Anonymous wrote:18 year old senior in high school. Orthodontist says there are zero structrual issjes with her mouth and they’d be for cosmetic purposes only but dd really wants braces for some reason.

Will insurance cover for strictly cosmetic -- after turning 18? How much is this going to cost out of pocket?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep! Slight gap in DD's front teeth. Going for a follow up appt next month.

sign of beauty in many cultures

That doesn't matter at all if she doesn't like it. I would hate it and want to get it fixed too.

YES. And I judge my upper-middle class FIL tremendously for refusing to pay for “cosmetic” braces for his kids. (Cheap divorced Dad.) SIL in particular has terrible teeth and I think it will hurt her profesisonally.

My 14 yr. old may need a retainer, but not braces, so we have no problem doing this. Her teeth are almost perfectly straight, but they aren't quite perfect. She needs to lose two baby teeth first, but the dentist is thinking of just pulling those since she'll be 15 in July and they should have already fallen out. He has already said that braces aren't necessary. For my 12 yr. old, they are, and he will be getting them as soon as possible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes of course, you also should have done it years ago.

When she was told at 12 she wouldn’t need braces she was like YES!!!! and obviously we didn’t put them on.

You do everything your child wants? You should have gotten a second opinion and kept up with it. Also wisdom teeth issues before age 16. Our kid certainly didn't want his wisdom teeth pulled out but they had to go.

Anonymous wrote:Nope. And I'm a dentist.

....and I don't believe you're a dentist....

The question shouldn't be would you pay for braces for entirely cosmetic reasons but why wouldn't you pay for braces for entirely cosmetic reasons? I understand not being able to afford braces but if finances weren't a concern, why would you even consider not doing it?

As others have mentioned, it most definitely is a class marker. Straight teeth will give your child more confidence. Why would you deny your child those things?

Insurance not instant

Yes, I would and did. I paid for braces for my twins. Did them one at a time. My daughter's case was more severe with a front tooth that was perpendicular. I knew it bothered her and she would come home in middle school asking when she could get braces and would name classmates who'd just got them put on. They were taken off at the beginning of her freshman year in high school and she has a beautiful smile. Her confidence is up and she no longer holds her hand to her mouth or does not smile in pictures. Her twin brother's teeth were almost flawless except for two crooked lower teeth. Because his case was less complicated, he wore his for a little over a year. The instance covered about $3,000 of the total $10,000. I have no regrets. I did not get braces until I was in law school. My teeth were horrible. I love my smile. If it's not a financial hardship, I think you should get the braces for your kid. I live in a major metro area where there are lots of professional jobs. If I had messy teeth it might have impacted my career.

Nope. And I'm a dentist.

OP this is why most people do orthodontia. So yes, wouldn't even think twice about it unless we could not afford it.

Yes. She finished up at the Orthodontist this year. I look back at pics of her teeth before braces and I can see a difference. Probably other people do not see a difference. Also, we have friends who have kids with structurally fine bites, but crooked teeth. As they get older and the majority of kids around them have braces and straight teeth, their kids’ teeth stand out more and more.

Yes.

Well, even if there aren't any deep structural defects, teeth that are aligned well are also easier to keep clean with flossing and brushing.

But yes, if you otherwise can afford it, get your dd's teeth straightened. It is definitely something people notice otherwise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep! Slight gap in DD's front teeth. Going for a follow up appt next month.

sign of beauty in many cultures

Yeah, there's a supermodel with a gap between her front teeth--can't recall her name. I wouldn't pay for braces for a slight gap, but I would for actually crooked teeth.