Tell Me About Braces

[jyl]

Starting the process of learning about braces.

For my 15 y/o son. I don't know anything about the subject. The only information I have is that his teeth are "pretty good" and the braces would be for his lower teeth only (suggesting there's not a lot to be done? I see some minor misalignment of a few teeth, but what do I know) and that our regular dentist says braces will cost $6,000.

What should we look for? Are there different kinds of braces? What is a reasonable price? How long will he wear them?

[zelrik911]

I presume your dentist has checked out your sons situation with 'wisdom teeth'. If these are going to be a problem in the future, I suggest he has them out earlier rather than later.

Lots of the young guys I worked with had them done in their mid twenties & it was always a long painful drama. I had my sons extracted at 17yo at the start of our long school vacation - so it was one less thing for him to cope with in his twenties.

[vash]

i did mine when i was in my early twenties.

cost my mom $2k at the time. my dentist told me to visit an orthodontist...Dr King. great dude. worst 2 years of my teeth's life, but the ortho was cool.

i vaguely remmember my dentist taking a crack at moving my teeth..but he failed.

funny thing was at the time, i felt like the oldest patient. i would sit next to these tiny young kids. our bibs had baby elephants on them.. i was definitely the only one driving myself to the monthly visits. but my teeth have stayed straight all these years. only a two month hate-affair with my retainer, which i lost at a Bennigans..while drunk.

hahhahah.

[masraum]

If they aren't that bad, then they don't need to be done. It sounds like it's mostly cosmetic. I'd get a second and third opinion unless the kid is unhappy with his teeth or wants braces or the Dentist thinks there's a reason that he needs braces.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by zelrik911

I presume your dentist has checked out your sons situation with 'wisdom teeth'. If these are going to be a problem in the future, I suggest he has them out earlier rather than later.

Lots of the young guys I worked with had them done in their mid twenties & it was always a long painful drama. I had my sons extracted at 17yo at the start of our long school vacation - so it was one less thing for him to cope with in his twenties.

Word.

My Uncle was a Dentist. Mom asked him about braces for me. He said don't waste your money now. His wisdom teeth will come in and you'll be back at square one. He actually recommended yanking my canines and letting the wisdom teeth push everything to fill the gaps.

Well mom did not listen, I got braces and you'd never know I once had perfect teeth.

[RF5BPilot]

I worked in surgery at a small hospital years ago and occasionally got to see dentists pulling teeth under a general anaesthetic.

Small guys would grab with pliers and work back and forth. Hard to watch.

One guy had been a tackle for Ohio State. Just put his patients in a headlock, one pull...done. Decided he was my guy if I ever needed that kind of work.

[island911]

Originally Posted by masraum

If they aren't that bad, then they don't need to be done. It sounds like it's mostly cosmetic. I'd get a second and third opinion unless the kid is unhappy with his teeth or wants braces or the Dentist thinks there's a reason that he needs braces.

+1

and this thing about pulling wisdom teeth... considering that all teeth are likely to cause problems, shouldn't they all be pulled? --read: seriously, what kind of crazy logic is this?

[PorscheGAL]

In order to get a full idea of things you will need to visit an orthodontist. Here, the consult is free. You take X-rays from your dentist and they will explain the course of treatment and cost. It can't hurt to talk to someone. You could always decide it is not worth it.

My son's braces have been on for a little over a year. He probably has another year to go. He required top and bottom and there is a slight jaw alignment issue that will be worked out with rubber bands but the cost was somewhere around $5000 for everything. There are payment plans usually or a discount with an up front payment.

[rcooled]

I had braces as an adult in my 30s. Not a big deal really...just inconvenient for the two years it took to correct an overbite. I had my wisdom teeth extracted prior to the braces and that was much more painful than the braces themselves.

I'm pretty sure that the orthodontist will want to put you son in full braces...both upper & lower. All teeth need to be moved in unison so that they mesh properly as they are coaxed into their new positions. It amazed me how much teeth can be moved around in your mouth.

