Braces what a ripoff...

[ihearyou2]

All my kids are heading into those teen years and braces are the talk of the town. The eldest went to the orthodontist and was told that he would need various different braces and other work over three years that would cost 5K OOP after insurance. Ortho pretended he was a neutral party and discussed all the things that could go wrong with my son's teeth blah blah blah if he didn't get it done. All of that was BS in my mind.

I had the same conversation with my ortho when I was a kid and never got braces and my teeth are fine but I don't smile like a star and frankly I don't care. The wife is frantic with the need for this, total Jones mentality. I'm willing to compromise and pay about 2500 and let the ortho have his way for a year to a year and a half and that's it. What is done is done and if son wants to look like a movie star then he can do it on his own dime.

What say you parents, talk to me, am I cold and callous and just don't get it or am I penny pincher that makes your heart sing?

[kgb18]

If my child needs braces and/or other work on her teeth, she'll get it. I would never make her go through life with bad teeth, or possibly with the other problems that can come along with teeth that need work.

[Taxman10]

I agree with you 100%

My teeth were crooked as a kid/teenager, but I never got braces, when my wisdom teeth cam in, they kind of pushed all my teeth straight.

My sister, OTOH, had braces for like 3 years as teen and her teeth have been messed up ever since.

Unless the kids teeth are really out of whack, I'd let it go for a little while, wait 'til he's done growing.

[midjd]

I'd get a second opinion. One dentist told my mom I HAD to get braces or walk around with a bag on my head for the rest of my life. Another told her my teeth would probably straighten themselves out, and to give them a couple of years. She waited, and my teeth are pretty straight these days.

But if 3 or 4 different dentists/orthos are ALL telling you your kid needs braces, I'd pony up the dough. Untreated $5K problems in the teen years can turn into $20-$30K repairs in the adult years. Of course, you probably won't be paying for that, so your choice

[whoami]

My son allegedly needed $4K braces to move one tooth into place. I said forget it. The tooth moved into the space all by itself a few years later.

[illinicheme]

I will definitely pay for my hypothetical future offspring to get braces if necessary. But terrible teeth run in my family, so I'm assuming they'll need it. (My own journey was a many year nightmare that included such lovely things as oral surgery to peel back my gums, glue brackets to my canine teeth, hook them into my braces, cover back up with gums, and pull the teeth out of my head into where they are supposed to be.) DH's top teeth are pretty straight without braces. His bottom teeth are crooked, but it's not super noticeable. I pray our hypothetical future offspring inherits his tooth genes.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Depends. For something that cost that much I'd definetly have a second orthodonist look at my kid's teeth and NOT tell him/her what the first one said and see what conclusion they come to independently. I'd also be talking with my kid's regular dentist.

That being said if DD inherits my teeth and not DH's she will most certainly be getting braces. I don't want her having teeth that look like mine.

Yeah I am "just fine", but I've also been teased mercilessly about it and had a lot of judgements made about me that I did not find out till later.

I've developed a tough outer skin when it comes to my teeth but I don't want DD going thru that.

I've debated braces, but the work that would have to go into it to get my adult jaw even close to being ready is more expense than I want to take on just to straighten my two top teeth. Not to mention the recovery time involved which means time off work.

Fortunately part of my problem is I broke my right tooth when I was ten. I can have the tooth uncapped, filed down and they can make me a new cap that is better aligned with the left tooth. This'll cost me about $250. From a distance you won't even be able to tell that my front teeth are not straight.

DD will get braces when she is younger and things are easier to fix.

I also have a small mouth and not enough space for all my teeth. It has lead to gum problems that cost me $2k to fix.

Right now if I dillgently floss twice a day and brush twice a day I will be fine along with routine periodontal appointments ever three months. I also had my wisdom teeth removed so there is room again for the rest of my teeth.

DD is getting braces so she don't show up to the dentist in her 20's to find out she has problems that cost a small fortune to fix.

Why would I put her thru all my issues just because I think the ortho is out for money?

[midjd]

I pray our hypothetical future offspring inherits his tooth genes.

Same here. DH is not the greatest brusher/flosser, and drinks a ton of soda, but has NEVER had a cavity. Meanwhile I brush and floss like a madwoman, stay away from acidic food/drink (except wine ;D) and almost always have at least one cavity when I go to the dentist. It's not fair! And of course his teeth are perfectly straight with no braces...

[ihearyou2]

Let me be clear, he has all his teeth, the one that he chipped has been fixed. His teeth are nice and white and there is very little crookedness. I am also willing to pay for a partial job, I just don't see anything in the ortho's opinion that requires this length of time. I think the whole thing is a crock that plays on parent's emotions versus a true health issue.

[kgb18]

(My own journey was a many year nightmare that included such lovely things as oral surgery to peel back my gums, glue brackets to my canine teeth, hook them into my braces, cover back up with gums, and pull the teeth out of my head into where they are supposed to be.)

I had the same thing done, and all I can say is "OUCH!!" That was so painful. But I'm glad I had it done. My tooth was literally coming out towards the side of my gum instead of down.

