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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2018 14:56:34 GMT -6
My kid has jacked up teeth. H wants to fix them knowing it will most likely mean braces twice since "childhood is hard". I think that is crazy. She is pretty, but is homeschooled/dyslexic/social anxiety so she already stands out. Fixing her teeth early won't make her life easier.
1. The dentist said it's up to us, everything structurally is fine. Purely cosmetic.
2. We have a $2000/year insurance coverage. So it would be $500-$2000 for the FIRST round of treatment out of pocket.
3. We have 3 more coming down the pike, the next one was told she would need orthodontist sooner than later because of small mouth issues.
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Post by notblanche on Sept 5, 2018 15:02:55 GMT -6
The dentist has told me M will probably need braces early due to a small mouth/ lack of spacing. I wouldn’t spend that kind of money now for cosmetic reasons.
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trueblue
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Post by trueblue on Sept 5, 2018 15:05:45 GMT -6
Have you consulted with any orthodontists? I would start there and see what they recommend. A friend had the dentist tell her they needed to start braces like yesterday for her daughter. 2 orthodontists recommended waiting until more adult teeth were in before starting anything. YMMV.
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bobyn
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Post by bobyn on Sept 5, 2018 15:12:54 GMT -6
I had braces that young, but they were necessary. I would wait unless you feel like this warrants a second opinion.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2018 15:15:30 GMT -6
Have you consulted with any orthodontists? I would start there and see what they recommend. A friend had the dentist tell her they needed to start braces like yesterday for her daughter. 2 orthodontists recommended waiting until more adult teeth were in before starting anything. YMMV. good to know! We went to one and he spent more time talking about DD2 who didn't even have a chart (you can tell her mouth is small). I am for sure shopping around. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2018 15:17:39 GMT -6
I had braces that young, but they were necessary. I would wait unless you feel like this warrants a second opinion. Can I ask what it was for? D2's 6yo molars didn't fully erupt so we will be going shortly for her but it will be spacers, not necessarily braces. D1 teeth just are on different planes, and point different directions. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2018 15:18:44 GMT -6
*poof bad teeth*
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brux
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Post by brux on Sept 5, 2018 15:21:17 GMT -6
I guess I would just pick the course of treatment that ensures the best outcome. Does two rounds of braces end up in a better place than waiting and only doing one round?
The fact that it's purely cosmetic doesn't really give me pause. If you can afford it (and yes, I know it's a ton of money), I would invest the money in making my kid as aesthetically pleasing as possible with something like this. Especially once the kid is noticing in a negative way her crooked teeth.
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jabbers
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Post by jabbers on Sept 5, 2018 15:21:27 GMT -6
8 is still pretty young, though it is the age when ortho evals are recommended. Most orthodontists, at least the ones I worked with, offer a free consultation. Some will lean towards phase I and phase II, some will lean towards extracting teeth, and some will take the wait and see approach. You just need to do what you’re comfortable with.
FWIW, I personally would not start braces at 8. There are just too many variables when they’re that young.
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brux
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Post by brux on Sept 5, 2018 15:22:29 GMT -6
Oh I'd fix that. No offense, little girl's mouth.
I wouldn't let me house go into foreclosure, but if it's a matter of just stretching the budget or foregoing some luxuries, I'd do it.
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jabbers
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Post by jabbers on Sept 5, 2018 15:25:00 GMT -6
After seeing the picture, I would say some sort of orthodontic intervention is not a bad idea, though I’m not sure full braces would be the route I’d take. Definitely go visit a few orthodontists and get a good sense of the options available to her.
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Post by robotsvswrestlers on Sept 5, 2018 15:25:40 GMT -6
Does her teeth bother your daughter? Is she self conscious about it? Would it give her confidence?
Personally I would seriously consider doing it, but I don’t know exactly what your finances are.
