<p>Our orthodontist has recommended braces to correct the bite of S2’s teeth (he is almost 15 - rising freshman). His teeth are straight and aesthetically fine (they do lean inward a bit)so S2 is adamantly opposed to the idea. DH and I believe that even though his teeth look alright now, in the future he might have bite problems, etc., so best to follow ortho’s advice. Ortho is leaving decision up to us and not pushing hard one way or the other, which makes me wonder as to the true necessity of braces. S2 did have headgear and some brace work when he was younger, for over a year when around 7 yrs old, so he feels he has done enough teeth work. S1 did the whole braces thing and now has a great smile, perfect teeth. Do we force braces on S2 or let it slide? Part of me feels that only in the US would we consider braces for teeth that are already straight!</p>
<p>I’d suggest getting another orthodontist’s opinion. In our area, consults are free.</p>
<p>I’d probably push for more info from orthodontist rather than here! ;)</p>
<p>That said, ortho recommended braces for both me and my H as children. Neither of us got them. My H’s teeth have worsened over time, and he probably would have benefitted more than me. But my teeth are very crowded, and I think I’d probably have fewer other issues - like decay, breaking teeth, etc, if I had more room!</p>
<p>Two of my kids had horrible teeth corrected with many pulled teeth and braces; the third (middle) child has perfect teeth naturally. Good thing, since he’s the horn player.</p>
<p>We like our ortho so much that I didn’t even think of that - but a good idea. I will definately try that, although I will feel a bit disloyal!</p>
<p>Also ask if your son is a candidate for Invisalign, which really are pretty invisible. They don’t have the stigma that the metal braces do, and lots of kids who already had the metal braces wear the Invisalign as a retainer, so he wouldn’t be alone at his age.</p>
<p>Some bite problems cause enamel wear. This was the case for my S; the enamel on some teeth was being worn away because of the bite problem. You can bet he got braces!</p>
<p>It’s not all about the look…it’s about the BITE. When my DD needed braces, there was NO DISCUSSION. She got them. Her bite was botched up. Her teeth LOOKED fine. In the long run, she was going to have problems. </p>
<p>She was not a happy camper as she had late teeth coming in so her braces were not put ON until 10th grade. They were taken off the week before her senior pics were taken. She wears an invisalign retainer every night.</p>
<p>It’s a couple year “blip” that can have a long term affect on dental health. Get a second opinion, but if it’s yes…that would be THAT in my household.</p>
<p>You might ask your dentist what he or she thinks as well.</p>
<p>I second getting another opinion - from a dentist. A dentist can tell you if there is a problem with the bite.</p>
<p>If your S is not on board with getting braces at this age, then I would not force him into it. My D had braces due to bite issues also. She had hers from 7th-9th grade and got them off the week before high school. She stopped wearing her retainer after high school and is still rather resentful that she was “forced” to have $3,000 of orthodontia.</p>
<p>My stepson also had braces and didn’t wear his retainer after high school. His teeth are now horribly crooked on the bottom and it looks like he never met an orthodontist. At age 27 he is sorry he didn’t wear the retainer now, and he can’t afford to redo the ortho work. When you look at his teeth, you would think he had uncaring parents who didn’t bother to take him to the orthodontist.</p>
<p>In my opinion, this is not something you can “ram down the throat” of a 15-year-old guy. He may have problems with his bite and teeth and jaw later, and then he will have to deal with it and pay for it. You offered the help and he doesn’t want it. One of my dad’s favorite sayings was, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”</p>
<p>Your S is fifteen. Given him all of the information you have and let him make the decision. If he develops problems later they can still be corrected. Despite pressure from medical professionals and parents, I passed on braces, still have all of my wisdom teeth, and thirty plus years later my teeth are fine.</p>
<p>I’d let him have a great deal of say here. One child had an “iffy” situation like yours and we let that go. Eight years later, so far so good. Second child had more crooked teeth and seemed to be interested in getting it fixed, so we went with that. Also seems to me that these have become a bit of a status symbol, as I see a lot of kids with them, including some that you would think would have resisted them. </p>
<p>Years ago I arranged an interview at our firm for a B-school graduate friend who was looking to make a job change. Unfair as it was, his chances of a decent consideration were diminished when he showed up as a 24 year old with braces (he really did need them, though.) Didn’t get asked back by us, but ended up doing fine anyway.</p>
<p>If the second opinion confirms that braces are medically necessary to prevent future problems, then IMHO it’s up to the parents to decide he has to have them. What teenager is ever going to choose the uncomfortable, ugly option over the short-term comfort option? That’s what parents are for.</p>
