Braces

The problem with an overbite is that it can cause early wear and tear on the teeth as well as TMJ. TMJ is very painful. A retainer is not going to move the teeth it will just hold them in place once they have been moved. I had both my husband and daughter go to Dr Zamitti ( sorry i spelt it wrong)in Marlboro. I think he's got an office in Northboro now to. O and there is a guy in Milford, I forget his name but it starts with a A. He's great to. Most of the ortho guy's are great with kids. That's who they work with most of the time. I know that the above two are great with kids to. Good luck.....

I had braces as an adult.. as far as they go, it's pretty easy for kids.. they work with the growing jaw, so the overbite is easier to correct than it is for an adult (takes surgery sometimes in adults). they do wait until most of the baby teeth have fallen out. it's really not that bad for kids though... go to an orthodontist and just talk to them. they will explain it all to you.

Well I was 11 when I got braces. The dentist was able to tell my mom when I was 7 or so that I was going to need them even though at that time it did not seem like I did. But he was right I indeed needed them (only on top teeth). No a retainer would not fix the problem especially for an over bite. However I am not an orthodontist or a dentist but from experience I know this. I would go now to an orthodontist (if you have not brought him to one yet) they will know better than the dentist). My neice got braces at 12 she is now almost 13. I remember being anxious & I know my neice was petrified but both her and I said that was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. More uncomfortable than painful & some what time consuming. Your son will be just fine! Just make sure you go to a good orthodondist & if you don't have faith in that one get a 2nd opionion.
Oh, also I had all my adult teeth by 11 but still had to have 2 teeth pulled because my teeth were to close together (I have a very small mouth, my brother also had 4 teeth pulled before his braces, 2 top, 2 bottom. But had all adult teeth). I must also say we both have awesome looking teeth now!

We met with an ortho when my son was 8 or 9 but he did not get them on until he was 13. We did meet with the ortho every 6 months or so. This allowed the ortho to keep an eye on his development. We did discover after the fact that each ortho office charges differently and prices can vary several thousands of dollars. So be sure to call around to get prices.

Good luck with it. Oh I have a friend who published a great book called The Braces CookBook, you can order it off amazon it has great recipes for the tightening visits!

C. W
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I understand your concerns. I have my fourth child in braces now and each had totally different treatments. My first had to have partial braces when she was 10 to expand and hold space until adult teeth came in. Over the years, the 'hardware' was added to. It took nearly 5 years and now she has very beautiful teeth. The next two did not need them until they were in middle school and they too went smoothly. the fourth is just starting and he will need more extensive work as he has extra teeth that needs to be dragged down. At 16, he has some adult teeth that had no room to come in.

It all seems scary and overwhelming, but don't be afraid to talk to the orthodontist AND the assistants and ask any questions and concerns you might have. Second opinions are important too.

Good Luck T.

Make sure you check around with people in your area to find the best, most economical or most flexible ortho to work with (or all of the above).... They all should offer some sort of a payment plan, but ask if you pay "up front" if there is a price break. I got a few hundred dollars off that way. Check out at least two doctors.... I got a really bad feeling in one office when they asked me not to go in with my then 10 year old girl. I stood in the doorway and needless to say, I did not chose that office! Depending on what your child needs, you're talking big bucks so do get a second (or third) opinion. Dental schools in Boston offer price breaks but you have to go back often for adjustments, etc...., but if cost is an issue, you should check them out. I have several friends who have been very happy there over the years!

I can tell you from personal experience that it's best to wait until your child has lost all of his baby teeth and is old enough to handle the responsiblitiy of braces and cleaning them properly or using elastics. I personally had to have six baby teeth pulled so I could have braces at age 8. I had them off at age 12. The braces left permanent marks on my teeth and to this day I still have the cement stuck to some teeth that the dentist can't get off. My teeth have since shifted back slightly leaving me, as an adult considering invisalign or braces again. I suggest waiting until your child is in middle school or high school and if possible, using invisalign. That way you spear him the embarassment of having the shiny metal braces and he can take them out to clean his teeth properly and avoid damage braces may cause. Good luck!

