Braces - Did or would you have your teen contribute to the costs? Does it teach responsibility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thank you PPs! I’ll share that financially we are a paycheck to paycheck family so this would be a luxury for my child in our case.

The dentist told you that braces were not medically urgent. You are living paycheck to paycheck. You are worried your child will not use the full benefit of her braces, to the point that you are considering making her contribute financially, which is crazy, because how much can she earn compared to the high cost of braces?

Don't you see that you need to wait???

She can get braces later, in college or even beyond. We are considering paying for my college kid's braces. He has severe ADHD, and would not have cared for his braces as a young teen. Recently I saw a middle aged man with braces. I am 45 and did not need braces as a child, but now my teeth are moving and my dentist said I could get Invisalign to prevent potential issues down the road. And while we're on the subject of adult braces, I wouldn't be so quick to blame your younger self for your shifting teeth today. Maybe they would have moved regardless.

So, please be financially reasonable, OP.

[Anonymous]

No. They didn’t contribute. But I made it 10000% clear that this was a one and done scenario for me. I paid $8k and gave them perfect smiles. If they mess it up, it’s on them to pay to fix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would probably just make sure she knew that braces mean cutting back on pizza Friday, or clothes budget or however it will show up in the family spending. If doing some babysitting or dog walking would help...suggest it

I disagree with your first point — not knowing the family structure. I wouldn’t make sure that she — and everyone else — knows that “braces mean cutting back on pizza on Friday” any more than I would point out that a sibling’s medical visits or another sibling’s eyeglasses do. You can talk about financial priorities as a family without putting the focus on any individual’s medical needs.

Someone suggested looking carefully at your/her insurance. Orthodontics are often covered for kids —even when they’re not covered for adults. If the OP hasn’t already, it would make sense to be clear what their policy covers. A second opinion might be in order — especially if that opinion means that the orthodontics would be at least partly covered by insurance.

[Anonymous]

I think you need to look at your insurance. Look into your flexible spending account. Kids only are covered for so long and it could be that braces are cheaper now than they will be in a few years. talk to your daughter about finances - she is old enough to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:wtf no. This isn’t just cosmetic, if the teeth are not straightened correctly, it can lead to issues later in adult life. My DH is learning that the hard way right now and it is very costly and painful.

It actually doesn't lead to serious issues in most people. That is the standard orthodontist scare tactic to make you pay for unnecessary cosmetic dentistry. You'd need to have really really out of whack malocclusion for it to start affecting your health, like a 1 cm overjet or crossbite. Crowded front teeth and a mild overbite do not affect chewing or speech, and it's what most people on earth have in their natural state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thank you PPs! I’ll share that financially we are a paycheck to paycheck family so this would be a luxury for my child in our case.

Can she get a job and help with expenses - not braces? Can you pick up extra hours. I would no question. I'd find a way to make the money.

[Anonymous]

Np here. My bottom retainer never fit right and my bottom teeth shifted. I finally did Invisalign as an adult for “cosmetic” reasons and my jaw felt better, my neck felt better etc.

We paid for our almost 13 year okd’s orthodontia and she is very responsible about it.

[Anonymous]

This is an interesting question. My parents didn't have the money for braces so I had a tooth pulled so that the rest of my smile wouldn't be crooked. People now compliment me on how nice looking my teeth are. My kids now have braces. It's cosmetic since their teeth aren't getting jammed up and are straight. But the dentist wanted them so they don't have issues later on. We did get another opinion and I think everyone in this area just expects all kids to get braces. We paid with our dental but one of my kids wanted the more expensive braces that were clear. We certainly made them pay the difference, why should we? We also made it clear that if they didn't take care of their teeth or braces, then they needed to pay for things moving forward. For us, kids need to understand that while parents are responsible fore medical care, they don't have to get the latest and greatest or be responsible for neglect on the kids part. That's our opinion.

[Anonymous]

Nope. We didn't charge our two kids for braces.

[Anonymous]

When DS had a series of broken brackets because he was eating foods he shouldn't have been, he blew threw the orthodontist's "grace period" and I had to pay extra for one repair. I told him as much, and that if it happened again it was going to cause financial strain that would affect some of the other things he enjoys. That was enough to get him to be more careful and he hasn't broken a bracket since. But I never expected him to pay any of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel so bad for your daughter. You had the “luxury” of orthodontia and weren’t responsible. And now you’re trying to punish your daughter for your mistakes because you’re cheap?

What’s next—have her go halfsies on an appendectomy?

An appendectomy is not elective. This is more the equivalent of a nose or boob job. It's cosmetic. There is nothing functionally wrong with OP's kids teeth.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the people comparing cosmetic orthodontics to required surgery. OP, would you pay for your daughter's nose job if it were crooked?

[Anonymous]

I don't think people read the OP correctly. They only went to the orthodontist because OP's daughter wants to fix her overbite. The orthodontist didn't recommend it or even say it was necessary. He said take it or leave it. This to me (after having met several orthodontists who ALL recommended different treatment options for my two kids with crowded teeth) means that OP's daughter just has a slight overbite that isn't causing any issues and won't cause any issues in the future. Because if there was even the slightest possibility, the orthodontist would have said "yes, she needs to do this" instead of saying "you could do it if you want". It's definitely just for vanity. I wouldn't pay for this, OP. Your daughter will be fine.

[Anonymous]

No. They are kids and have a lot on their shoulders just getting through 2 years of braces. Be a parent. Support.

[Anonymous]

In general I believe medical and dental costs are the parents responsibility. Kids are expensive. I think there can be exceptions requiring some input from the teen or my friends daughter was constantly using her Invisalign retainer. But op if you're living paycheck to paycheck why did you take her for a cosmetic consultation?. That's just setting her up. I think you to look at your financial obligations and ability here.