When Did You Start the Orthodontics Process with Your Kids?

While this is not with my kids, it happened to me.... an orthodontist was sooo eager to put braces on me before all my teeth had really fallen out and had time to adjust. My mom went for a second opinion and the new ortho told us to wait and see... it was what we were wanting to hear.... but had he said braces, we might have done that... needless to say, I never have worn braces and my teeth are straight. Don't forget, dentistry is a business. They are there to make money. I say wait... she might not even need them and most kids wear braces in high school, not elementary school!

My grandson has an overbite, and the dentist said when his back molars finish coming in, he should start braces. he's 6 and a half, so i guess for some conditions, earlier is better.

I can't wait to read the responses...I too am having this issue with my 8 year old daughter. She was a thumbsucker.

My son first saw an orthodontist when he was 6. He has a very big overbite and knocked out two of his baby teeth (in two different accidents) and had to have one pulled because it became infected due to one of the injuries. Our dentist wanted to start a history with the orthodontist to monitor the changes in my son's teeth and to see if they could do something to help protect the adult teeth as they came in. The orthodontist gave him a retainer to wear for 24 hours a day. He even ate with it so he wouldn't lose it. The retainer helped pull his teeth in a little bit, but it also provided some protection from injury. He wore it for about 2 years or so until he outgrew it when his adult teeth grew in. My son is now 11 and will be getting upper braces next week. Since he was six, the orthodontist saw him every 6 months or so to measure his bite. This didn't cost us extra money. It was part of the $350 (I think that was the cost of the retainer) we paid.
We didn't get a second opinion because we knew that our son had a structural problem with his jaw and didn't want further injury. Plus, I have been seeing my dentist for 30 years and trust his judgement. But, I would definately get a second opinion if you question the process. The best advice someone gave me when I had my kids was "A few bucks is worth a piece of mind." Good luck!

It all depends on what needs to be done. I began orthodontic work when I was 7. I needed lots of things done. I did not completely finish until I was 20 yrs old. My daughter & son both began when they were in 9th grade. They did not need as much work as I did & the ortho said we needed to wait until all their baby teeth had come out. As for wisdom teeth, our ortho has them taken out before the braces come off. My daughter had hers out a few months before her braces came off. My son will have his out before his come off also. Our ortho will tell us when it is time to have the wisdom teeth taken out. Most times when your dentist tells you to begin the ortho process, you will first have a consult with the ortho & after an exam, the ortho will let you know what needs to be done & when to start. So just because your regular dentist thinks you need to start now, the ortho may feel differently. Hope this helps.

C.
www.candlesarelove.com

i had braces when i was young. i started out having them on my top front teeth when i was in second grade. i don't remember when i got the full set, but i know i didn't get them off until 6th or 7th grdae. my teeth are fine now, besides being stained. my son is 9 and also needs braces. we haven't taken him to a dentist or orthodontist yet because my husband's insurance wont cover braces yet.

Hi Annie,

I worked in Dentistry for over 20 years in all the different fields as a dental assistant. The latest trend I have seen is really young kids getting appliances started by Dentist's that have done a couple continuing ed classes in Orthodontics. I recommend only seeing a Board Certified Orthodontist. Most often, they will wait untl the
Majority" of the baby teeth have come out to start with appliances/braces. It doesn't hurt to get an opinion by one at a young age but typically 10 to 12. The Permanent First Molars need to be in the mouth.
Hope it helped!
S.

SAHM, married for 20 years to my best friend, 2 girls 8 y/o & 4 y/o.

My daughter had a retainer placed when she was five that she wore for 6 months in order to minimize the need for braces later. It worked well. Ultimately, we did have to put her in braces for a bite problem (she was chipping teeth when she closed her mouth). I do believe had we not put in the original retainer (it was cemented in so she couldn't remove it) her teeth would have been worse off.