Hi! I am a dental assistant and alot of orthodontists wait until kids lose their baby teeth but in some cases they start earlier to keep space.My stepdaughter had them when she was 10 and hadn't lost all her baby teeth yet but was necessary for space issues.My son who is 8 won't have them for quite some time because he is very behind in losing baby teeth and his adult teeth erupting.Some other appliances are necessary before braces sometimes. It realy depends on each kid. T.

I am guessing my experience was not the norm... but it could give you some helpful insight.

I wore braces for just over 10 years. My teeth were in very bad shape, however, the very extended period of time that they were on my teeth ended up doing more damage than good.

10 years is just too long to wear braces for.

The biggest problem was that I was started way too early with braces. I hadn't even lost my baby teeth yet so they had to keep pulling them out at various points of the treatment.

Had we waited until I was several years older (I was started in braces at the age of 9) my orthodontic treatments would have lasted only a few years (4 maximum) and I wouldn't have ended treatment with terrible tooth decay from wearing the braces for too long.

I think that orthodontic treatments are excellent when you have a great orthodontist and they are started at the correct timing.

I can't give a suggestion on age other than 9 being way too young. In my opinion you should have all of your adult teeth (except wisdom teeth) before you get braces... and you should also find out the full plan of the orthodontist as well as their record before you begin treatment.

I went through 3 orthodontists. The first one began while I was too young because they were greedy for money, the second one was incredible and tried to repair the mistakes of the first but he sadly died of cancer and I ended treatment with a third orthodontist, thankfully he was a good one too. Both the second and third orthodontists agreed that I was started too early in braces.

My orthodontic needs were pretty intense, have extra teeth on top and bottom, severe overbite and severe overcrowding. knowing this we realized that I'd need a longer plan than most and more treatment than most, however, 4 years would have been more reasonable than 10 in my situation.

It is also good to have an idea of the outcome. I still have an overbite, though thankfully it is nothing nearly as bad as what I had prior to wearing braces and going through many treatments. I've now had my braces off for almost 10 years and my bottom teeth have started to go a little crooked in the front. I'll have to have them moved slightly ~ this is common when braces go on in adolescence for some teeth to move later on. It can happen when wisdom teeth come in or for a variety of other reasons.

Because my braces were left on for 10 years I have some teeth that had severe decay. I have needed numerous fillings, root canals and even a few implants. All of which could have been avoided if I had worn braces for less time.

Only the orthodontist can give you specific answers on your son's situation and what his needs are. If you are in doubt of the treatment they plan to give him, wait and get another opinion.

Also a lot of orthodontists deal with children who have difficulty going through dental treatment. They usually have neat things to help them have less anxiety during their visits.

Wishing you the best!

A retainer does not fix the teeth. A retainer is used to keep teeth in place after the braces are removed. You never said how old your son is, so I'm not sure. My youngest daughter had a cross bite etc. She visited the orthodontist a few times before he said the time was right to begin treatment. He was waiting for two particular teeth to be close to coming in before he started. She was 8 or 9. She wore a pallette expander to expand the roof of her mouth as well as some braces on her top front teeth. Her baby teeth in the top front were not forced out by her second teeth, so she had four front top teeth for quite a while. When the second ones finally forced the baby teeth out, the second teeth were set back. The braces moved those teeth forward into position.

By doing the procedure when we did, it has allowed her other second teeth to come in properly. I guess this doesn't always happen, but in her case it did. She is now 11, and she doesn't have braces at all now.

My advice to you is to find a good orthodontist and put your trust in his/her judgement. Unlike the dentist, the ortho doesn't give needles. Braces aren't as horrible as you may think. They are a little uncomfortable when they are first put on, but you stock up on Butler wax to ease spots that may rub and you give Tylenol. My daughter went through the pallette expander which literally splits the roof of your mouth to allow the expansion. Of course, it is done slowly, one or two turns of the little adjuster per day for a short time, and then you just wear it until the bone grows in. I was very concerned that she would not tolerate it, but she did fantastic. Sometimes early treatment helps to avoid further treatment later. Do some networking, find a good ortho, and see what they have to say. Best of luck.