different.

[malta blue]

59. She still has baby teeth - that is what I am waiting for.

Meanwhile, the orthodontist just sees dollar signs when he looks at her, so he wants to start with spacers and headgear - all for the low, low price of $2,500. THEN come the braces.

I wouldn't be so opposed to it if the freaking dental coverage was more than $1500 lifetime :mad::mad:

There is no way I am starting her now.

[SPKrazy]

5. I did

and it was a lot of ka ching

we moved and the new orthodontist decided he didn't like what the other one was doing so he changed the plan and I spent another year with them on :grr:

then the retainers, ack...

Its worth it though, probably, especially if they have teeth that are very noticeably crooked.

:shrug:

[Shine]

16. That sucks about the two different docs and the extra year.

ShineBoy is looking at about 18 mos and ShineGirl, 2 yrs.

They'll both have to do the retainer thing, afterwards, too.

I'm gonna be all over 'em, in terms of brushing regularly, longer, etc....I want all that money to be well-spent! (THIS is exactly what home equity lines are for, LOL!) I'm glad you thought it was worth it, though, in the end.

Anyway, I never had to wear braces, myself. I was lucky, I guess.

:hi:

[skygazer]

6. I did and did not think it was worth it

I had them for 3 years, went through a lot of pain and was left with damage to my teeth that necessitated the removal of most of my molars when I was in my 30's. The issues with my bite - which were the main issues that were being addressed - were never resolved. My bite remains wrong, I have TMJ and once my jaw locked up for about 4 months - I could only open my mouth wide enough to take a very small bite of food. Since I had no health insurance, I couldn't do a thing about it. I woke up one morning and it was back to "normal."

My front teeth which had been straightened eventually shifted back so that they are now somewhat crooked though not so much as they were originally. I have no idea why that is.

I suspect that the reason for all this was because I had a lousy orthodontist but since I was just a dumb teenager, I couldn't say. It did not help that all this occurred during the period my mother was sick and dying - to this day, I associate a dentist's chair with death. :(

Cheery, eh? I'm quite sure your kids will have a far better experience. :)

[Shine]

19. Well, shit!

:scared:

I'm sorry you had such a crappy experience and associate that whole thing with such trauma. That sucks. :hug:

Luckily, neither of the kids has skeletal issues pertaining to their jaws, so their treatment plan is pretty straight-forward.

I'm hoping it'll all go smoothly for them. I never had to wear braces, myself, so it's gonna be interesting to vicariously experience it through them. My sister had to wear them and it was not pleasant for her. She had to wear a headgear that looked positively medieval and she'd get these nasty headaches from them. Ugh.

Things have changed since the 70's, though, so I'm hoping for the best.

:hi:

[yellowdogintexas]

37. my TML doc says that my TMJ problems are totally unrelated to my

orthodontic experiences. My problems w/TMJ are due to my jaw clenching and tooth grinding when stressed.

He is a former orthodontist who strictly does TMJ now, and he has helped immensely.

Tooth shifting after braces can be caused by the natural loosening of teeth in the sockets as we age, and the removal of the molars changed the alighment of your entire mouth too.

You may in fact have had a bad orthodontist there are a lot of dentists out there that claim to be who aren't

a young lady of my acquaintance moved to FW to live w/ her dad, and he took her to my daughter's orthodontist. He was appalled at the work that had been done on her, said this type of appliances hadn't been used in decades, couldn't find the doc in the Directory of Orthodontists, and also what is supposed to happen if you relocate is the new dentist buys the package from the old dentist and you end up paying out whatever remains of your contract to the new dentist. He had to fight tooth and nail with the old dentist in Tenn to close out that contract, but he (well his office manager) fought the good fight and finally got the other dentist to release the records and xrays etc . Then he removed all her old stuff and put new stuff on her and her teeth are looking gorgeous. Needless to say, she and her dad think our dentist is the BOMB>

[LibDemAlways]

7. My 15-yr-old daughter is nearing the

end of her braces stint. I suppose a retainer is next. It's expensive, but worth it. Her smile will look great when it's all over.