A good orthodontist will tell you straight forward if you need to start her off on some sort of plan so the permanent teeth come in correctly or if she can wait until more permanent teeth come in. I've sat next to my daughter at her orthodontist's office while the technician is working on her teeth and heard the orthodontist tell patients/parents that starting things at the child's current age would be a waste of time or that starting now would help the permanent teeth depending on what their case may be. If your concerned about the motive for the recommendation I would highly suggest a second opinion from another orthodontist. A good one will give you the reason they want to start your child so young.

My daughter is 7 and likely in need of braces. For years, I have been told not to start any dental work until much later. Pre-teen seems to stick out in my mind. Try going on line and doing a Google search under orthodontia/braces. Good luck.

I've had not one, but TWO friends that had to have braces later in life (as adults) because they had braces too early as children. When kids are that young, their mouths aren't completely formed yet, so the chances of changes occuring in their jawline and teeth are VERY HIGH. That is changes AFTER the braces come off at such a young age. I'm sure she (your daughter) can wait this out and be just fine. Unless there are other problems in her teeth and gums... either way, a second opinion is warranted. Good luck!

Here is an article that is in our monthly neighborhood messenger:
What you Really Need to KNow about Braces
One of the most common questions is; what is the best age to get braces? The American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) recomends that children begin seeing an orthodonist by the age of seven, to address any problems that could benefit from early orthodontic treatment. However,parents often believe that they must wait unttil all of the baby teeth have been lost. In some cases, the permanent teeth cannot erupt properly;there are no permanent teeth under the baby teeth; or there are bite issues that shoud be addressed before all the adult teeth come in.
Anotehr misconception with many adults is tha they are too old for braces. Over the past 10 years,there has been a dramatic increase in adults undergoing some form of orthodontic treatment.

Then it goes on to say how with the newer technology they no longer pull teeth or extraction, with modern technology they've been able to get around that encluding expanders, headgear, and other uncomfortable appliance in most cases.
I closes with this you may want check this website out:

The AAO has an excellent website which addresses many general questions, and provides unbiased information about orthodontics. You can also lacate experienced orthodontists in your area. The website is: www.braces.org. A new smile is just around the corner!

Hope this info helps.
ps my sister needed extreme work done that she didn't do till her late 20's and didn't do all that was recomented because they purposely broke her palate and put a expander then when she healed from that they put the braces, then she was suppose to let them break her jaws, but she didn't want to do it, well anyway her son was born with the same broblem and undergone treatment starting at 8 yrs and therefore they didn't have to break anything he just had to do minor things like where an expander. So at least it wouldnt hurt to get an eval from the ortho. Your dentist is only making a suggestion on what he has observed.
goodluck

I have a 13 yr old son with a cleft lip and palate and the ortho wanted to wait until all his permenent teeth come in before starting. My daughter is 8 yrs old and she has a jaw problem which the dentist said he would take care of when she was older. I have been getting the same story from orthos we have seen - wait until the permanent teeth are in or else you could be straigtening baby teeth that will come out in the middle of treatment and then there's no guarantee that the permanent teeth will come in straight anyway.

When I was 15 yrs old I had major ortho done and my teeth still moved (although just a tiny bit) afterwards. So, I am one who is all for waiting until kids are older, but you have to make that decision on your own.

Good luck,
J.
www.livetotalwellness.com/janislanz

My son who is 9 just got braces off after wearing them for 3 months. Our dentist recommends "early orthodontics" because the teeth are easier to move when the child is younger. The average time a child has to wear braces is also shorter the younger the child is. We'll see what happens down the road, but we followed our dentist's advice on this, and my son's teeth look great.

My son is 9yrs. old. & has started his ortho work. He currently has an expander & then once that is taken off, they'll go from there. But his ortho said he'll be working on his teeth until he's at least 14 yrs. old. That is due to him not having his adult teeth yet. I didn't think you had your adult teeth at age 7. That' seems a bit young to me. Yet our ortho said my son's lost teeth he shouldn't have lost til about 12 yrs old. So I guess it's possible. I say take the orthos advice or get a 2nd opinion. We go to Dr. Thomas Hall ###-###-#### & he is great!!! Consultation is free & the staff is awesome!!! Good Luck!!!