[kgb18]

IHOP, what specifically did the doctor say is wrong with his teeth? Even though his teeth look straight, does his bite not line up or something like that?

[KaraBoo]

I have 4 kids - only 2 of them "need" braces and only to straighten horribly crooked teeth. The other two kids could have done without them as their teeth aren't that crooked. OSD wanted braces because she has a horrible self-esteem problem and hates how her teeth look (they are pitted and stain easily - the enamel on her teeth are horrible). She would actually benefit more from laminates, but I'm thinking of offering those to her as a graduation present. DS wanted his and since our insurance covers better than your's and he takes care of his teeth very well for a boy, we went ahead and let him get braces.

My SS and YSD's dentist tells us they needs braces every time we go in for a check up/cleaning. I have to remind them that I already have the oldest 2 in braces and the younger two have to wait until the money is available. That shuts them up until the next appointment...

[ihearyou2]

The ortho kind of threw the kitchen sink at all the possibilites gingivitis, cavities, jaw issues, wisdom teeth issues. It felt like a disclaimer at the end of a car commercial.

[Deleted]

It really depends on the problem. I should have had braces when I was a child. I finally got them when I was 45 (Yea Invisiline!). I had a lot of crowding and a cross bite. Over the years the crowding and the cross bite wore down the other teeth. It was good I finally did something about it but it should have been corrected years ago.

[dragonfly7]

I had a full set of brace and headgear the years I was ten and a retainer for another three years for an overbite. They didn't do one millimeter of good, and yet my orthodontist still wanted to repeat the process. I wouldn't let them. I still get asked if I've ever had braces every time I go to the dentist, though.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

...I'm biased...

...my parents paid to have my braces put on... on and off freshman, sophomore, junior years of high school... idk the cost...

...however, by age 20/21, I'd finished growing... my teeth were out of whack again... so I paid for braces myself... didn't need 3yrs' time because I was older... it was only correction at that point, not "prevention," too... so the total cost needed had to be much less because it took ~50% the time to reach the same goal... a goal that was achieved slowly, prematurely, and all too briefly, only a handful of years earlier...

;D

[Frappuccino]

My son will be going to the orthodontist in a few weeks to see if/what he will need. I will get him any braces or headgear that he needs in order to prevent problems in his adulthood.

I am 34 years old and about to get my braces off. I had a retainer and headgear for an overbite at 12 years old and I refused to wear my headgear. As a result, last year I had to have surgery on my lower jaw to fix the overbite so that my teeth won't shift too much when the braces come off. That surgery was a night mare. I hate the way my face looks now (not much different, but noticeable to me - I don't like it). If only I had worn that got dam headgear 22 years ago!!!!

Oh, I don't know what my parents paid for my retainer and headgear at age 12, but I paid $5500 after insurance for my adult braces. Kaiser did the jaw surgery for $50.00

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

Jun 22, 2011 16:08:30 GMT -5 @bonnap said:

It really depends on the problem. I should have had braces when I was a child. I finally got them when I was 45 (Yea Invisiline!). I had a lot of crowding and a cross bite. Over the years the crowding and the cross bite wore down the other teeth. It was good I finally did something about it but it should have been corrected years ago.

...I know someone who had a good Invisiline experience in their late 30s... they had had braces as a teenager... but after fully growing after braces, and other "wear and tear" time, they chose to save up $ to re-correct their teeth... imo, this time took...

[Tiny]

I am also willing to pay for a partial job,

I'm not sure what this means or if it will have the intended effect.... one's teeth shift pretty easily with time.
FWIW: I had a terrible overbite, my bottom teeth are crowded and crooked and my jaw would pop all the time. I got braces on my own when I was 22 (I couldn't take the popping or the pain or the headaches anymore).
I toughed out braces for 24 months and had straight teeth, no jaw pain, no headaches. The catch was that I would have to wear an appliance nightly for the rest of my life to keep my teeth from shifting. I was pretty good with doing this until I was 27 or 28... and then I stopped. I'm 47 and my bottom teeth have all shifted back to the almost the way they were before braces. I have regained some of the overbite but not nearly what it was. My jaw never pops and only when I'm really stressed and clenching my teeth at night do I have jaw pain or a headache in the morning.
If your kid isn't in pain and if the kid isn't embarrassed by his teeth - you could just let him get them fixed as an adult (when he's done with college and has a job).

I have a friend who was so ashamed of the way her teeth looked (crazy crooked) she NEVER smilled with parted lips. I've known her since HS. She got braces at 43 years of age. She's 47 now and couldn't be happier and yes she does smile every chance she gets. She too didn't realize how much her misaligned bite effected her life - after braces and other work - no more jaw pain. She dealt with it for years on end.

[sil]

Braces can be necessary to fix a major oral health concern, but it sounds like this is not the case with your son. I don't even understand why the orthodontist was saying that not getting braces might cause gingivitis. Personally I developed gingivitis while I had braces. A waterpik would have solved my problem and would probably be sufficient to prevent your son from developing gum disease as well. If I were you, I'd ask my child's dentist about it.

