Necessity of braces?

[DualvansMommy]

The other thread on braces pricing opened my eyes a bit. Not at the fact with the price since I know it’s expensive, but just how common it seems!

Every friend I have have gone through this with their kids at least once if not twice with their 2nd kid. Is it because we’re more aware of our self care vs our time when we were younger? I recall seeing few braces in some of my friends but certainly not at the scale I’m seeing now.

I kinda want to do a poll here to see how many posters here have had kids getting braces?? Part of me thinks it’s bit of a money machine thing vs truly a strictly need only basis for really bad cases.


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[georgiegirl]

DD (12.5) doesn’t need braces. Not sure about my two DSs though. Our dentist hasn’t suggested DS1 (9) get a orthodonist consult yet.

Neither DH nor I had braces. DH had some sort of retainer (this was under communism, so not western orthodontia.). We both have pretty straight teeth.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

Ds1 has a slight gap our highly regarded pediatric dentist saw no reason to correct it. We left it to ds to decide and he chose no braces.
Ds2 is in good shape too. His teeth seem to be moving a bit so we’ll keep an eye on it but I doubt it’ll be something worth correcting.
Seems from the other thread that there are those 2 schools of thought on waiting until adult teeth are in vs intervening early. Our practice is of the wait mentality which feels better to me but I haven’t had to research it.


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[robinsmommy]

My thought is that they are correcting more now than in the past, and that treatments are more often multistage and more complicated. We lucked out and DD1 needed minor corrections- still not cheap. Dd2 has issues so minor that the ortho advised no treatment.

[marymoo86]

My teeth were okay but could have benefited from orthodontia. Lack of nutrient soil for food and reliance on ptrocessed has really affected teeth of the next generations. I suspect that is what you are seeing now. I don’t balk at these prices and would be top priority to ensure a beautiful smile as possible.

Generally it is the dentist who advises but an ortho that does the work. Dentist isn’t getting a kickback at least in most cases :)

[smiles33]

My guess is that as we get used to seeing super straight teeth on celebrities/actors, we are less inclined to accept crooked teeth and are more willing to pay for straight teeth. Plus there is the stereotype that smart sophisticated people don't have crooked teeth, so this may be why parents feel pressure to straighten their kids' teeth. Even during the economic downturn, parents were willing to sacrifice and pay for braces by cutting out other luxuries first.

About 30 years ago, I saw some braces on other kids when I was growing up, but usually on the kids with really obviously crooked/protruding teeth. My dentist told my parents not to bother getting me braces as my teeth were pretty straight. Yet my younger brother's teeth were crooked (too big teeth for too small mouth) so he got braces.

One of my college friends grew up with 2 really crooked teeth on one side but an otherwise pretty smile. She'd only smile halfway to try and hide those crooked teeth. About 10 years ago, she paid for braces herself as an adult and now grins happily all the time. Yet I also know a woman in her 50s with horrendously crooked teeth (the worst I've ever seen in person) who is an attorney. I was truly shocked and thought she would have paid to fix her teeth by now. DH (who is an orthodontist) even has senior citizen patients as they finally splurge on themselves to get braces. I think his oldest patient is a man in his 90s, a WWII veteran, who came in for braces. DH insisted on treating him for free given his military service (DH's grandfather was also a WWII veteran), but the veteran was prepared to pay out of pocket to straighten his teeth!

[Jeanne]

I'm old and I had braces. It was an important priority to my parents despite the cost and sacrifice. I do look at people's teeth, always have, always will.

Both of my girls had braces. Palette expanders, retainers, and 2 sets of braces. The treatment was spread out over so many years that the cost wasn't much felt. Modern Orthadontia is sooooo much better vs my time. I had 4 teeth pulled and was lucky my correction held. My brother had 6 pulled and has since had 2 more sets of braces and permanent retainers. Those 6 needed to come out at the the time but created quite the problem in adulthood.

There was never a question my kids wouldn't have braces. Unless they had perfect teeth, I wouldn't have their mouths look any less than mine. It's a top priority for me.

[bisous]

I don’t know. Everyone I knew growing up got braces so it doesn’t feel any more common now. You were the exception if you didn’t need them then. I’m sure a lot of it is cosmetic but I’m really not accustomed to seeing crooked teeth.