Her only regret is that she didn't get it done sooner. It was recommended she get them back in 5th grade, but mentally she wasn't ready. I told her to let me know when she wanted to get started. At the end of 7th grade she decided it was time. It's been a long process, but I have no doubt the end result will be great.

[Shine]

20. My son will be 15 in Novemeber and he's JUST now getting them.

:eyes:
He actually had to have his last two baby teeth pulled b/c they were so stubborn. Our orthodontist is a big believer in waiting til the kid loses all the baby teeth before proceeding....but at the rate my son was going, it was time to take matters into our own hands, so to speak.

:D

[Lex]

8. Yes for 4 years from 11 to 15. And now at 43, my teeth

are still straight and pretty darn good.

Thanks Mom and Dad!

[Gormy Cuss]

9. No, but then again we barely got to the dentist once a year.

The public clinic didn't recommend orthodontia except in the most severe cases. We had gaps and minor crooked teeth issues in our family.

[DarkTirade]

10. Everyone else in my family had to wear glasses... I had to wear braces.

Thankfully mine were on for two years, and now I don't need 'em anymore. Can't say the same for everybody else and their glasses. :P

[Lorien]

11. I have them on now for the second time. I hate them

but I was a pretty extreme case when I was younger. Seven years of braces in my teens, then oral surgery (had both jaws cut off, reconfigured and wired back on). now twenty years later I have them again. Tell your kids:ALWAYS WEAR YOUR RETAINER-FOR LIFE! Otherwise they'll find themselves in braces again at forty. And forty sucks enough as it is!

[Shine]

21. Wow!!! That's an intense story, Lorien.

7 yrs is the longest time I've ever heard of braces being worn! :hug:


Well, the good news is, according to their xrays, neither of them have any skeletal issues pertaining to their jaws, so that means oral surgery won't be necessary, thank goodness.

[yellowdogintexas]

44. I have 3 friends who did the adult braces rework due to either

a bad job to begin with, or didn't wear retainers long enough or TMJ struck ...and several others who just never had braces in the first place because they didn't have overbites (and back then braces were for the most part seen as a cosmetic thing) and they got braces in their 40's because their teeth were so crammed up together they were destroying themselves...and all of them every one have been thrilled with the results.

There are at least a dozen of them in my Sunday School class alone. For a couple of them it was braces now or massive repair work 10 years from now. Three of them are physicians, two are nurses.

[lost-in-nj]

12. I have them on now

almost 50 here.....
I have enamels on the top
and metal on the bottom

real sexy!!!!! :rofl:

mucho bucks but I know it's worth it

in the long run its worth it

I wish my parents could afford it when I was younger


:hi:


lost

[sakabatou]

14. Yes

I hated when they had to be tightened. Hurt for 3 days or so.

[raccoon]

57. Yes, they hurt like a mofo when they had to be tightened.

I guess it's a good thing I was too young to drink then, nor could I get hold of it.

Orthodontist said at first I'd only have to wear them 18 months. It was 2 1/2 years before he took them off. :shrug:

I know sometimes people really need braces but some orthodontists milk every dime they can get out of you.

[oregonjen]

15. I swear by suresmile

My daughter had braces for 10 months, that was it. She decreased her wearing time by half. Now, just a permanent bottom retainer and removable top retainer. Before you have your children in braces, check out suresmile.com. I swear it's awesome.

[greenbriar]

17. had them for 3 years

then the retainers


it was back in the stone ages and I swear it is why I have cavities along the gums on my teeth. I don't have cavities like normal people...mine form along the gum line because the braces made my teeth weak

[RevolutionaryActs]

18. Nope, and I have the crooked teeth to prove it.

:silly:-

[LibertyLover]

22. Yes, wore them on the top teeth for a couple of years

One tooth was totally turned around and having it turned properly was fine. But my problem was that I continued to suck my thumb after the braces came off. So while my overbite isn't as bad as it could be, it isn't as good as it could be. A few years ago, my dentist suggested adult braces - the invisiline things. Several thousand dollars. No thanks - my teeth don't look that bad and I was in the middle of adopting my daughter and needed all the money I could lay my hands on.

