Son Needs Braces,so Many Questions!

Second opinion, definitely. There are a LOT of advanced techniques now. I dont know where you are, but Dr. Ossen in Hastings, NY is the BEST! Good luck

L.,

Have you gotten an opinion of another orthodontist? My almost 11 yr daughter also needs braces, but my dentist suggested we have her fitted for a special appliance instead of the braces. We were told she would need to bite down with the device in her month for 15 minutes a day and sleep with each night. Besides the cost being about the 1/3 of what the braces would cost this seems to be less painful and stressful for the child as well. Don't know where you live but I live in Northern NJ. Shoot me an email and I'll give you my dentist's contact info. Good luck!

Ann Marie C
www.DontPayDayCare.com

I think, in light of the fact that his wearing of the head gear is going to impact on his life so heavily (i.e. his not being able to play sports, or play a musical instrument) as well as making him extremely self-concious, you may want to do some checking into what has been recommended for him.

If he will only be able to wear the head gear during the overnight hours, one has to wonder how effective its going to be. Also, if your son is like any other typical 11 year old boy, once you're not looking, his pillow may be wearing the head gear more than he is, if he finds it painful or very annoying! LOL Sad, but also true!

If I were you, I think I would get a second opinion from another orthodontist before putting him through this. Perhaps another orthodontist might be able to offer a different treatment plan, without use of the head gear.

When my son was 13, he also needed braces because of a terrible overbite. His orthodontist also recommended the head gear, but I refused to go with that treatment because, knowing how stubborn my son was at that age, I knew it would go into his pocket as soon as he walked out the door!

Instead, his orthodontist opted to pull 3 teeth on the top, which enabled him to go into real braces immediately, rather than depending on the headgear to move teeth over a year's time. He did have to wear the braces for 2-1/2 years, but the end result was the same....straight teeth...without any of the headgear problems and embarrassment issues that go with it.

This may not work for your son, but I think I would discuss this with his current orthodontist, and if he says that this isn't possible, I would get a second opinion before making a final decision on something that is going
to have such a huge impact on your son's life!

Hi L.-
I worked for an orthodontist for 12 years. Not too many orthodontists are using head gear anymore. You should find out if your son would be a candidate for Invisalign. Invisalign is a group of clear, plastic aligners that fit over the teeth. You get a set of aligners that you change usually on a two week basis.
Hope this helps
K.

Hi L.,
I am yet another voice who went through the same thing as a child. I can tell you that it is difficult with the headgear (we called it a night brace), which I ONLY wore at home; of course there is pain, but it is so worth it. Sad to say in our society, but looks make so much difference and good teeth and no overbite make strangers automatically find you more appealing and even more intelligent. The health issues can be extremely important, too; they are finding out more and more how much a compromised mouth can lead to serious health issues. Let him do it now, before puberty and adulthood when believe me it would be more complicated!
IT IS WORTH IT.
S.

Definately get a second opinion. Braces are fine, but no soda, chewing gum, or spinach. (The carbonation from the soda eats away the cement used on the brackets...gum and spinach get stuck in the braces.) Headgear is no good if fitted improperly and can ruin the structure of the neck, causing it to go out of alignment and make a cracking noise.

Things to consider: Is his overbite that bad that it is or can cause a problem? My othodontist checked my bite when I was laying down...Yep, looked like I had developed an overbite due to the movement of my teeth fromt he braces, so he decided to "fix" the problem. Now my teeth don't meet as good as before. Why? Because when you lay down, your jaw automatically sinks back in relaxation. Your jaw actually juts forward when your upright.

Hi L.,

My one son(I have 3)is 12. He will be 13 in Nov. He has started wearing braces...top 4 teeth until the other ones on top grow in that he had pulled....2 on each side on top.He also has to wear the head gear for 12-14 hours a day. He does wear it at night. The first night he had a hard time sleeping,but since then he has been fine. He does end up sleeping on his side with his head turned to the side on the pillow and that has not been a problem for him. The ortho. actually told him that he is NOT to use the head gear outside of the house. He will be using the head gear for the two years that his braces are to be on and then he gets a retainer.

Hope that has helped you some. Any questions,just let me know.

G. :-)

My daughter just got her braces off last year and my son is in the process of getting braces now. He is 11. Both of them needed a palate expander which is placed in the roof of the mouth for about 6 months to make room for the teeth. I heard of the use of rubber bands to correct bites but I have never heard of "head gear". Maybe you need a second opinion. I am not sure where you live but I go to Dr. Schwitz on Route 9 in Howell. I would definately shop around - I am sure in this day and age there is something they can do besides "head gear". Not that you need another 2 cents but - I wouldn't make him wear the head gear outside the house. It's too hard on these kids to fit in today and I think that would be a big mistake. Anyway - good luck whatever you decide!!!!!