<p>I would get the braces. They’re really not that bad…and while no one can say for sure (maybe a dentist can) that it won’t cause problems down the road, better safe than sorry.</p>
<p>I had braces for just under two and a half years, because my teeth moved much faster than they had anticipated. Now every time I go to the dentist (I just went today, as a matter of fact) the hygienists complement me on how nice and straight my teeth are. I also have a bonded retainer on the front four bottom teeth and a regular removable retainer on the top.</p>
<p>If he’s only digging his heels in because braces aren’t pretty, he needs to get over himself (no offense intended). So many people have braces in high school no one gives it a second thought, and if it will save him from dental problems later on in life, IMO it’s more than worth the possible two years of not necessarily looking your best. And hey, some kids even look kinda cute with braces! (My sister and I actually got complements on how cute we looked with our braces.)</p>
<p>Keep in mind that if your son is not motivated re the braces, it may undermine the effectiveness of the treatment program. Perhaps he will need to wear headgear at home at some point and/or a retainer at night. If he is not conscientious with these applicances, the result may not be what was expected.</p>
<p>For what it is worth, my son’s 19-year-old girlfriend required extensive orthodontia treatment and is still wearing braces after a year of college. It does not seem to be an issue for either her or him! 
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<p>I have known adults who have gone through braces and while they are certainly motivated, I imagine it would have been better and more easily done when they were teens. But I would not insist if the kid is adamant, especially as it seems that even from the orthodontist’s perspective, this is a borderline case.</p>
<p>My parents left the choice up to me when the orthodontist recommended pulling one of my teeth before fitting the braces. I threw a fit over the notion of having an adult tooth pulled. That tooth now causes me no end of trouble. The gum has receded almost all the way down to the root, and the teeth in that whole terribly crooked row are so crowded it takes a great deal of extra work to keep them clean (and getting them cleaned by the dentist always hurts).</p>
<p>I looked into getting the tooth pulled and getting corrective work done as an adult. Verdict: The teeth won’t move enough to make a difference. It’s too late. I’m not looking forward to gum grafts.</p>
<p>I don’t blame my parents for giving in to me over the orthodontist’s recommendations, but I really wish they hadn’t.</p>
<p>Someone mentioned kids undoing orthodontic work by refusing to wear their retainers. When geek<em>son’s braces came off, the orthodontist’s assistant glued cross-wires to his four front teeth (top and bottom) in the back – sort of a “permanent retainer.” geek</em>son didn’t like it, but it did mean that he had the effect of a retainer 24/7 without actually having to wear one. The assistant said the wire should stay there “forever” and be replaced if it fell out. That seemed extreme to me, and I thought it had more to do with managing the orthodontist’s reputation and possible upselling than with my son’s health… so after a year or so, when it became clear that his teeth weren’t moving anymore, we asked the dentist to remove the wires. geek_son wore the retainers at night for a while after that. Point of this story is only that there are now ways to ensure the teeth don’t move back because of kiddo not wearing a retainer.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your great insights! No consensus, but great insights I think I will get a second opinion, but we are leaning towards letting it go for now. The possible benefits just don’t seem to outweigh the many negatives at this point. Considering he already got some major problems fixed when he was younger and given his possible non-compliance in treatment gives me reason to doubt the efficacy of braces right now. Oh boy, I hate these BIG PARENTING DECISIONS! Thanks everyone…</p>
<p>Another parent weighing in. When DS was eleven or twelve his dentist thought he should see an orthodontist. The first orthodontist wanted him to get braces right away. We went for a second opinion. The second orthodontist said that for my son braces before he stopped growing would be a huge mistake. He said DS would need braces eventually and suggested we come back when DS was in his twenties and reevaluate at that time. We decided to wait. DS is now twenty. I guess its time to reevaluate or at least see if he’s stopped growing.</p>
<p>DS calls home late last night. Tells mommy that oral surgeon recommends a mandible break to fix a bite problem. I see $5000 we spent for previous teeth fix go byebye. I see $10,000 that DS has to spend to fix jaw and another $5000 for braces. Also see another 2 years before he gets handsome again. He’s 24.</p>
<p>longprime - so sorry to hear about your son! And this happened even though you had fixed his teeth when he was younger? oh my - how unfortunate for all of you. So there are no guarantees in orthodontia I guess!</p>