Except my own teeth are crooked now. I lost my retainers while I was living in France and my teeth shifted. The irony is that my teeth were always straight before but I had an overbite. I’d like to straighten out my teeth. Some day!

I feel like obsession with a perfect smile is an American thing. I feel like I saw a lot more interesting smiles when I lived in Europe.

[essnce629]

My mom's side of the family has crooked and overcrowded teeth. My mom had braces in high school. My dad has gaps between all his teeth. So mine came out perfect lol! [emoji23] [emoji23] [emoji23] Neither DH nor I have had braces and have straight teeth. My boys (15 and 9) also have straight teeth and no need for braces. DS2 has a slight underbite that we've been watching over the years and it has definitely improved on its own. If we want to correct it it would involve headgear at night, not braces.

I definitely think that braces are way more common now and done at younger and younger ages. I can think of one friend growing up who had braces, and that was in high school. DS2 is 9 and in 4th grade and has already had several friends get braces, same with DS1's friends.

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[magnoliaparadise]

I agree with so many posters here - not as many kids in my time wore braces!
And yes, Americans have a 'thing' about a good smile compared to Europe. As someone who was with a Brit for over 15 years, I completely agree, though that's (very slowly) changing in Europe, too.
And finally, orthodontia treatment is better now so maybe it just 'feels' easier (ie you don't need to pull teeth).

I also feel like - even within the US - cultures around braces vary. In our old state, I'm not kidding when I say that 30%, probably even 35%, of my kid's then 3rd grade class were wearing palate expanders or had already completed them! Some wore braces with the expanders, but they all wore the expanders. Here, in our new state, palate expanders are not as prevalent. Maybe 10% of the kids have palate expanders and many have braces without them. I spoke with an orthodontist who agreed that palate expanders are more often given by orthodontists in certain areas.

[gymnbomb]

I remember a lot of kids having braces when I had mine, but probably not as many and not in the early multi stage way that seems so common now. Personally I absolutely needed them. Some of my teeth are in the wrong places (top premolars are in front of my canines) and they look fine now, no one notices outside the dentist office, but it caused some problems when they were coming in.


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[TwinFoxes]

I grew up in So Cal and tons of people had braces. I don’t feel I’m seeing that many more at all. OP, I think you grew up in Ireland? I think that may account for some of the difference. I actually didn’t have braces, I have very straight teeth. So far DDs have straight teeth, but I’m worried they might have crowding on the bottom, dentist says so far so good.

[klwa]

My brothers and I all had braces as kids, and so did a large portion of our friends. To me the weirder part is how early some ortho work starts. Most people in my childhood started at 12 or later. DD1 has had friends in braces as early as 8.

As for my kids, the dentist hasn't recommended anything for either of the older two, but he's concerned about DD2 due to more extended pacifier use. (Yep, I was a slack Momma.) But, we're in wait & see mode since her permanent teeth aren't in & the baby teeth being bucked isn't as big of a worry.

ETA: DH didn't have braces as a kid, but was always very self conscious because he had a gap between his front teeth. I finally convinced him to get them after DS was born and he feels much better about smiling in public now.

[smilequeen]

I didn't have them as a kid, but got them as an adult. Vanity had a lot to do with it, but so did some of my TMJ issues. Mine were straighter and nicer than most from a smile perspective, but I had a crossbite in the back.

In practice, I found that 1. We know more about the negative effects of an imperfect bite, so that leads to more diagnosis and 2. People are more concerned with perfection. You won't just see that in orthodontics, but in cosmetic dentistry too. I mean, I WISH my parents would have done it when I was younger. My brother was worse off and didn't have them and did them as an adult as well.

None of my kids have had braces yet, fwiw. My oldest is 14 but very slow losing teeth. He is a great candidate for Invisalign, so we're waiting for those last teeth to come out (so funny because he looks like he's 16, he's tall and athletic, and no one believes he's 14, but he still has baby teeth LOL). My middle has my teeth, so again, we'll do invisalign in a year or two just for the perfection. My youngest is only 7 and shows no stand out issues yet. Mine will all have braces/invisalign...but we do get to do it for free ;)

[Hippoharbor]

My family was not able to afford braces for me when I was a child. I had a huge gap in my front teeth and got teased mercilessly (“you could spit a watermelon seed between your teeth”, I recall someone saying.). That really scarred me and really affected my self esteem. One of the first purchases I made as an adult was getting braces. Now, with my own child, he does have braces. His main issue was overbite. It is so important for me that my son have a nice smile that I would give up almost any of my own personal expenses to fund this for him.