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bobyn
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Post by bobyn on Sept 5, 2018 15:28:33 GMT -6
I had braces that young, but they were necessary. I would wait unless you feel like this warrants a second opinion. Can I ask what it was for? D2's 6yo molars didn't fully erupt so we will be going shortly for her but it will be spacers, not necessarily braces. D1 teeth just are on different planes, and point different directions. My permanent teeth were crooked and were at risk of knocking into and loosening each other, so we did braces when I was in 2nd grade. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2018 15:34:04 GMT -6
Does her teeth bother your daughter? Is she self conscious about it? Would it give her confidence? Personally I would seriously consider doing it, but I don’t know exactly what your finances are. We have the money but as (almost) always we could use it for our house/education/retirement funding too. Cosmetic is low on my list, but my kid does have a rough road so if I can make it a bit easier I'm not opposed to forgoing some stuff for her to have it. ETA: she isn't self conscious yet. |
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tgrimes
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Post by tgrimes on Sept 5, 2018 15:36:49 GMT -6
After seeing the pic, I would get the braces now. I wouldn't want her to get teased about it because she will get teased about it. My front 4 teeth were messed up to where it looked like I had vampire fangs. Not delightful to deal with as a kid.
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moosemom
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Post by moosemom on Sept 5, 2018 15:45:43 GMT -6
My 8 year old had a front tooth like that and she has braces. I will say that she needed some help to create space on her lower teeth that was necessary but fixing the top was primarily cosmetic. We went ahead and did the 4 braces in the top that she will wear for about a year. While mostly cosmetic her one tooth was grinding down a bit. Within the first month it looked straight. She has never complained of discomfort either.
I would ask the dentist for ortho recommendations and go for consults. Financially we saved either 5 or 10% by paying in full. My insurance does not cover it.
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moosemom
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Post by moosemom on Sept 5, 2018 15:48:53 GMT -6
Also with teeth like that it makes good hygiene more challenging. I worried that she wasn’t able to clean as well as she should.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2018 15:53:04 GMT -6
Also with teeth like that it makes good hygiene more challenging. I worried that she wasn’t able to clean as well as she should. I help her floss and brush. It's an assembly line around here. The dentist said she didn't have any bad spots since they did x-ray today. |
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snowyowl
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Post by snowyowl on Sept 5, 2018 16:14:56 GMT -6
That’s a tough one... I had braces in 3rd grade. I thought they were super cool, actually, I loved them 😂 I believe mine were a necessary first step to fix a LOT of issues with placement, however, rather than just cosmetic. Have you asked her what she wants?
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Post by flamingo on Sept 5, 2018 16:22:31 GMT -6
Finances allowing, I would pursue treatment for that. 2-Phase braces are increasingly common nowadays, according to moms I know with children older than mine. Even if they're not purely necessary at this point, it may make any future orthodontic treatment easier/shorter/less invasive. I'd at least consult with an ortho before making a decision.
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Cher
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Post by Cher on Sept 5, 2018 16:27:16 GMT -6
Assuming the money is there, I would do it. Most kids I knew started braces around 8-10. I had difficult teeth. You wouldn’t know it by looking at them but I needed a number of oral surgeries and years of braces. I’m glad we started when we did (probably when I was around your daughter’s age) because I was a senior in high school when the braces finally came off.
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regal
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Post by regal on Sept 5, 2018 17:03:23 GMT -6
Braces in grade 3 are becoming more common. I would get a second opinion, but if money wasn't an issue I would do it.
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Post by whoopster on Sept 5, 2018 17:28:11 GMT -6
I’m a treatment coordinator at an ortho! starting braces this early and doing 2 phases has become more and more common so that you don’t hear, like you do from the kids parents, “I was in braces for like 6 years”.
After seeing the picture and knowing you have insurance (which is great insurance), I would do it. A lot of the times with Phase I, yes, it’s about straightening the teeth but if she’s that crowded you’ll be making room for the rest of her adult teeth to come in more easily, especially her eye teeth (canines) which just from looking at her now there is close to no room for them to come in!