I can't tell you as a mom, but I went through it all as a kid. I am so grateful that my parents took the time and money to correct my teeth. I have a beautiful smile that I enjoy every single day, and though parts of it were painful and awful, it was well worth it. Your son is not alone. Tons of his schoolmates will be enduring the same torture, and they will all get used to the discomfort.

Get another opinion. my son does many sports.. and has braces.. he wears a mouth guard. Most ortho's don't use head gear any longer.. because kids just won't wear them.. it's really an old fashioned way of doing things. They have come a long way.. and most ortho's use other options.. call around.. or ask parents who you see that have kids with braces.. there are many out there. check around.. don't go to the first person..

I have no experience with the head gear, but my dtr was the first in her class to get braces. She just got them in April at age 10; she has almost all her adult teeth but 2 were coming in as "fangs" due to no room and no baby teeth left to pull. She said it did not hurt at all, just felt wierd the first day or 2. The braces look so much better now than they did when we were kids, she really does not get made fun of. She plays flute, it does not interfere at all. It also does not hurt when they are adjusted either, like it did 20-30 year ago. Dentistry and orthodontia has changed alot over the years, so past experiences are not something to rely on since there are so many new advances in the field. Our dentist is also her ortho, he was VERY thorough with molds, pictures, etc. We had an hour long consultation to explain everything to us and give us his opinion. Make sure you get this kind of attention for the money you are paying. It should help to answer all of your questions. Good luck!

I can't speak from the perspective of my child because he's only 2, but I wore braces when I was younger and had the headgear as well -- back then they called it the "night brace", I guess because you wear it mostly at night, which is what I did, and I had no problem adapting to sleeping with it in any position. Also, you get used to the pain, or pressure it causes. I seem to remember the head gear causing more pressure, I remember the pain came more when he would do a new adjustment to the wires, and it would only be for the first few days following each adjustment.

In addition to being compliant while he has the braces on, PLEASE make sure he wears any follow up devices, e.g. the retainer. The retainer that was given to me was not the usual one that you stick in your mouth mostly at night, and you can talk with it, etc. Mine looked like a football mouthpiece, with a mold of my upper and lower teeth, and I had to wear it and actively bite into it for 4 hours a day. Well! Painful, tiring, couldn't talk with it, couldn't eat with it, to this day I don't know why he gave me that, but suffice it to say I could really use some braces right now... my teeth are tolerable but could look MUCH better...

Good luck!

D.

Hi L.,

I would definitely go for a second opinion with a different orthodontist. Sometimes they do not all deem it necessary for the head gear. Especially now with all the different technology available. If a second tells you the same thing (he needs it) then he will have to find a way to adjust to wearing it from 6pm-6am for that year. And just remember, this too shall pass. It will not only fix the cosmetic issues, but it will help keep him from having any future dental/gum issues.

Hi there. We are on kid number three with headgear and number two getting braces soon, and I have been through the works myself when I was younger. There is always an initial awkward phase when getting used to the new appliance and schedule, but it always passes suprisingly quickly. There is some initial discomfort initially and when it is adjusted, maybe for a day or two, but ibuprofen or the like can alleviate it if it's really needed. My daughter slacked off on wearing her headgear this summer and at her last appt, the Dr. said that the more you wear it, the less it hurts! She did put that theory to the test and said it was true. She puts it on after dinner and wears it until she wakes up. None of the kids have complained of losing sleep (they've complained about having to wear it, that's for sure), and I think my son slept on his face with it. It seems that a good percentage of kids these days have some orthodonture work done and it is part of the norm. And looking back on my experience, I don't remember a whole lot about it. Good luck with your decision. I'm sure you'll get lots of food for thought here!

Hi L.,

I remember when I was in 5th grade I got the 'head gear'. I remember wearing it in school and everyone was envious of my new accessory! The issue was that I had to take it off for gym time and lunch time, so I ended up wearing it at home -- 12 hours at home. Think about it, kids sleep for about 8-9 hrs so that's fine, then another 3 hrs after school. Sleeping was fine. At such a young age, I got used to it. I do remember after a 'tightening' visit, the head-gear hurt me because of the tension on my teeth and one night I couldn't sleep and I took it off. (Please give your son tylenol after tightening visits!) But other than that, I wore it faithfully. I think it was for about a year, then I got braces for 12 months. Then I believe I had a 'positioner -- looks like a mouth guard a boxer would wear' and then retainer. (I had it ALL!)

By the way, I had a severe overbite......I thank my parents for correcting my teeth. They are very nice - wouldn't even know I had orthodontic work. 2 years seems long, but it really isn't in the grand scheme of things!

