Ortho Question

[freedyx3]

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Here's a question for any practicing dentists out there.

I have a little brother who's 11 and my dentist wants him to get braces already. But his adult teeth have not all grown in yet, so i'm wondering wouldn't it be smarter to wait till all his adult teeth are fully grown in until we put inthe braces?


thanks

 

[ItsGavinC]

Children between the ages of 8 and 12 can really benefit from preventative orthodontics which can prevent possible future full orthodontic treatment.

I would imagine that this is the route that your brother's dentist is taking.

I think that too often in our culture we take great pride in "fixing" orthodontic problems as children arrive upon their teenage years. I believe there is much to be said for preventing problems when children are in the 4-7 age range, and thereby signifigantly reducing the need for full ortho treatment when they are older, or completing eliminating that need in many cases.

Of course, if this really *is* the way our treatments should be leaning (preventative rather than fully corrective), good luck having orthodontists confirm that. Such a trend would certainly taper their procedures and revenues.

Then again, I'm not a dentist, so what do I know.

 

[gryffindor]

Two practicing orthodontists I have worked with with say the latest the kid should come in for at least an ortho check is by the age of 10.

Gavin is right - Starting treatment early (if it is necessary) can prevent problems later, especially in ortho. Your brother is at the stage where he is still growing, so any potential jaw discrepancies could be corrected at this point. If you wait too long (after he is done growing, like 17 or 18), sutures of various face bones fuse and can't be manipulated so the only way to correct jaw discrepancies is through some intense oral surgery.

But definitely get a second & even a third opinion if you are the least bit concerned with what the orthodontist is telling you. Because unfortunately, as with all aspects of dentistry, there are some orthodontists that will tell you anything to get a patient into the chair.

 

[Frank Cavitation]

some random thoughts from a non-dentist:

jaw growth is hard to predict, and mandibular size even harder to control. Be more worried when the teeth are crowded as opposed to if there is space.

getting a second opinion can be costly. You may not be able to get several dentists/orthodontists to share x-rays and models.

what are the esthetic expectations of your family and your brother? That should be the deciding factor at this point in time.


I disagree with "the younger the better" philosophy. Braces are uncomfortable and present a caries risk, both of which are more difficult for younger patients to handle. At the age of 11 though, only a few teeth are left to erupt and the maxilla is almost done growing, so it's not a surprisingly early time for treatment.

 

[UBTom]

Just a note on X-rays for those of us in the U.S.... Dentists here in the U.S. are actually obligated to provide copies of X-rays to the patient when the patient asks for it-- Because the information in the charts actually legally belongs to the patient. The dentist is entitled to charge a reasonable fee to duplicate the x-rays and charts though.

So when switching dentists or going for second opinions, the patient has the legal right to demand and receive a copy of his/her chart AND the X-rays and bring them to any dentist the patient wishes to see.

I don't know if study models are applicable to this rule though... These are actually pretty easy to duplicate too-- Take a denture cup, fill it halfway with alginate, wet the model, squish it in, let set, take out the model, and pour it up with dental stone in the cup.

HTH!

 

[freedyx3]

Thanks all for the great comments,

What my concern in that if we do get the braces now and spend 4500, we need to get then agian later on and spend even more. Or possibly if we leave it alone it will naturally grow into a straight set of teeth. Both my parents and me have straight teeth and I never got braces.

 

[UBTom]

Hi Freedyx3,

There are factors other than heredity that determines whether or not teeth will come in straight. For example, the most common cause of anterior crowding is premature loss of primary molars due to caries, which causes 1st permanent molars to drift foward, causing space loss in the arch and result in crowded anteriors.

So it is definitely possible to get crooked teeth even if your other family members do not have them. That's why it's important for a parent to communicate with the dentist taking care of a family's kids to intercept such problems before they get expensive. Communication is key-- Always, always ask the dentist questions and make sure one gets detailed, understandable answers.

HTH!