[westwoodmom04]

One of my kids actually needed them for crowding, but for the other, it will be purely cosmetic (just a tooth gap).

[almostmom]

I had braces early for about a year when I was 10. Most people I knew got braces growing up.

DS didn't need them - teeth are pretty straight. DD has them now - has a slight underbite, had incisors that hadn't come down enough, and a space. Will have them for about 2 years - got them when she was 12.5.

[khm]

Neither my husband nor I had them. I could have for sure. It just wasn't on my parents' radar. I'm sure we could have found a way to afford them (but it would have definitely been a burden), but none of us kids were super bad looking given the standards of the day. I'd say braces were not super common among my classmates, in general. (1980s, midwest). The wealthier kids were way more likely than others. I'm straining my brain, but I'd say maybe 25% got braces? Probably less now that I'm thinking about it.

I ended up getting veneers on my top teeth in my 20s, but wish I'd have gotten Invisalign or something on both top and bottom instead. My front few teeth on both top and bottom are a bit... twisty.

Cosmetically, my husband's teeth look nice, but I have no idea if there are bite issues or anything.

I did ask the front desk staff at my daughter's ortho one time if they ever see a kid that doesn't need anything, they said "....occasionally!" Some of my friends' kids did invisalign, some nothing, some headgear, some braces. I remember being surprised at kids getting stuff done early, like 7 or 8. But, generally, it seems most kids waited until 12ish. My kids ended up being older. My daughter had an undiagnosed root problem on one tooth that came to light at the ortho consult. So, we had to have that addressed at an Endodontist first.

My son is 14 and we're just getting started, just got lazy about getting him in. He has a slight gap, but I'd have left it if that was his only issue (his choice), but he does have some back bite issues. They are minor, but we're still going to do it.

I do know lots and lots of coworkers and friends who have had their teeth shift back to varying degrees - some to the point where you wouldn't think they'd ever had braces (it comes up when we talk about our kids in braces). Retainers forever, kids!

My 60somethng coworker is thinking about getting something. She feels her teeth are moving inwards and that it makes her look older / like her elderly mom. She also thinks it is making her underbite more pronounced. A mom friend is rocking braces, her daughter only needed invisilign. The mom's teeth were very in need, I was so happy for her when she got the braces. Just talking with her, you could tell she was self-conscious about it in how she laughed and smiled.

I do wish it was covered by insurance better. I have great health insurance in general, but we only get $2k per kid under 18 and nothing for adults. If it is more than simply cosmetic for some people, it should be covered better.

[AnnieW625]

My parents are 68, and 66 and both had braces as teenagers. My dad had a lot of work done on his teeth and didn’t get his off until he was a junior or senior in high school. I think he told me that he had two phases of braces one in 6th or 7th grade and then another two or three years in high school. My mom had an overbite and a large space between her two front teeth, which came back (and isn’t as large) by her early 40s because she says she stopped wearing her retainer too early, but she doesn’t feel like she needed braces as an adult.

Dh had braces in junior high (I think....my in laws didn’t keep many pictures so I don’t know what he looked like then) and needed head gear. I had a few spaces in my teeth, and a small overbite, and wore braces from the end of 8th grade until the middle of 10th grade. I had to have one tooth pulled. I wore my retainer on a daily basis (some days I would wear it all day and other days just at night) until my mid 20s when the second one I had gotten at 18 or so broke; I had a replacement made and I just didn’t like the way it fit so I stopped wearing it. My teeth spaces are still fine, which I do contribute to wearing my retainer for years longer than needed.

My brother and sister did not need braces. My sister could’ve gotten them as a teenager to fix a small gap, but didn’t, but now as a 31 year old has talked about it, but hasn’t done it yet. We joke that we aren’t sure where my brother got his teeth from because other than a few cavities he has perfect teeth.