[NV Whino]

23. I had braces

I think for two years(maybe three) and retainers after that for a couple of years. They did minimal good. Sort of okay for the uppers, but the lowers went right back to their original position. The real problem was (and is) my mouth isn't big enough for all my teeth. (Which is actually strange, given I can get both feet in it on occasion.)

Total waste of money as far as I'm concerned.

Now, I'm in debt up to my eyeballs paying for crowns and veneers.

[Shine]

39. I liked your line about being able to fit in both feet

:rofl: clever girl!

Sorry you thought it was a waste o' money. All that teeth work adds up.

Have you ever heard the line, "Be true to your teeth, or they'll be false to you"?

Funny.

:hi:

[NV Whino]

56. I haven't heard that line, but it's right on.

Guess I should have followed my mother's example and downed Knox Gelatine in juice for 40 years. At age 92 when she died, she had all her own teeth and the the most beautiful finger nails you would ever hope to see.

[Inchworm]

24. I'm not so certain about ...

crooked teeth adults.

I guess if you can, do it though :P

:hi:

[Flaxbee]

25. No. I can't see worth a damn (though contacts help!) but I have straight,

fantastic teeth, thank you very much mom and dad! Need a little whitening now after too many years of coffee, but all my mom's kids had straight, even teeth (and I had no wisdom teeth, either) and my dad's kids (except me) all had braces.

The genetic lottery was kind to my teeth.

Though over the long haul, all the years of contacts, saline solution, etc. probably add up to more than the braces. And it sucks to travel much with lenses, so perhaps I'm not as fortunate as I think! :D

[Shine]

41. I'm like you: never needed braces, but wore glasses/contacts since 5

then I got LASIK surgery before I turned 35 (9 yrs ago) and I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. :D

I hear ya on all the contact shit. I don't miss that stuff AT ALL.

Seriously, LASIK was the best money I ever spent. It's not for everybody, obviously, but it transformed my life.

:hi:

[Breeze54]

26. I had a space retainer...

But I lost it though. Parents were pissed off royally!

But I never had braces... didn't need them.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

27. Yes.

Also had four permanent teeth pulled.
Four wisdom teeth at age 18 and four incisors at age 8.

Small mouth, big healthy teeth. Mom had horrible Scots teeth, dad had good English teeth (believe it or not). He had most all of his teeth when he died at age 88.

Braces went on at age ten, came off at age twelve (apparently I had advanced tooth development).

They helped a lot. This was in the 1960s. I was told that now they put a wire across the inside of your jaw and crank it a bit every day to make it wider, and I wouldn't have to have all those teeth pulled.

I wore glasses too, and still wear glasses. No big deal. I consider myself very fortunate to have stereo vision and full color vision, even though I'm nearsighted.

[Broken_Hero]

28. Yep, had them for just over 2yrs, and no

it wasn't worth it....

[texanwitch]

29. No, never needed them.

But I have been wearing glasses since I was 10.

[MorningGlow]

30. Ooh both? Yikers. But it's worth it.

I WANTED braces (my four upper front teeth are crooked but the rest are fine), and back then it was a major undertaking. I went to see one orthodontist when I was 15, and he said he could give me braces, but I'd have to wear a retainer for the rest of my life to keep the teeth straight. My parents saw the estimate, and that was the end of that. Years later my dad said he was sorry he didn't dig up the money somehow; he regretted that my teeth were so crooked. I regret it, too. I don't like the way my teeth look. I don't feel like getting adult braces, though.

[Shine]

43. Yup, both.

the good news is that by getting both of them done at the same time, they can both be on the same page, in terms of maintainance and daily care.

Even given what the insurance will cover, it's costing us about $7700. Ugh.

That's what home equity lines are for. :eyes:

:hi:

[papapi]

31. Yep. Three and a half years. Started when I was 26. My single Mom couldn't. . .

afford them. They helped a lot. I had a bad overbite and too much space. I'm an alien or something, never had but 26 permanent teeth total. No wisdom teeth, no second bicuspid on the upper arch.

