If needed, braces can be a real life saver. Your teeth are meant to mesh like cogs in a gear. If they don't fit correctly your jaw will grow so that they do mesh, after a fashion, and you get all sorts of problems, including jaw pain. The social benefits of having straight teeth are hard to overstate. Having good teeth - straight and without cavities - is very important for long term health, but it's also expected to be part of the middle class.

It's hard for an outsider to know whether braces are necessary. The best option is to bring them in for a second opinion from someone you trust. That ortho will be able to explain to you the benefits of braces if they're needed, and why they're not if they aren't. Your only option is a second opinion.

Unfortunately this is true of most professionals.

I haven't had to pay for braces but had them as a kid, I was kinda young but remember my mom driving me downtown which seemed like a long drive... I'm pretty sure they sent me to the USC dental school to get it done at a discount.

Ours did.

My oldest is 10. Dentist started telling my wife to get him to an ortho when he turned 10 and my wife having not had braces was getting herself prepared for the bill. I have had braces, twice actually. As a teenager and then again as an adult to make up for my irresponsibility as a teenager.

We are also seeing a lot of kids, at 10/11ish getting braces around us which was making my wife a little manic. I thought it was just absolutely crazy.

So we go to my orthodontist and she immediately says, he's too young. His mouth is still growing bring him back in a year and I'll tell you the same thing. :)

She basically guaranteed our business...

Two phase orthodontics is somewhat controversial even amongst orthodontists. There are however situations where it is indicated to help prevent skeletal discrepancies and/or situations where permanent teeth may end up locked in under primary teeth due to inadequate arch length. Also in situations of pediatric sleep apnea (which my son had), expanding the palate at age 7-9 can drastically improve the child's airway. Poor airway has been linked in many ENT studies to learning disabilities and ADHD.

Around here most orthodontists I work with will split the fee for two-phase ortho so you are really not paying for treatment twice. That may be region specific though.

My take is it takes the right kind of girl to be wearing braces and still make it a great experience.

That's the average price around here (small town; captivated audience). I wasn't kidding about my good genes; my kids' teeth don't look bad at all. Oldest daughter wasn't "perfect" but they weren't bad at all. Two years into her braces, and I'm not seeing any difference, yet. Doc (same doc) says her molars really aren't moving, and neither are her bottom teeth, so she'll probably be wearing them another 2 years.. Don't know what the deal with that is...but I paid for "the works" up front, so he can't charge me any more down the road.

No, the ex isn't banging him; she married a Border Patrol dude. She just has always loved spending my money (one of the original reasons behind the divorce). Apparently, 6 years later, that fact hasn't changed. I pay a boatload in child support and still end up sending her $2-300 extra each month for "this and that" type crap. This is a woman who has never worked; lived off daddy; married me young (18), lived off me; lived off daddy until she found new man; lives off him, now (and me). Her sister's the same way, except she can't find a man who'll stick with her, lol. Daddy's pushing 70 and will never be able to retire because of how much his daughters (and wife) drain him. I feel bad for the guy.

The bright side is only 1 more kid (with nice teeth) to put braces on after this one, and only 9.5 years left till the child support payments stop lol.

i would get a second opinion..if the kids need it, just do it.

i got mine when i was 20. the dentist said straight teeth are all around healthier. easier to brush and floss. my teeth were "okay" except that one tooth that was floating around 3 inches in front of my mouth :)

cost me $2k. best move ever.

on a side note..sounds like divorce is awful.

Same here. Our normal dentist is an old school no-BS dude with a very simple office, he recommended an orthodontist for my son who is similarly practical. I think we had three different visits over several years before the ortho determined that he was ready. The bill for his are about $3k, poor kid is stuck with them for the next year.

I had messed up teeth as a kid, I wish my parents had the money for braces. I still tend to smile with my mouth closed vs a "toothy" smile.

[QUOTE=vash;8810419]i would get a second opinion..if the kids need it, just do it.



If you were still married you would do it for your child. Straight teeth are important. We only had one child and straightening out one tooth cost several thousand $$. Thank goodness that is over.

Well, they weren't 5K, and I must confess it wasn't even necessary....why? 'cause I wanted too :D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1443287666.jpg

Right up there with the arguments for nose-jobs.

And for those with daughters, breast implants will help their self esteem. [/green]

I had an underbite and a jaw that would click every time I opened wide (for big burgers of course) when I was young. Sister had similar problem, so did my younger brother. Went to see the orthodontist in my mid teens, he said wait a few years as I was still growing. If underbite got worse I'd need surgery to correct it (sis had it done), so I spent the next year or two sleeping face down on my jaw as much as possible. After high school I was deemed ready, and I recall it being just over $3k. I have heard of many people that has had to get braces more than once, so IMHO getting it done later is better, although your daughter may not think so!

[QUOTE=recycled sixtie;8811014] That's where you're wrong. IF we were still married, I'd fight it because none of the kids NEED braces. For all 3 of them, it is nothing more than aesthetic, and their teeth aren't "bad" at all; simply not perfect. However, since we're NOT still married, I have no choice and can do nothing more than ***** while writing the check...

Last time I didn't care too much because I had just restored/flipped a corvette. My profit went into my daughter's mouth. This time, I actually have to dig into the bank account...but I'm deploying soon, so will make about double my annual salary in 6 months, so won't hurt all that much lol.