Good luck!
J.

You might want to get another opinion, I don't think he needs a head gear all day and all night. Sometimes there is an alternative to head gear or he can just wear it at night. Don't worry about the pain, he'll be fine. but i do agree that he shouldn't have to wear it all day.

I speak as a former braces "survivor" and mother on 3 teenagers all with braces. I had to wear head gear, back in the day, TO SCHOOL. I would not put one person through what I had to endure. My three, when required to wear head gear, wore at night ONLY. If they had sleepovers, I didn't insist they wear it there either. They are ALL FINE. it may have slowed down the process a bit but certainly nothing substantial. They now have elastic and i have no issue with that just, of course, trying to get them to wear those. I have very strong feelings about this as I cannot tell you what this did to my self-esteem. I dreaded going to school every day and I was picked on terribly. this is not a "life saving" treatment but it is life altering. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Hi L.,

30 years ago, when I was his age, I slept with the headgear and somehow I managed to adjust. I'd try to arrange the 12 hours to when he is at home. My 13 year old daughter has not needed the headgear as part of her orthodontic treatment, not sure what my 9 year old son will need yet. As to whether it's necessary, it depends upon how you want their teeth to look. You're not required to do something cosmetic to your child and if you opt not to, he can take on the commitment and expense as an adult if he chooses - there are plenty of adults out there with braces.
Good luck

L., I don't have any personal experience with braces, but I know a few kids who've had braces in the last 10 years, and none of them had head gear. I haven't even heard anyone mention head gear since the 80s! I would definitely get the opinion of another orthodontist. I would think that technology has advanced enough that head gear (if really still used) would be for people with severe correction to be made. I didn't get the impression from your posts that your son's bite is extreme....I would get another opinion before making the decision. Good luck!

Well, I don't have experience with the head gear and such. But I do know people who didn't have their bite fixed and the problems it's caused. My hubby will not smile with his mouth open because he teeth are so messed up. And others who get headaches from their jaws allignment and the TMJ. So you can do it now while he's young and get it over with, or you may have to do it later anyway.

Dear L.,
First of all, I would get a second opinion from another orthodontist. I cannot imagine in this day and age, needing to wear headgear to correct any problem imaginable. That would be difficult for anyone at any age. There are so many new procedures and applications. You can find better.
It's important that your son feel comfortable with the doctor you chose to correct his teeth. Otherwise it becomes a drudgery, for him and you. Both my children needed braces. I took my oldest to an orthodontist who came highly recommended - but he had no "bedside manner". She suffered thru each appointment because she wanted beautiful teeth. With worse problems, my son needed much work. I found another orthodontist. He, and his staff, were so caring and understanding, that my son never complained about going to his appointments. Now, they both have beautiful teeth - one went thru "hell", one did not.
Take time, do your homework, and ask lots of questions. Best regards, W.

Orthodontics is so worth it. Headgear is still needed in some cases. Of course you can get a second opinion but make sure you go to someone who does exactly what is needed, not one who tells you what you want to hear. Your son will get used to headgear in a couple of days and not have any problem. Send him to bed with a couple of aspirin the first 2 days just to help him get to sleep. And remember this will benefit him his whole life, cosmetically and healthfully.

Hi L.,

I can only speak from my personal experience as my daughter is only 2 but I do feel strongly about what I am about to share. When I was 12, I was told that I needed braces (to correct overbite from sucking my thumb for far too long). So, needless to say, my parents got them for me (very similar situation as your son, nightbrace for @6 mos and then braces for a year). We did all that and then I had a retainer for quite a while. Years pass and as an adult I had to get braces all over again (in my late 20's). This time for longer and as an adult....much more painful. I was told that the main reason that I needed them again was because I had them too young and for too short of a period of time. At such a young age, your teeth are constantly moving and (I was told), it's better to wait until an older age (the first time around). Puberty was also mentioned as a time where teeth are shifting (to allow for wisdom teeth...which was one of my problems).

If I were you, I would wait. A few more years, won't make a huge difference and I firmly believe that you will have greater success.

Best of luck to you,
M.

Hi L., my daughter got her braces on in the 3rd grade. She also had to wear head gear and your son doesn't have to sleep on his back. Once they get used to the head gear you will find he sleeps anyway he wants. She wore the gear only at night. Because she did everything the dentist told her she got her braces off for 6th grade graduation. She is now 16 and had 4 of her wisdom teeth pulled due to no room in her mouth. She had pain for a couple of days and then back to normal. Her teeth are beautiful and am so glad that she had braces and so is she. Of course, there will be discomfort every once in awhile but I'm sure your son can take it. The benefits outrule the pain.

Get a second opinion, it seems a little severe to me too.