Dd1 got braces at the end of 5th grade and will have them until sometime in the 9th grade. She has an overbite, but has pretty straight front teeth, but some crooked ones on the side and the back and one of the molars even came in backwards, which is being corrected now. She did not need a palette expander and didn’t have to have any teeth pulled; her teeth have fallen out while she has had braces on, but I think she has lost them all now. The dentist did mention that she might need headgear at some point, but it is still a maybe. We have known since she was four that she would need braces because the dentist could just tell and asked me which one of her parents wore headgear.

We don’t know whether Dd2 will need braces or not as it hasn’t been mentioned yet.

My parents didn’t have a lot of discretionary income but they always made sure we took care of our teeth and I think that is why I don’t think twice when we need dental work done.


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[newnana]

my brothers and I did not have braces, but we didn't need them. We have naturally straight teeth. DH should have hadn't and didn't and got them as an adult. For my friends, growing up without braces was uncommon and I'm an older mom.

DD needed them desperately (one entire side of her molars could not touch top-bottom, and her bottom teeth in the front hit the roof of her mouth when she closes. Thankfully, her case is fairly straight forward and is a one time set, no extractions, no expanders. We were told from a our very trusted dentist at a young age to start saving for braces because she'd need them. When we moved out of state and switched, we were told the same thing, for the same reasons (which helped me trust that dentist, too).

I think it's an issue of better understanding of the long term impacts. In DDs case, she'd be way more likely to break the teeth on one side. Old school involved way more pulling teeth which has been replaced with palatte expanders being more common. There are so many issues that have so many different solutions, there is no one size fits all. I just wish insurance would catchup with the health impacts - because broken teeth aren't cheap either!

[RedSuedeShoes]

I find this thread interesting. It does seem to me Americans have become obsessed with perfectly straight and white teeth. I don't really understand why, especially when you look at the $ people shell out to achieve and maintain that. But then, I feel that way about a lot of things people do for purely aesthetic purposes.

I grew up in a rural area. I knew some kids with braces growing up. The dentist recommended them for me, but my parents couldn't afford them so I didn't get them. My front teeth are definitely crowded and I am definitely self-conscious about it. I'd still like to get braces some day.

My two oldest kids need braces as well, but so far we haven't been able to make it a priority in the budget. We did take my daughter in to be evaluated at an ortho's office and I almost passed out when they said $8000 (from the other thread, I see that is pretty common!). I hope we will be able to do that for her soon, as she actually needs them for long term health of her mouth/bite. She is 13, and ideally would have had them about 18 months ago to take advantage of her growth spurt. DS wishes he'd had them for cosmetic reasons, but feels it's too late (he's 18).

[squimp]

We wondered about this too. Neither DH nor I had braces as a kid, but many of our friends did. I don't feel like it's any more or less prevalent than when we were kids.

What I see now that really surprises me is the large number of adults with braces! DD has decent teeth, but there are signs of crowding and tipping inward on her top teeth. We talked to the orthos about how necessary they were. Her teeth would start wearing down because of the weird connection between her teeth. So we felt that there was good reason to get braces. Would rather do it now than when she's an adult, and would definitely not do it because of aesthetic reasons alone.

[american_mama]

I think braces were common when I was a teen. No one had them before middle school when I was growing up in the 1970's. I had a friend who had to have braces a second time, which seemed unusual and so cruel to me.

I think braces must be regional as well. Braces are common here, including in elementary school. But not crazy crazy common like might be true in a higher COL area.

I think you sometimes have to decide for yourself whether braces are worth it. DD1 has quite straight teeth, but the dentist said a year or so ago (at age 14ish) that she had a deep bite and sent us to the ortho. It's free, so we went. Ortho agreed and had a plan and reasons. DD has a lisp that I feel is dental related although no expert agrees, and I was considering braces for a while thinking it might help and make her teeth look nicer and avoid later wear on her teeth... until finally deciding our family money is being called to multiple other needs and DD overall has very nice teeth. Two orthos said usually speech issues are NOT fixed by orthodontia.