But I'll join you in the "braces are a ripoff" camp, in most cases. Having a couple of crooked teeth is the same as having a slightly crooked nose, in my opinion. And spending $5000 on a teenager to correct a couple of crooked teeth is pretty much the same as spending $5000 for a nosejob. If the issue is strictly cosmetic, and it's not awful, they can decide when they are adults if they'd like to pay to correct it.

If my kid starts smiling like Mr. Ed, however, I'd pay for the braces ;D

EDIT - oops

[zibazinski]

I'm biasd, of course, but I got HOSED with a Phase One, Phase Two, sort of deal for BOTH kids. I "bought" it and it was very dumb on my part. FIND an old dentist or an OLD ortho, ones that have paid off dental schoool, their fancy homes/cars and their kids college tuitions.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

<<< I am also willing to pay for a partial job,

I'm not sure what this means or if it will have the intended effect.... one's teeth shift pretty easily with time. >>>


...imo, a "partial job" could reference any number of scenarios, such as putting braces on the top teeth only... the teeth seen while smiling... because if there's no health concern with the crookedness and/or bite, we're only talking cosmetics at this point...

[Mad Dawg Wiccan]

I agree with getting a second opinion, or even two or three more.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

<<< But I'll join you in the "braces are a ripoff" camp, in most cases. Having a couple of crooked teeth is the same as having a slightly crooked nose, in my opinion. And spending $5000 on a teenager to correct a couple of crooked teeth is pretty much the same as spending $5000 for a nosejob. If the issue is strictly cosmetic, and it's not awful, they can decide when they are adults if they'd like to pay to correct it. >>>


...agreed... good analogy, btw...

[greenstone]

OP, you said your wife was frantic for your child to have braces, but how does your child feel about it? Remember they are the ones that have to live with their teeth and endure the orthodontia. I'm just finishing up Invisalign treatment and I am so happy with it, but I would not recommend orthodontia for anyone that wasn't committed to it. Braces can be a huge waste of money if the person is non-compliant, meaning not following the ortho's instructions such as not wearing retainers for the required amount of time. I have spoken to a lot of people who had braces as kids but didn't wear their retainer and now their teeth are just as bad as before braces. It is big business for Invisalign.
If you don't feel comfortable with the ortho you have seen, get more opinions. First time consultations should be free, keep looking till you find someone you like and feel they are not pushing you toward unnecessary work. I would make sure that there are no underlying medical issues that could create problems for you child as they hit adulthood. If it is just cosmetic work, then it really just depends on whether or not the problem is severe enough that it will affect your child's self-esteem.

[ihearyou2]

My son is partially in the wife camp, where he sees every kid in the class getting them so thinks it is a rite of passage. I don't think he feels like he has any real problems with how he looks, he justs sees everyone in the class and I mean everyone other then one other kid getting it done so feels that he is being deprived from a requirement that all kids go through. He of course does play it for what its worth saying people make fun of his big front teeth but those are his teeth, they don't stick out Mr. Ed style, they just look like Julia Roberts.

[zibazinski]

Just say "no." Discussion closed.

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

Jun 22, 2011 17:12:10 GMT -5 ihearyou2 said:

My son is partially in the wife camp, where he sees every kid in the class getting them so thinks it is a rite of passage. I don't think he feels like he has any real problems with how he looks, he justs sees everyone in the class and I mean everyone other then one other kid getting it done so feels that he is being deprived from a requirement that all kids go through. He of course does play it for what its worth saying people make fun of his big front teeth but those are his teeth, they don't stick out Mr. Ed style, they just look like Julia Roberts.

...so he wants to look cool? hmm... to my knowledge, one can buy fake braces, and grills, etc., much like you can buy the fashion eyeglasses, and latest super sneaker, and...

[happyscooter]

DH desperately needed braces when he was younger. He didn't get them since his older brother had them (didn't need them) and didn't take care of them. DH's teeth are horribly crooked, we could never afford for him to get them. Both of our sons had them. Actually the son who we thought needed them more for cosmetic reasons had them on longer than the son who needed them worse because he couldn't clean or floss well. The floss got stuck between his teeth and would break. They even wore their retainers in college. Wait until 8th/9th grade, then see if they need them.

[Poppet]

My kid was a teeth grinder. By the time he was 8 or so, all his baby teeth were ground down to dentin exposure.

Dentist said see an ortho. I didn't get the connection, thought it was marketing and the regular dentist office was big on pushing cosmetic stuff.

Got a $7,500 quote from some nasty geezer dentist who is now out of business. Procrastinated getting a second opinion, again, because I suspected there was heavy push for braces and I didn't get the connection to jaw issues and teeth grinding.

Poor kid wore an ugly night guard for several years to protect his incoming adult teeth.

Finally, something in me clicked and I got a second opinion from the most awesome ortho who explained what was needed and why he was grinding. Her quote was around 5K and I went with her. And yes, I got the laundry list of all the things that can go wrong with braces. Seems like quite a gamble when you read it.

Got braces on the boy, he has stopped grinding his teeth.

And now they show me radiographs of his teeth and tell that as soon as he gets the braces off next month to go and get his wisdom teeth pulled because they're impacted and threaten to ruin everything.

Isn't that swell?