[Shine]

45. Interesting. Hey, everybody's different and on their own schedule.

I was born with only two upper wisdom teeth....but I had an extra tooth behind my front two teeth (what I found out later is called a "witch's tooth"...how appropriate!). It was extracted when I was about 7 or so.

My youngest kid had all her baby teeth gone looooong before my oldest.

It's all good. Let's fly our freak flags proudly! :patriot:

:hi:

[Awsi Dooger]

32. 7th and 8th grade

They had to pull some teeth beforehand, I think one in each quadrant, because supposedly my teeth were too big for the size of my mouth.

The straightening worked fine, until my bottom retainer partially broke during a 3 month trip to Europe. By the time it was replaced at home, two of my bottom teeth had shifted a little bit. Not dramatic but I've always noticed it.

In looking at my pictures from those years, it's obvious I was conscious of the braces and didn't smile as much.

Mostly, I remember the wires being tightened seemingly every few weeks. The cabinet full of gruesome molds they showed me beforehand, like a gag. And the hip 30ish dentists, wearing wild '70s shirts, in a corner office of a trendy shopping mall, always chatting about babes and movies during my appointments.

[yellowdogintexas]

38. I had a retainer slip too. I quit wearing my bottom retainer before my

right side wisdom teeth were out and the bottom teeth shifted which probably contributed to the TMJ I now have and the jaw clenching although my TMJ doc says they are not really out of alignment in a bad way. The right side is the one I clench on though.

[Rhythm]

33. I had them for 2 years...

It was a pain in the ass, but in the end it was well worth it.

[EnviroBat]

34. They straightened, and damaged my teeth at the same time.

Back in the day when they were using bands around all of the teeth. They Suuuuuuuucked. They ache like hell when they are adjusted. They made me an unpleasant person to be around for a day or so when they were tightened. Headgear? Don't get me started on how miserable that shit was. If a wire broke lose, it was instant mouth laceration. Basically, I hated the experience and never felt it was worth it. I often wonder how I would look now as an adult if I'd never been altered by braces. I know that my jaw-line was reduced by them, and I wish my jaw had developed they way it was going to on its own. The assholes pulled 4 of my teeth out which shortened my jaw significantly. I would have probably had better success with the ladies if I'd never had them. They bands and cement screwed up the enamel on my teeth. Oh, and orthodontists are in the business of MAKING MONEY. Of course all kids "need braces". Let them wait until they've grown up an see if they want to get braces.

Thanks for reminding me how I'd like to destroy my parents...

[Shine]

46. Damn, sorry about that, EnviroBat.

:hug:
I'm hoping my kids have a better experience than yours. It's gonna be a major adjustment for them, that's for sure.

My sister had to wear braces and the headgear and I watched how she suffered with that.

We REALLY like our orthodontist and apparently things are much better these days....here's hoping, anyway.

Sorry to bring it all up for you again. :D

[EnviroBat]

55. No problem Shiny...

I think they've made significant advances in the technology since I was a kid. Hopefully it will be a good experience for your kiddo's
:hi:

[SacredCow]

35. I had to have an underbite corrected...

but my teeth were more or less straight, so I opted out of actual braces.

[yellowdogintexas]

36. no I did not HAVE to wear them ...I couldn't WAIT to wear them! My teeth

were very bucked...I could put my thumb under my front upper teeth.

I was teased unmercifully about them by several older highschool boys on the bus. I wanted braces with a passion that was totally abnormal and when the orthodontist told my parents to wait until I was 12 and most of my molars were in before I could have them I thought seriously that I would just die of misery (I was 9 at the time)

However I did get them, and they did work and it was so worth it.


how old are the kids? (editing added to say...sorry, I posted before I read your later entry with back story. sounds like you have been planning this for a while! )

did you get two opinions?

we actually went to 3 dentists. Two wanted to put them on right away and one said wait. He told my dad...we can put them on now and they will come off when she is 14 or we can put them on when she is 12 and they will come off when she is 14 ...so my dad went for the third way.