DS has braces currently and needed them (bottom row of teeth was in front of his top row). DD2 had a palette expanded and needed it (front two teeth about to hit, causing potential chipping and gum trauma from pressure). DD2 is in 8th grade now and has not needed further treatment. I am not sure I would do it the ortho said DD2 needed it, since right now, her teeth look good.

I just think you have to pick your priorities. Braces for the borderline case were not, even though the ortho did not make DD1 sound like a borderline case.

Having said all that, I had braces and am very happy. I had a pretty big cross bite, tooth that wouldn't descend that sent me to an oral surgeon. My mom has a huge overbite and she dearly wishes she had had braces, but they were expensive and rare in her era. DH did not have braces and although his teeth are positioned well, they are a little angled relatives to each other, not a nice smooth arc. He gets food caught in the meeting "line" of two teeth often and it is visible. I think his teeth would be nicer if he'd had braces.

[niccig]

My 2 sisters had braces and I didn’t. I have one tooth on the bottom that’s pushed back a bit and my childhood dentist said braces weren’t needed. The first dentist I saw for regular checkup here in USA mentioned fixing it. The 2 dentists I’ve seen since said it’s not worth fixing. I do think perfect straight teeth are more an USA thing then in other countries.

DS has an overbite but his bottom teeth are hitting gums behind top incisors. My dentist said to fix it or he’ll have issues with gums receding. My dad has this issue. We gave DS option to fix it now and we pay, or he pays when he’s an adult. He agreed to do it now.


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[JElaineB]

DS got braces this year at 15.5 years old. He'd been followed by the orthodontist for at least 2 years before they finally decided he needs them. The plan is 18 months of braces then a retainer. It's not about looks, his teeth/jaw are quite misaligned and some of his adult teeth aren't coming in correctly. If the braces don't work he may need may need major oral surgery.

[mmsmom]

My teeth were okay but could have benefited from orthodontia. Lack of nutrient soil for food and reliance on ptrocessed has really affected teeth of the next generations. I suspect that is what you are seeing now. I don’t balk at these prices and would be top priority to ensure a beautiful smile as possible.

Generally it is the dentist who advises but an ortho that does the work. Dentist isn’t getting a kickback at least in most cases :)

My friend’s Dad is a dentist and her 3 kids got free braces from the orthodontist that her Dad has referred so many patients to. So I do think there is incentive for some dentists to refer patients.

I had braces but DH did not. Both of my kids have had/will have braces. I see it as about the same percentage of kids who have them now as when I was growing up.

[123LuckyMom]

I can’t see the poll, but both my kids have braces. The 10 year old had metal braces for about 10 months last year, and now he’s in a myobrace, which is a removable system you wear at night. It keeps the teeth straight, expands the palate so new teeth can come in without disrupting anything, and corrects tongue placement and swallowing to prevent and correct health issues like sleep apnea. My daughter started with this myobrace system at age 4, and she will most likely never need metal braces since her palate has expanded, and the braces will guide her teeth into place as they come in. This system is significantly less expensive than traditional braces and is health-oriented rather than cosmetically oriented, though it does a cosmetic job, too.

I do think braces are, if not necessary, at least helpful in aiding future success. Not having had them, if it results in crooked teeth, can be a detriment in the job market. It can also signal that a person grew up in poverty or neglect. I’m not saying that’s an accurate assessment, but it does happen that people will judge. Most successful adults I know who didn’t have braces as children have corrected that as adults, including my own dad, who did not grow up poor but whose relatives that raised him didn’t get him braces.


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[gatorsmom]

I had braces growing up for alignment issues but I’d guess less than 50% of kids I knew had them. It was common but it never felt ubiquitous. Dh’s teeth are pearly white and very well aligned. He never had braces. It looks like at least one of my kids will take after him. My oldest needed braces for alignment issues and just finished up with them and I suspect my Dd will need them for the same reason. So far, DS3’s teeth are coming in beautifully (thank goodness because with his sensory issues, I don’t think he’d do well with braces).

Having had them myself and knowing what a PITA they were (and still are. I’m 47 and my teeth are shifting again), I won’t make my kids have them just to get that picture-perfect smile. But if the dentist is recommending it for health reasons or if any of my kids are self conscious about their smile, then for my family, it’s worth it.