Reply to 15 year old doesn’t want braces

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Depending on how her anorexia manifested itself, I think I’d be concerned that all the rules about foods you can’t eat and things you can’t do with braces might bring up old issues. Definitely talk with the therapist before making any decisions, and pre-screen the ortho be sure they’re sensitive to the situation and willing to ease her into the process.

Also, I wonder whether an ortho who specializes in adults might be better than a practice focused on young kids? It might make her feel less self-conscious to know she’s not the first person ever to have braces past the fifth grade, and they wouldn’t try to pretend that she can make them look cool “by choosing blue rubber bands!”[/quote]

Yes, there would be a lot of screening and prepping. I like the idea of an ortho with adult clients - thank you. We would need to have no food rules - just chew carefully, and deal with broken brackets if necessary. That plus mouth pain is why we couldn’t do it when she was more ill. [/quote]

My DD was a mature middle-schooler when she got hers on, and that’s basically what she did. She just went cautiously with whatever she tried to eat, and stopped if it seemed sticky or she could feel tension. The only bracket she broke on food was on a NYC bagel. Otherwise, she had a run of issues when her upper eye tooth briefly pushed on the bracket below. After replacing three in two weeks, they eventually just took that one off until the teeth had moved again.

I think after the first couple of procedures, it’s less about pain and more about steady pressure with the adjustments. She found that chewing gum really helped, I guess because it provided counter-pressure. She also had an expander and reverse-pull headgear, which was loads of fun.

But honestly, if your DD continues to be really resistant, I’d back off. It sounds like her recovery, and your relationship, are still a bit fragile. Until you settle into the routine, braces can be a kind of constant pain in the rear (even when there isn’t a lot of physical pain). Seems like it might not be a great time to introduce a new thing to fixate on, and to resent you for.

Since she’s past puberty and her growth should be slowing, I wouldn’t think there would be a huge rush to move teeth while her bones are still malleable, as there would be when she was younger. If you can get her to agree to the consult, unless the ortho tells you there’s a reason to rush, you could put the ball in her court: “Here’s what the ortho suggests; let us know when you’re ready.” It might be sooner than you think. If she feels like you blindsided her with the initial suggestion, she may just need time to process and come to it on her own.

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