My entire head, including hair hurt for a week, then I was pretty much misery free except for some minor soreness after adjustments.

[Shine]

48. Yes, we got two opinions.

We ended up going with the orthodontist we chose not only because he's so cool, but also b/c he's conveniently close to our house, so the kids will actually be able to walk to appts from our house.

That'll help, over the years.

He warned us about the "discomfort" they can expect for 1-3 days after the braces get put on. He says Tylenol or Advil will do the trick.

I don't envy the kids, quite frankly. It's a big deal that I personally never had to go through, so I'll experience it vicariously through them.

My son is planning on eating as much of "the bad stuff" as he can this week, cuz after that, everything changes! No more popcorn! :(

[Maestro]

40. I never did.

But I do know that they are expensive. My wife and brother both did and worked out well for both of them.

[Shine]

49. Even with what the insurance is covering, it's expensive

$7700. Ugh.

but, that includes EVERYTHING: the braces, themselves, and all the follow up appts, too.

Not sure if it includes the retainers, on the other end...guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. (no pun intended.)

:hi:

[yellowdogintexas]

42. we thought my daughter was going to escape the braces bit

here she is at about 14
pre braces.

however our regular dentist noticed a couple of years later that her lower front teeth were hitting against the underside of her uppers and causeing enamel wear on both sets of teeth and some other abnormal enamel wear in general, which down the road would mean lots of repair work on the teeth themselves. She recommended a certain orthodontist which she used for her own children.

Our sister in law was in adult braces at the time and her teeth were looking GOOD so we asked who her dentist was, thinking there are our two opinions. HA same dentist.

So we went for the evaluation and ultimately decided to do it. She was reluctant at first but after about 5 or 6 months thanked me over and over again because her headaches had gone away. She has been very glad she did it and even though I thought she had a fantastic smile to begin with it is even more of a WOW now.

I don't have anything recent of her in my photo uploads, but she looks pretty good.

[Shine]

50. She's lovely. I'm sure my 14 yr old son would think she's "hawt"

:rofl:

My son will be 15 in November, but hopefully, he'll be completely out of braces and retainers by the time he graduates.

Gawd, you couldn't PAY me to be a teenager again. The angst, the drama, the awkwardness! :eyes:

:hi:

[yellowdogintexas]

51. well she is almost 24 so too old for him now. LOL

but when she was 15, my good friend's 9 year old son developed a major crush on her.

thank you..I often wonder how I managed to produce such a beautiful girl.

[Shine]

53. Oh. Oops!

that's funny. :rofl:

Good gene pool. :pals:

[libnnc]

47. jeebus yes...

wore them for 4 loooong years.

I played saxophone in school and when I got my braces off my junior year in high school, I neglected to wear my retainer when I played (it hurt like hell). Not good.

My bottom teeth shifted as a result and became more crooked than they were before I had the braces.


Make sure they wear their retainers when they're supposed to.

[Shine]

52. Good advice, thanks.

I've heard that from a lot of people, including the orthodontist, of course.

Up until yesterday, when we had the big sit-down consult with him and the kids, so we'd know how the whole process worked, I had no idea that the retainers were such an important (and lengthy) part of the process.

It was explained to us that after the braces are taken off, (18 mos.-2 yrs from now) they'll have to wear retainers full time for 6 mos, then only at night for ANOTHER 6 mos, then it tapers off to less than that, afterwards.

So, the whole process is at least three years! Wow.

:hi:

[tigereye]

54. no...

braces weren't as common when I was a kid...


my son doesn't seem to need em, so far, so good!


:hi:

[Greyskye]

58. They went on on a Friday the 13th...

They came off five freaking years later. God I hate those things! Yeah, I suppose they were worth it.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

60. Three long years.

But it was worth it. I had a horrible overbite before it all.

[ceile]

61. I did and I need them again.

Only wore them for a year and a half when I was 10. Straightened my top teeth, but my bottom teeth (straight prior to braces) shifted when I got them off-now they are all kinds of jacked. Bite still not quite right either.