Newer materials for braces are practically invisible...much different from the 'metal-mouth' look of years ago.

If your son's teeth only need a minor correction for cosmetic reasons, you might look into the Invisalign system instead of metal braces.
Braces | Clear Braces | Alternative To Metal Braces | Invisalign

[911SauCy]

Never had them...

Little brother did, cost the rents $4500

Had a high school girlfriend with them, though she was quite good in never letting them get in the way

[island911]

Originally Posted by PorscheGAL

In order to get a full idea of things you will need to visit an orthodontist. ...

Of course, keep in mind that their advice is like taking a set of Fuchs to a wheel chromer and asking if chroming aluminum is a good idea. Most will say yes because they want the job/$.

IOW, visit a few orthodontist. Likely, they will all have different 'plans'.

[MT930]

Have kids with braces now, teeth were in good shape $5K per child at the same time.

I think we got a discount because both appointments are back to back.

You can pay more or less than that. I'm pretty happy with the results.

Orthodontist Price Check

[Evans, Marv]

Good advice about visiting an orthodontist/several orthodontists and gathering as much local info/referrals about orthodontists. My wife had a problem with TMJ and crowded upper teeth. She had to have two upper teeth extracted and braces top & bottom to move, straighten, & align them. That was about 15 years ago. I actually still miss her toothy smile. At that time, the cost was either $3,200 or $3,600 cash - don't remember. Fast forward to two years ago and she says she sees a slight space between two, upper, front teeth. She asks our dentist who says she should get a consultation from an orthodontist. She finds a local ortho who tells her she needs braces again because she didn't continue to use her retainer. She just had them removed last week. This time the cost was $5,600 counting a 7% discount for cash up front. Maybe everyone doesn't need to continue to use the retainer (at night), but be forewarned.

[Laneco]

Had braces when I was in college during my early/mid twenties. Definitely was the "old person" in the orthodontist's office! Got to wear headgear and everything to COLLEGE. I ROCKED my headgear. I was very happy with the results and would highly recommend it for anyone who is unhappy with their smile.

Had the wisdom pulled before the braces went on per the orthodontists instructions. The guy that pulled my wisdom teeth was named Dr. Joel Slaughter.

yeah...SLAUGHTER. You can't make this stuff up, it's too crazy!

angela

[71scgc]

My experience was much like stomachmonkey's

Carter

[Nickshu]

Orthodontics is for a lot more than straight teeth. As a periodontist I see many people who have the ravages of bite problems that were minor at a young age then were amplified over time into problems that are physically and financially overwhelming for them.

Pricing is what it is. You should chose the best orthodontist you can find, not the cheapest. You get what you pay for, it's not a used car, it's healthcare. Not to say that you should go with the most expensive, but in 10 years you won't care that you saw someone who saved you $400 on the total cost, but you WILL care if you are not happy with the results, or have other problems result from a mismanaged case.

Find an orthodontist who's focus is on long-term health and stability, not just making teeth straight. Anyone can make teeth straight but from my experience not all orthodontists understand how to get occlusion (bite) setup right and in harmony with the TMJ and muscular function. Just making teeth straight with no regard for periodontal stability are the cases I usually get 5-10 years later for tons of soft tissue grafting, retreatment of orthodontics, tooth loss, etc, done by orthodontist who have no regard for a stable final result, such as the "six month smiles" guys. Barf.

[David]

I had my son in braces at about 13yo. Cost me about $4k and was a waste because he hasn't worn a retainer since. There is a permanent one on the upper teeth though which holds the front 4 straight.

It's hard for me to complain because I did the same thing at his age.

I got Invisilgn for myself a few years ago for $5K. That was a better investment because I knew I'd wear a retainer at night to keep them straight and protect against grinding my teeth.

[Head416]

Find an orthodontist who's focus is on long-term health and stability, not just making teeth straight.

Any tips on how to search for this? Patient reviews are the only resource I can think if, but don't trust the average patient any more than a coin toss.

[Nickshu]

Call the periodontists in your area and ask them who the best orthodontist in the area is.

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