7 is terribly young to start the process. I was 13 when I started my process of braces. I had to get a few teeth pulled...wait til your kid is older...go get a second opinion, or just make yourself wait! They have so many baby teeth that still need to be "lost" and grown in...and the palate will not even be full sized. It's ridiculous to start this early. I bet that dentist is just in some "relationship" with an orthodontist...seems like a dentist would know better than to suggest it this early.
My younger cousin started too early and had braces on at least 3 times in her life...I think it's just nuts. I think if done well, it should only need to be done ONE time.
Good luck...and stick with your gut on this one.

My daughter got her teeth early, so in third grade she got braces, which sounds similar to your daughter. As a result, she only had to wear braces for 18 mos. to 2 years, and then a retainer for a year or so after the braces. The results were impressive. She is 25 now and still has a beautiful smile. It never hurts to get a 2nd opinion from another respected orthodontist. This particular orthodontist came highly recommended by friends whose children had been to him, and by another friend who got braces as an adult. Good luck! jenifer

It depends on what they are planning on doing. Consult with your dentist and orthodontist. Write down your concerns and weigh the answers. My eight year old has been in brackets for a year now. The brackets have straightened a tooth and made space for some of his adult teeth. Tomorrow we find out if he gets to take them off.

My kids aren't at the age to start yet. However, I started when I was 8 due to an overbite. My younger sister had braces at 5 or 6 for her front 4 teeth because they were all over the place. She now has braces again, shes 15, for all of her teeth like they said she would. It really depends on your dentist, but starting that early doesn't mean that they will be messed up early. I have beautiful teeth :) haha

Good Luck!

I started my daughter when she was 9.5 years old. I was told by her dentist that she need to have the work done when she was 6 and when I went to the orthodontis he advised me to start it when she was a little older. His reason for this was that if I started to early I might have to repeat it when she got older. She has been out of her braces for about a year and is doing well.

My 16 yo just had her braces taken off last year. Perfect timing. The dentist said to start looking for an ortho for my 12 yo-I will need him within a year. He said this because all her baby teeth should be gone in a year!!
7 is way too early in my opinion but I am not a professional. I would listen to the lady who works in dentristy and get a second opinion.
At 7 yrs old, there mouth is not big enough to accomodate all their teeth-remember, their mouth grows larger as they get larger in body!
I do believe this is a society thing to be "cooler" at an earlier age. I also think they take advantage of moms because you want to be a good mom and do all the right things for your kids-get a 2nd opinion and consider reporting the dentist/ortho who recommended the braces.

I personally think it is too young. I am a Dental Hygienist, and I know my kids will not be in braces unti at least 12 yrs old. Especially if the child is a boy. Boys home care is usually not as good and they have this big growth spurt @ age 14 and need braces all over again this can be true for girls too. Kids aren't as responsible to wear their retainers, and keep their teeth as clean as you have to with braces at young ages. It is just my opinion, but what is the harm in waiting. Kids go through an awkward time with their teeth sometimes not looking great, but that is just part of being a kid. They grow fast and it will all come together. There are certain procedures such as expanding the palate in extremely small, narrow mouths that can help everything come together a little better as they grow. I hope this helps.

My daughter is 7 and has one of those spacial expanders in the roof of her mouth. It is spreading out her "bite" and working well! She was so scared at first, but she has been a "big girl" and she can actually see the progress over the last few months. I wonder if she is too young also! I want to follow the responses to this. I know my neighbor is a dental hygenist and told me to "get ready" because doing it so young means you have to do it twice. !!!! I have not asked the orthodontist. We just got started with this. You would have to SEE how small her mouth was and how the permanent teeth that were coming in were coming in on top of the baby teeth next to the new teeth. It was horrible. She looks so much better now, after just a few months! I hope we don't have to do anything twice!

Good luck with it. I know these decisions are tough.