I definitely think it’s always good to get more than one opinion though and going to an actual orthodontist. There may be some things in their X-rays that they’ll see that a dentist doesn’t necessarily look for.
Sorry for the long post, I love my job!
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Post by whoopster on Sept 5, 2018 17:31:11 GMT -6
It’s also important to see an orthodontist for braces and not dentists who offer braces
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2018 17:42:52 GMT -6
Thanks everyone! I thought H was being extra but I guess I should seriously consider it now. Will start to consult other orthodontist and go from there.
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gimmeaQ
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Post by gimmeaQ on Sept 5, 2018 18:18:51 GMT -6
Even if you wait, you still might need two rounds. I didn't see the picture, but I'm in the small mouth club and got braces in... fourth grade-ish? Then round two in 7th and 8th.
In college I stopped wearing a retainer and then needed Invisalign as an adult because my teeth shifted back. That cost me several thousand dollars, so wear those retainers, kids!
Anyway, your insurance is good. It's worth consulting with an orthodontist or two to see what they say.
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twopeas
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Post by twopeas on Sept 5, 2018 18:42:04 GMT -6
I used to be a treatment coordinator and assistant for an orthodontist. I loooved it! I missed the pic, and I don't really have anything more to add about treatment that hasn't already been said. However, on the insurance side, please make absolutely positive that 2k per *year* is your ortho coverage. That seems like a lot. Not saying it's not true, but ortho coverage is separate from your general dental coverage, and is most often a lifetime maximum. That would mean that if you pursue 2 phases, and use $1500 on phase 1, you would only have $500 to use on phase 2, which is more expensive. Would just hate for you to be blindsided a couple years down the road!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2018 18:49:30 GMT -6
I used to be a treatment coordinator and assistant for an orthodontist. I loooved it! I missed the pic, and I don't really have anything more to add about treatment that hasn't already been said. However, on the insurance side, please make absolutely positive that 2k per *year* is your ortho coverage. That seems like a lot. Not saying it's not true, but ortho coverage is separate from your general dental coverage, and is most often a lifetime maximum. That would mean that if you pursue 2 phases, and use $1500 on phase 1, you would only have $500 to use on phase 2, which is more expensive. It's what is said in the brochure for H's benefits and the first Ortho we saw seemed to back it up. I was under the impression it was 2k lifetime but I guess this place is different for under 18yo (adults have a 2k life/max). We pay close to $40/pay period for family so idk if that is the difference. |
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twopeas
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Post by twopeas on Sept 5, 2018 19:13:03 GMT -6
I used to be a treatment coordinator and assistant for an orthodontist. I loooved it! I missed the pic, and I don't really have anything more to add about treatment that hasn't already been said. However, on the insurance side, please make absolutely positive that 2k per *year* is your ortho coverage. That seems like a lot. Not saying it's not true, but ortho coverage is separate from your general dental coverage, and is most often a lifetime maximum. That would mean that if you pursue 2 phases, and use $1500 on phase 1, you would only have $500 to use on phase 2, which is more expensive. It's what is said in the brochure for H's benefits and the first Ortho we saw seemed to back it up. I was under the impression it was 2k lifetime but I guess this place is different for under 18yo (adults have a 2k life/max). We pay close to $40/pay period for family so idk if that is the difference. I just wanted to give a heads up; didn't want you to be in a sticky situation a couple years down the road and have to pay more oop for a more expensive treatment. ☺ But this is some pretty great coverage!! |
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McBenny
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Post by McBenny on Sept 5, 2018 19:55:36 GMT -6
I'm adding an anecdote. I'm a small mouth and we did one phase and oral surgery. I had six teeth pulled. Two from top and two baby at the bottom and they went in my gums and pulled the adult ones that never pushed up. They were angled. I also had fangs. I started at 12 and was done before high school.
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