Need Some Advice - San Antonio, TX

I'm in the same boat! My son is 15 with too small of a jaw to handle all his teeth. He has overlapping and the his dentist recommended getting a consult with an Orthodontist. He mentioned pulling teeth. Including the molars; with are growing in every direction and haven't erupted yet. I can understand wisdom teeth (my 19 year old had his removed last year) being removed; but I am hesitant at the thought of pulling other permanent teeth! I don't understand the persistence of these dentists. My 19 year old had braces at the age of 12 to 13. Now that the wisdom teeth are out; things are shifting again. I had overcrowding teeth as a child as well. My mother was a single parent and couldn't afford braces. So we did the wait and see approach. My teeth straightened out on there own once my jaw grew through adolescence; until it was time to remove the wisdom teeth in my early 20's. I wonder how much of this expensive braces-mania is actually necessary!

The severity of the underbite and narrow pallet will determine the treament. Just remember that when reading some of the responses. Dental care is not so standardized. I would go for the third opinion only if the first two dentists were in the same office. Other than that both opinions are very similar and a good indicator that the dental care is warranted.

My son must wear head gear to correct his underbite. If it doesn't work then surgery will have to be done. The underbite effects his ability to eat and gives him jaw pain. I can only hope the head gear will mold his jaw and prevent it from further overgrowth. The older the kids get the more difficult it is to manipulate the jaw/facial bones. Oral surgery is way more painful and miserable than head gear they often have to break bones and set them where they want them and then the bone has to regrow.

D., is your son's underbite so dramatic that it interferes with his speech? Eating? Causes taunting at school? If any of these apply, I think you should seriously consider doing it, since any of these setbacks could be difficult to correct later. Thankfully your son won't have to wear the headgear at school! Plus, they've made great strides in orthodontics; the headgears that I've seen lately aren't nearly as bulky as the ones my sister and I had to use when we were kids.
I know it's got to be difficult to make a decision that will probably make your son uncomfortable. Try to get his input on the subject, too. See if your orthodontist has before/after pictures you can view with your son so he can see what the eventual outcome will be. And if nothing else, if you begin treatment and your son can't handle the discomfort, you can always stop and reconsider the surgery option.

Good luck!

You might consider getting another opinion from another orthodontist and let them know you are paying with cash and not through insurance. I think you will quickly find if money is truely the reason for the previous orthodontists' decision. I have a dentist that is very honest - Dr. Marcus Ervin of Monarch Dental off of Stone Oak Pkwy. The phone number is ###-###-####.
They might have an orthodontist at this office or they could recommend one.

That seems extreme to me for an 8 year old.... That being said, I would research some, compile a list of questions and seek a second opinion.

I always go with my gut feeling. Is his under-bit and narrow pallet causing him any discomfort. Is it affecting his speech, breathings or self esteem? Have you talked about this with your sons pediatrician? If you don't feel good about it, keep getting professional opinions

I had a narrow palate and a crossbite and I was never told I needed head gear. I wore a palate expander for a year before I had my braces put on. Ask the ortho about the expander. It's painful, but at least it isn't visible like head gear. If he has a narrow palate, braces won't help anything until it's been expanded, so if the expander isn't an option, head gear may be the only way to go. If you need an ortho who is willing to do the expander, I recommend Dr. Hurst...his office is located off Huebner Rd. between NW Military and Bitters. He was my ortho and he's good.

Hi, my DD is 6 1/2 and we just visited the ortho. for the 1st time to evaluate what we will have to do in the coming years. My DD will have to have 2 baby teeth extracted to try to make more room for her lower set of teeth.
Have you done any online research? I would do that, to see what might be the case. There is a lot of information out there. Of course, there could be "bad" info, but compile a list of quetions for the ortho, and hopefully you can answer your questions.
Yes, you are fortunate to have dental insurance. I have none, and am dreading orthodontia as both my husband and myself needed braces.
I wore them for 6 years, starting at age 8, just like your son. I remember having to wear the headgear, don't remember for how many hours, but you just have to deal w/ it. As the parent, just try to tell him how it will be best if he tries to do what the ortho. prescribes him to do. The ortho may decide after a while, that the hours per day can be cut down because things are going well. HTH!

My son also had a narrow palate and used an expander over a couple of years which was not uncomfortable and worked beautifully. I would recommend getting an evaluation with Dr. Dana Hodge King. We have used her for both of my kids and she is terrific. She looks at the whole picture, not just straight teeth and she is the sweetest person on earth. Give her a call, her # is ###-###-####

I completely agree with Delores B. She says it all well! I too had to wear the headgear at night. It was uncomfortable, but not at all bad. Atleast he does not have to wear it in front of all of his friends! :) If you really don't trust the orthos that you have been seeing, take him somewhere else. If your son knows that you don't trust them, how will he ever trust them and be comfortable in their care? Best of luck.