My daughter (38) went to the dentist regularly.. When her permanent teeth came in one was pivoted in the gum. At age 9 we wentto the orthodontist. She needed permanent teeth removed as her gum space was tight. They did that and put her in braces. She hated them, but I reminded her that her friends would still be in braces in high school and she would be out. Her teeth ar beautiful and her smile is 1000 watts. Go to a good orth and see what he says. Every child is soooooooooooo different. Good luck.

Our orthodontist said we couldn't start until our children were 12+ years old. First off, they are still getting teeth at age 12+, AND their maturity level of being able to care for the braces.

I would DEFINITELY go get a SECOND opinion, esp from an orthodontist.

Good luck and God Bless.

My nine year old daughter started with her orthopedic process a few months ago. The dentist said she was the perfect age. Get a second opinion if you don't feel he is right.

I'd get some more opinions and wait. They almost have to do two sets of braces when they start that young, so good for biz, but bad and expensive for us!
My 7 year old's halfway here set of adult teeth look pretty crooked, too, but I want to wait and see what happens as they all come in first, then we'll deal with it all once.

Hello, My name is M.. I'm not too knowledgeable about the ages you should start but I do have some information you may be interested in. I an independent owner of a very successful and reputable company that provides dental discounts up to 80% including orthodontic procedures. We have over 815 dentists in Houston that participate. Please visit my website at www.everyonebenefits.com/stiger. Then you may call me at ###-###-#### if you'd like to learn more. 25% to 80% discountes is better than paying full price for your dental issues. thank you and have a Blessed Day! M.

The statement that scares me the most here is "I think most, if not all of her adult teeth are in." If you aren't sure, then why wouldn't you have asked your dentist? None of my 10, 9, and 7 year olds have all of their adult teeth yet, and none of them are slow growers either.

By asking such an important question on this message board, you are clearly not ready to send her to an orthodontist. Since they are your kids, it's your decision. Maybe you should get a second opinion, maybe your dentist just wants your daugther to get screened right now to see what could be done in the way of preventative. Talk to your dentist again, and then if you need to, get a second opinion.

Our dentist "strongly" recommended we see an orthodonist for our 8 year old son. He had (has) a slight cross bite; This can wear out the teeth. I waited for a year with many reminders from our dentist. I brought my son in, at age 9. They put braces on him (phase 1.) I was told "most" of their patience do two phases. It was tooth-brushing hell on my part. My son had teeth that would easily get a heavy orange film. I would have him brush, and then I'd brush. (3 times daily was needed; usually did it 2x's daily. If we didn't use baking soda weekly (no tooth past would get the thick grime his teeth would get) the dentist would lecture me and show me pictures of how crappy his teeth will look (cavities, ect.) when the braces came off. I also had to stick a "key" (sharp metal device and crank his "pallet expander", nightly) After 1.yr. 9months, the braces came off. After another yr. he lost his retainer he had to wear all the time. About 2 weeks later we went in, and the mouth moved too much for the same retainer. They said, "forget it. You don't need it." (Remember, this is a 10 yr. old, active boy). About 1 yr. later they said his jaw has changed, due to normal body growth, and his teeth are "cross-biting"...again. Time to start phase II. "He is 11 yrs. old. His jaw will grow and change again, especially as puberty set in. Why put them on again when they will just shift again?" I didn't get an answer. I will ask them this question again when we go for a visit today.

Don't do it! My sister works at a pedi Ortho office and it's a way for Dentists to make more money. I am sure there are some rare instances that this may be warranted, but an average child does not need to do thru braces this young, then again in HS. Plus it usually it will take the child longer to get out of them, and more monthy payments for you.

All our kids get braces after their baby teeth fall out, then we do it once.

I know that it seems young to take your 7 year old to an orthodontist. I used to work in the field and I can tell you that most of the time the orthodontist will just take a look at their mouth and make notations for the future. If you find a good orthodontist, they will tell you that there are certain things that need to be done when they are young (like issues where their growth will help correct a problem) but usually they just want to get a baseline and just watch them until they are truely ready for braces. I could go on and on about it. . . I hope this helps some!!

