what do you wish you had known re braces?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Making your mouth colder will decrease inflammation and make braces hurt a little less. Popsicles, ice cream, smoothies and shakes galore in the first week after braces are put on. Sucking on an ice cube helps, but you have to remember not to bite down on it.

Orthodontic wax can cover a bracket that’s rubbing a lip or cheek raw.

Flossing with braces is challenging. Add a Waterpik to your regimen.

Your dentist should be able to recommend orthodontists.

^^None of that is relevant if you go with Invisalign.

Ok. Invisalign.

You'll be brushing or rinsing every time you eat or drink anything.
You have to keep them in for at least 21 hours a day.
You need to be religious about flossing.
You need a good system for cleaning the aligners during the day.
You'll have brackets on your teeth that are painful at first.
You'll need wax for the brackets.
You change trays every week or two and that can bring on pain and pressure.
Dogs love to find and eat them.
You might have other types of brackets and rubber bands.
You might talk funny.

Invisalign is not necessarily a better choice, especially for a kid.

Not sure where you got this information, but it's wrong.

My kid has invisalign and there are no "brackets" or anything else on his teeth, and there has been no pain. You are confusing with real braces. Also, no wax, whatever that is. Trays are not changed every week or two; it's less than that, and there has been zero pain or discomfort.

Dogs do love to find and eat them. They need to be put back in the case at all times. My kid has been careful, but the dog ate mine once.

No talking funny or rubber bands. Nothing like that.

Invisalign is a very good choice for a kid that tends to be meticulous and responsible. They do need to take them out and put them back in for eating, which is enough of a pain that my kid will sometimes skip eating in order to avoid it. But that's been the only real negative. A kid who wouldn't consistently put them back in or wear them enough hours a day would not do well with Invisalign, but if you have the kind of kid who'll comply then Invisalign is a great choice for kids who have self-esteem issues and would be negatively affected by braces.

Disagree with most of your ‘disagrees’

One can definitely have attachments with Invisalign. They’re not metal brackets but basically buttons on your teeth that help the aligners provide the right pressure. Yes, they are uncomfortable when the aligners are not in( 2 kids)

You can most certainly have rubber bands. (2 kids)

You may lisp, especially at first (1 kid)

Trays are changed every week (2 kids)

[Anonymous]

I don't know why so many people are hating on Invisalign. They're a great option for some kids and, in the case of my DD, the only option. She have very thin enamel on her teeth and the orthodontist was concerned that metal braces would damage it. It wasn't any more expensive than the metal braces two of my other kids had. One kid was not a good candidate for Invisalign because of compliance concerns. The other wasn't a candidate because a large gap had to be closed and a tooth rotated.

Our orthodontist did free evaluations and told us ur 4th kid didn't 'need' braces but there was a tooth that was slightly misaligned and braces would pull it into line. We also got the total treatment price up front which included unlimited adjustments/fixes. I have one kid who had to go a LOT for for broken brackets. Because he was less compliant with rubber bands, it took a lot longer than expected - we didn't have to pay anything extra.

None of the kids had issues with cement staining their teeth. Every time they went, the hygenist cleaned any tartar they had so their teeth were in really good shape when they completed treatment. We've had only one instance of a kid not having good retainer compliance (no one has a permanent retainer) but it was fixed with Invisalign and we made the kid pay half.

I never had braces but most people think I did - or, at least, they used to. As you get older your teeth do shift - unless you have an implant that anchors the tooth to the bone (or wear a retainer). I've now got a slight gap between my front teeth. My DH didn't get braces until he was 32. He's not worn a retainer in at least 15 years but his teeth still look really good.

[Anonymous]

DS just got his braces off last week, and they corrected a pretty severe overbite/crooked teeth. He had no issues at all, never popped a wire or bracket off, minimal pain (most painful was getting them on, but even that was a single dose of a painkiller and done). No pain on removal, no staining, and his teeth look great. Ortho was up front on cost and what was included, and nothing was added on.

So the whole thing doesn't have to be super dramatic. It was annoying to go in every 6 weeks, but the results are worth it.

[Anonymous]

I wish I knew it would be a waste of money when they don't wear their retainer after. I would've waited until my daughter was older and had some financial skin in the game. Now her teeth have shifted back and she wants to get them corrected again. Nope. Not paying for them twice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish I knew it would be a waste of money when they don't wear their retainer after. I would've waited until my daughter was older and had some financial skin in the game. Now her teeth have shifted back and she wants to get them corrected again. Nope. Not paying for them twice.

How old was she when she finished her treatment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS just got his braces off last week, and they corrected a pretty severe overbite/crooked teeth. He had no issues at all, never popped a wire or bracket off, minimal pain (most painful was getting them on, but even that was a single dose of a painkiller and done). No pain on removal, no staining, and his teeth look great. Ortho was up front on cost and what was included, and nothing was added on.

So the whole thing doesn't have to be super dramatic. It was annoying to go in every 6 weeks, but the results are worth it.

My kid has popped a bracket and a wire and we go every four weeks. Not dramatic at all but frequent visits which is ok as we agreed to it. But, do plan for emergency visits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lot of kids don’t need it, it is way overdone in this country

It’s definitely true that Americans of a certain class level, the expectation and norm is to have perfect teeth. Even a generation ago there was a lot of “good enough” teeth and we didn’t get braces.

Then again their teeth look really good.

My parents were told I didn't need braces and it was good enough. I have lots of issues now. We were told our child didn't need them but it was purely our decision and cosmetic. There was no question we'd do them. And, now that they are on, looking at the progress it was absolutely worth it.

I’ve been wondering whether it’s worth it for DD’s borderline case. She has slight crowding, but nothing very noticeable and no bite issues. I’m wondering whether she could just decide to fix it later with Invisalign. My DH had invisalign and it was amazing the way it straightened his teeth.

My son did not need them and it was purely cosmetic so I went ahead. His teeth were not bad but now that we are in the process and see the improvement I am glad we did them. He wasn’t happy about them but went along with it and now glad I did it.