Teeth braces for teen

hitatotatus

I would appreciate anyone's experience of having their teen fitted with braces. I have been told a couple of things which might put me off getting them for my son, so would like some more views in order to balance things out.
He has an overbite where the top teeth are 8mm over his bottom teeth, otherwise they are very straight, so treatment is not essential but recommended.
However, I have been told by friends/family that the braces can damage the enamel of the teeth and leave permanent marks, can be extremely painful throughout the whole term (up to 2 years), difficulties eating, speaking and wires that stick into gums. :eek: .

Griizelda

My son was 13 when he had braces (top and bottom). In total, the teatment took a little over a year and this included having the removable plates for which were needed to create more space in his mouth in order for his teeth to be moved into line and (hopefully) avoid the possibility of having to remove any teeth (it worked).

His teeth are now lovely and straight and his overbite has been corrected. The enamel is absolutely fine and the braces haven't left any marks whatsoever. When the braces are fitted it is a little uncomfortable, but it passes (although it feels uncomfortable every time the braces are adjusted, but it does get better). Same with the speech - after a few days your son will adjust and he will sound "normal" again. Because his teeth will ache to start with, it may affect his eating, but that's only temporary, trust me!

Hope this helps!

MrsBartolozzi

If your son has such a large overbite most of the braces time will be probably be taken up with wearing removable "twin blocks" rather than the permanent train tracks type which come fraught with most of the problems you mention.(Although I must add, the discolouration of the enamel and marks are caused by poor dental hygeine and are not a sure thing as neither of my boys have discolouration and they were not fastidious about brushing after every meal etc). The pain is not permanent, my boys and their friends with braces agreed that just after tightening and for a day or 2 after there is some discomfort warranting only paracetamol and softer food (no steaks or hard biscuits for a couple of days).
Both my boys have had braces, both wore twin blocks first for maybe 10 months or so (less than a year anyway) then had the train tracks type later. The twin blocks (google for a picture and to find out more) are used to bring the upper and lower jaws into alignment. Again they can be uncomfortable just after tightening, but this also doesn't last long.
My DS2's top jaw was also 8mm out and now after treatment is only about 1mm so nothing really, and his smile is much nicer now and he is so happy that he put up with the minor inconveniences for what was really only a short time. Once his braces were off the orthodontist showed him the before and after pictures and the difference was amazing! If your child is happy to go through with it my 2 would definately recommend it!

Caroline73_2

Why not ask the orthodontic experts rather than your friends/family?

They'll be best placed to answer your queries and quash any doubts.

hitatotatus

Thanks for your replies - especially re the twin blocks.
The orthodontist we were referred to has given me basic information but did not do any x-rays or impressions until we were sure we wanted it. I was not totally happy with his answers to my questions during the consultation hence coming on here before I ask for a second opinion from another dentist/orthodontist.

brook2jack

Number one thing is does your son want treatment?

There is nothing worse than starting treatment on an uncooperative teen who is not convinced they need treatment. It causes problems because
A you have to be scrupulous about cleaning otherwise yes you can get damage to the teeth from decay as cleaning braces is harder than cleaning teeth

B you need to be careful about avoiding certain foods eg chewing gum , sticky sweets , toffees etc and habits such as pencil chewing otherwise brace gets damaged.

Your son may not need twin block therapy every person has a different treatment plan which your orthodontist will discuss with your son and you. But the biggest factor in treatment success or complications is how enthusiastic your son is over treatment. If he is not convinced then the orthodontist may well ask him to think over it for a while. After all he will be committing to probably two years of treatment with regular visits.

Waterfalls

I am so glad i had braces when i was younger! a) it was free b) my teeth are lovely now. i had train tracks and plates. and luckily lots of my friends had them too, so it wasnt an issue. my teeth have been left with no marks or damage to the enamel. it was painful for a couple of days after they were tighten, but u soon got used to it and forgot they were there.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

DD2 (12) has fixed braces on top and bottom teeth, plus an overbite and a canine tooth that erupted at the top of her gum. She had her first one in November, the lower one in January.


Apparently, it's fashionable to have braces at school, as it means you will a) have perfect teeth and b) could have a parent paying for private orthodontic treatment (which is a good thing, apparently).

She reliably informs me that the school brace information network (yes, they do have conversations about their orthodontics) agrees several things;

They can feel achey for 1 - 2 days after they've been tightened. Take a painkiller and eat normally.
Avoid snowball fights like the plague.
Cut up your apples.
DO NOT EVER EAT French Stick
The strips are better than the wax when there is a bit rubbing.
The first day, keep pulling your lip out and you'll adjust to the brace being there more quickly.
Use the interdental brushes religiously. Take them to school and use them there, too.
Clean your teeth everyday, that way there is no blackening, loss of enamel, yellow bits, nothing to make it go wrong.
If something breaks, call your mum, as she'll be able to sort out an appointment for a repair pretty quickly.
Be proud you have them. It shows your parents value you enough to get them done and you value yourself enough to get them done.
And anyone trying to hide them is attention seeking, as nobody cares.



I have to say it wasn't what I would have expected from the school, but there you go.

I guess they have realised that not having the treatment means they have the English Smiles so dreaded by the Americans.



I am a little worried about the family/friends comments, though. Would they prefer your son to be a chinless wonder with buck teeth? That may sound harsh, but that could be what faces him in the future without treatment - would this makes their own children better looking in comparison/excuses them not bothering with their own?

loztredders

Get the braces if you son is happy to proceed with treatment, or even if he needs a little bit of persuasion.
I opted out of braces as a teen, and here I am now with train tracks at 23, which is fine, but I could have saved years of feeling so self concious of my smile if only I had done this almost ten years ago

doodoot

My mum refused to let me have braces as a teen because she thought people would stare at me and because her friend told her that they would crack my teeth. :wall:

Now I'm in my 30's, have crooked/overlapped teeth, rarely smile in company and can't afford the £2000+ needed to sort them out.

If your son is happy to have them, then get his appointment booked.