Starting Orth tx at an early stage can sometimes correct a problem without having to put on full braces. It depends on how bad the crowding is and other factors. I am a Dental assistant. You can always get a second opinion, usually a Dentist will not charge for this . You should ask first.

Take your kid to a pediadontist!!! You take them to pediatricians right...a pediadontist specializes in children's teeth.

My daighter is going to need a LOT of orthodonture work. The pediadontist refuses to do any of it until all of her adult teeth come in as it won't do any good to start until then. My daughter is 10 yo, I highly doubt a 7 yo has lost all of their baby teeth, but anything is possible...

Get a second opinion! Go and see a pediadontist for it!!!

You don't want to have to spend that kind of money twice!!!

Good luck!

I had braces and was out by the end of my freshman year in high school. I had to go back for another set in my 20s because my jaw had continued to grow and was missaligned, so I would say wait until the end of junior high, at least, if it's an expected 2 year stint. There is nothing wrong with starting high school in braces, even if kids no a days think their is.

The guy just wants your money. 7 yrs old is too young. 10-11 years old is a better age to gauge how the mouth is developing and how it will continue to develop.

One doctor I went to wanted to crack my sons jaw!!! stupid idiot doctor! I got a second opinion! He only needed an expander for the top of his mouth. He's great now! :)

*starting* the orthod. process at 7 does not mean braces.....braces usually come much later. It really depends on the orthodontist and how they want to do things. I talked with 4 orthodontists and lots of friends with kids in braces before making a decision. We have 5 in the orthodontics process....2 in braces, one in a space maintainer, and the final 2 have each had a couple of teeth pulled to allow permanent teeth room so not as much will be required when the time comes for braces.
I would also look for a conservative orthodontist that looks to the future of their bone development and facial structure rather than an orthod. that puts braces on at a young age and then puts them on again (and again) as the child gets older. Our daughter has two friends that have had their braces on and off THREE times.
If you are in the I-10/DairyAshford area in Houston I can give you the name of the orthod. we see if you want.

I am really not sure if your Ortho. is correct or not, but I did want to let you know of my experiance.

We put braces on our son when he was 11 years old, because his teeth were crowding. The problem was his ability to properly brush was not very good, so after 6 months we had to have them taken off, because since he was not brushing well around the wires, the pads on the teeth caused very white marks where they were and more plague around all the spots he wasn't getting to.

I'm not saying, don't do it. I am just warning you that making sure they are brushing very, very well will have to be one of your top priorities, otherwise braces will be doing more harm than good.

Hope this helped a little. God Bless!!!

My son is 10 and we just started the ortho process. Our orthodontist is wonderful and explained that for girls, this kind of work is usually started earlier due to the fact that they grow faster than boys. My son still has some of his baby teeth. I still thought 10 was early however, we are hoping to prevent having to reset his jaw when he gets older. I would do some research on line before starting this extremely expensive and what feels to be never ending process.

I have not had to start yet, but me personally was around age 8. I went there because my dad had TMJ, and it can be passed on. It turned out I needed other types of work that is best to be done at a young age. They needed to redo my jaw and alignment with appliances. I did this for years, and as a result ended up with braces at around age 12 for only 9 months! My teeth are still perfect and it has been almost 15 years since I had them fixed. Just make sure you find a very good ortho. DH had braces for years and throughout high school. When we met he told me he just had his braces off 2 years earlier while a senior in high school. His teeth were HORRIBLE! As soon as we married some years later I made him go to my guy and get braces again. They are perfect now! Gourgeus teeth! I would go and at least get x-rays done to see what you are up against. Just because you get that done does not mean that you have to put them in braces right away(you are in control). You would be glad if the x-rays showed some sort of jaw problem that needs a long time to be fixed. That way your child does not have to go through those rough high school years as a metal mouth!

