Orthodontist...

Just got back from the orthodontist... Ashley will have to have an apparatus put in to correct a crossbite. It won't be visible at all and it should not cause any discomfort, but I am still not thrilled with the idea. I'd rather wait until she is older, but the orthodontist said that this is the best time to treat it as her jaws are forming. He said it would be less traumatic now, and if we wait longer then it will be harder to correct and worst case scenerio, it can even result in surgery later. She'll probably only have to have this in for 4-6 months, but it still just seems early to be dealing with this. Has anyone else had something similar done at such an early age? We have it scheduled for Christmas break.

On a funny note, they took a bunch of photos, along with X-rays. They had Ashely hold these things in her mouth that openen her mouth realy wide, and she told me, "Mom, don't you dare put those on Facebook!" LOL, does she know me or what!

My friend's son had something done, some apparatus put in his mouth about a year ago and he's 6. So 8 isn't too young. Megan may be getting a "fork" put in in the next year or so and she's only 5.5. What the consequences of doing it now versus later, or for waiting....I have no clue. Kylie has been seeing the orthodontist for several years now but they are waiting quite a while before they clip the skin between her two front teeth and cutting all her gums. (ick!) Not sure why they wait, but they are for now.

I had an ortho consult for Noah, and she told me he'd need the two stage treatment--much more expensive than standard braces, so I went for another consult, and that guy said it was unnecessary, so I went with that guy. Worked out fine.
Having had braces myself for 8 yrs, I think they're right on the edge of being a huge scam perpetrated on well-meaning middle class parents. Yes, crooked teeth are unattractive, but I don't think as many kids need them as get them, and I know for a fact that many times, the teeth revert to the way they were before.
So I guess what I'm saying is, take what you hear from an ortho with a grain of salt. They have an interest in your kid's teeth being "the worst case scenario." And surgery, puh-leez. Sounds like an alarmist to me. Maybe another consult?
Good luck.

Olivia had a palette expander in last year and is actually almost ready to get her braces off. We knew braces were in her future the second her secondary teeth started fully emerging behind her baby teeth . . . .not a few of them, either. All of them to date. She obviously had too small of a palette. Her front tooth was turned pretty significantly. They look great now.

If this is the apparatus she needs, though, it certainly is far from painless. Although not unbearable, it was pretty painful for the first week or so to the point where she altered her eating to softer food. It has to be turned twice a day for several weeks to expand the palette and allow teeth to shift~and they expand & shift darn quickly with it. Just another FYI~I had to heimlich Olivia in April because a piece of chicken caught between her expander and the throat totally blocking her airway. O has never been one to choke on anything so we were shocked. Just something to watch for.

The tooth next to her front two teeth is going behind her bottom teeth when she bites down. The ortho said that he doesn't recommend braces until they are older and all their permanant teeth are in, but when there is a crossbite then it should be corrected right away becasue the bite can cause wear and tear on the teeth and other problems. She may or may not need braces when she is older (I am thinking she will), but this is just to fix her bite, not the crooked teeth. He said that he normally sees this in kids that suck their thumbs. (Although, Ashely never sucked her thumb).

Jeanne, I have talked to a few people that have used this ortho and he was recommended by two different dentist, but I agree it never hurts to get a second opinion.

Cheryl, the appliance she needs is not the one with the key that needs to be turned. It looks like a wire shaped "U" and will be connected to a band on the back two molars. I am hoping it won't be painful but I can't imagine there won't be any discomfort.

hi DeeDee and other mommies

Jason has a cross bite too. I took him to the othrodontist and he said that it is too early for Jason because he still has a lot of baby teeth. He did say to come back in 6-9 months to begin processs of correcting the cross bit--- although it is so cute!

I worked as an ortho tech when i was 16..not abnormal to start correcting at this age. we did it younger even 6-7. I say do it now. I was cleaning and banding braces of kids younger then Ashley. Trust me she and her jaw bones will thank you. It would be less painful to do as the bone grows as opposed to when it is already formed and trying to manipulate it.

Yikes! That is so scary! Glad she is ok!!

My 12 year old has 7 baby teeth still - had 4 pulled last year (the adult teeth in the gums were interfering with roots of the already descended adult teeth) an an apparatus put in to hold back the molars so they didn't shift forward and take the newly created space. His sounds similar; bands around two molars with wires holding the teeth back and something stuck to the roof of his mouth. He has had no troubles with the apparatus once it was properly fit.

The first ortho I went to, at the dentist's recommendation, wanted to put in an expander. Being ignorant, I did some internet research and discovered she has written papers and done presentations on expanders, which made me wonder if it was just her pet thing ... went to the current ortho for a second opinion (he was highly recommended by several families we know) and he did not recommend the expander but rather extracting those baby teeth and doing what we are doing. I liked that option better, liked his office better, all so we went with his plan. My son will need braces for sure when this is over.

Many of Jake's friends are already in and out of braces. They seemed to be in braces around 9 or 10 years old. So they are treating kids earlier these days, but it does seem not until the baby teeth are gone.

It seems they all have different opinions, like other docs. Jeanne's point is a good one, I think - not everyone needs perfectly straight teeth, but when the alignment is in question and the jaw may be compromised it seems well worth it. But another opinion may either give you comfort or confuse you!! Go with your gut, that won't steer you wrong.

My 10yr old has a cross bite. I took him to 3 different orthodontists. One wanted to do braces right away, but he creeped me out and I felt he was in it for the money.

The other 2 said to wait till he gets braces and that'll fix it. One actually said to have him hold a tongue depresser or popsicle stick against the tooth and it'd eventually move on it's own. He'd have to hold it there for a while everyday. He did it for a couple days and then said it was "boring" and never did it again. This is the old way of fixing teeth. LOL

The one who we are going to go with also said he can wait. My oldest has braces on now from this ortho and I am very happy with him. He sees no harm in waiting.

Actually both of the wait orthos said we could do something now, but it'd just cost more and then ds would need braces later anyway. So we are waiting. He goes back in Jan. for another eval. Free eval!