Our Dentist, also a friend of ours....suggested our daughter have braces about when she was about 9...I thought then that it was too young...but we had them put on....Several yrs later...he said she needed them again....this time we could not afford it and never had the second procedure done. She is an adult today(27), has never had them done the second time....and she has beautiful teeth and no other dentist has ever said she needed braces. Also our original dentist, has a son a yr younger than our daughter, and he choose to wait with having Ryan wear braces. I do believe having the procedure too early only puts money in the ortodontists pocket. I find it very hard to trust dentists bec they can tell you anything and we usually don't have any way to really know whether they are telling us the truth. I firmly believe that some dentist love to put in crowns for the cost to them.... I have three and he wanted to put on a fourth before we moved and I said let's wait. Two yrs later my new dentist filled the spot the original dentist was wanting a crown and that was 3 yrs ago and it has not given me any problems since.
Good luck.

Hello A..

I can only tell you my own story. My orthodontic journey started when I was 11. At that time, they pulled my canines (2 teeth). I guess they wanted to see if that would create the space that would be needed for all of my adult teeth to come in. I am under the impression that there are some teeth called "12 year molars" that come in about that time frame. In my case, it didn't create enough space so they went back when I was 13 and pulled 4 more teeth. I was then in braces for 2 - 2 1/2 years. I moved to a retainer which my orthodontist wouldn't let me stop wearing until I had my wisdom teeth pulled (all 4 of them). So, all told, 10 teeth pulled over the time period, metal in my mouth for about 5 years. The process may have left me with a pretty smile, but it has also left me with an incontrovertable fear of dentists and dentistry. I would definitely review the process carefully before subjecting your child to it.

My son just turned 14 and just now got braces. I think 7 is WAY too young! Reason being, at 14 my son has not lost all his baby teeth yet and has a few teeth that have just cut his gum. The orthodontist has allotted extra time for these teeth to come in and the 2 others to fall out. He's had the braces about 2 weeks and has already broken a bracket. My orthodontist allows 20 free brackets before charging separately for them, which the insurance will not pay for. If she gets braces now, she'll have them for 6 or 7 years!!! Please don't put that baby thru that!! Find another orthodontist!!!!

Definitely get several opinions! My 20 year old had braces for 18 months at the age of 12. I noticed as he grew his teeth had done some shifting; but not to the point he needs braces again. My youngest, was always told he needed braces and teeth pulled because he has "too many teeth" in his mouth and buckling. I waited. He was not ready (neither was my pocketbook). Braces require maintenance and maturity. My son used to grind his teeth - that would wear all that expensive dental work away. It requires diligence in cleaning and flossing; or they will end up with gum disease. If not maintained due to improper care or eating foods that damage dental work; it could be costly and unnecessarily extend the length of time they need them. Get at least 3 opinions from Orthodontists. See if there are alternative options for in the meantime (we did spacers for a while). Good luck....

I think it depends on what needs to be done. If your child has major orthodontic issues (ie, difficulty chewing or speaking), then now might not be too early to start. However, if it is strictly cosmetic, and the problems aren't severe, I would do a little research on my own, perhaps at least see what the orthodontist has to say, and go from there.

You also need to take into account the level of responsibility your child possesses. I got braces at 12 and wore them for a year and a half, and I've always been a fanatic about my teeth, so they are still nice and white, and mostly straight (darn wisdom teeth!). But my daughter, who is 10, is not even close to ready to handle the responsibility, and I'm hoping it comes sooner rather than later because she is going to need braces also, and need them worse than I did. Since she does not really do too good of a job taking care of her teeth on her own, I would be very reluctant to get braces for her because I'm afraid her teeth will stain, or get cavities, or both. But your child may be fully capable of taking care of her teeth herself. Each child is different.

I will also say that I would be VERY surprised if your daughter's adult teeth are all in. Most kids get a set of molars around 12, and your daughter would be a rare case if she already had them. A (reputable) dentist or orthodontist would be able to tell you better than I could.

Good luck!