Dental Appliances and Braces for Child

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  Davo1111 on 08/09/2015 - 00:35

  +1

  Why not get a second opinion?

  Have you seen an orthodontist?

  You need to be very careful of orthodontists who want to put in braces just for the sake of it, particularly if it's subsedised by health insurance. The teeth needs to be ready too.

  • 

    AussieDolphin on 08/09/2015 - 00:40

    Hi Davo1111, for a second opinion I would need to go interstate. The public/government dentist admit that my son has over crowding but apparently it is not severe enough to be treated under medicare. It seems like they would rather let the situation get so bad before they will do anything! I didn't make it clear but the dentist is also an orthodontist. My son's x-rays show that there is no more room for the adult teeth waiting to coming out.

    • 

      Davo1111 on 08/09/2015 - 00:52

      so hes going to fix baby teeth by putting in a retainer? That sounds a bit silly to me?

      With mine they extracted the remaining baby teeth and let the adult teeth develop before putting in braces. And I'm pretty sure I was double your sons age when they started that process!

      Unless hes suffering severely, is there any need to get them done straight away? My vote is for a second opinion, maybe when on holiday or something.

      • 

        mskeggs on 08/09/2015 - 07:08

        +1

        Just a data point, my son had a plate while he still had baby teeth designed to widen his jaw bones to help overcrowding.
        After having it for a year it comes off, now he is waiting for his last teeth to fall out before getting regular braces.
        It was ruinously expensive.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 08/09/2015 - 08:12

        +1

        @mskeggs:

        It was ruinously expensive

        Kids generally are. My one consolation for only having 2 :)

      • 

        NancyCat on 08/09/2015 - 12:57

        +1

        @Davo1111 It's not really a retainer as such. As the plate doesn't retain anything. In fact, it does the opposite, it expands in the mouth…sort of pushing the teeth outwards, to widen the jaw. There is a tiny screw on the plate, you wind/whine it every night and the plate expands tiny-tiny little bit (not visible). So over time (a year or 2 may be?) the jaw would expand by perhaps 2mm.

        My daughter had the same procedure, also started when she was 7. I think the idea was hoping the adjustable/expandable plate could fix her overcrowding problem. Well it did, but the result wasn't 'perfect', so she went on to braces for another few years. The whole treatment was well over $7000. Private insurance has helped a little.

        My experience with my two daughters is to start treatment early, rather than later. Looking at other kids at school or at the ortho waiting room, it's very common for kids under 10 to get treatment. Get second opinion, not only to find a better price, but also find out what treatment is best for your child.

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  toniyellow on 08/09/2015 - 08:51

  +1

  I had an overcrowded lower jaw as a child - a few of my bottom teeth ended up behind others instead of beside. I had braces for 8 (eight!) years, 4 adult teeth pulled and my lower jaw surgically broken in 3 places to make it wider. And, the lower teeth are starting to get very crooked again 10 years later so I'm facing continuous retainers, or leaving it as mostly cosmetic.

  I doubt my mother thought when she spent I can't imagine how much when I was a child that I would still be contributing thousands to dentists in my thirties. I think i would have a lot of questions if I were to go back in time. Maybe the treatment should have started earlier, maybe it could have been better or maybe I was genetically doomed to messed up teeth/undersized jaw and this is the best outcome from all of that time.

  I'd really want a second opinion and to ask heaps of questions as this may not be a fix it once and you're done situation. How effective is the appliance in changing bone growth? Is there a failure rate? Is his jaw going to change with adult teeth, and after that, wisdom teeth?

  Maybe they can try to predict some things from the way the average person grows. But what if he has an unusual growth spurt? What is the best case outcome and what is the worst case?

  Perhaps look into private health insurance if you don't have it already, and find the one that gives the best rebates. It sounds like you're not in a great negotiating position if they're the only qualified dentist in your state.

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  HYX on 08/09/2015 - 09:12

  +1

  I think it's good to get a second opinion, although if that's the only practice in the whole of NT that offers this treatment, sounds like you have no options if the treatment needed to go ahead. Getting the second opinion, even if it means going interstate, will at least confirm for you that the treatment is indeed required for your son's situation.

  Dental treatment in Aus is astronomical in general. You'd be lucky to be paying that amount in Sydney!

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  buzymum20 on 08/09/2015 - 09:35

  +1

  Hi,
  We've recently just finished braces (thank god!) and so I will let you know some things I found out.
  Firstly, do you have extras cover with your health insurance? We do and I found that if I went through an orthodontist, I was charged more for the braces, but got more back so difference in overall cost was negligible.
  Which would you rather use then- a specialist or someone who has done a crash course?

  Our dentist wanted to do one method of attack and the orthodontist had an entirely different way. We were fortunate enough to have a friend's daughter who was nearly finished her dental degree and her advice was, "Go get a second opinion. Go to an orthodontist for an opinion."

  Also get an x-ray too to see if there are wisdom teeth there and if so will they too be a problem? Our daughter was 15 when the problem was diagnosed and started treatment (impacted canine tooth) and had her wisdom teeth removed, two baby teeth and the impacted canine exposed with a chain put on it to pull it down gradually all in the one surgery. Saved some pain (only 1 lot) time and cost.
  It can be wise getting wisdom teeth checked for future problems before braces as you don't want to get teeth all lovely and straight to find that wisdom teeth start coming down and move them all again.
  Make sure too you see the orthodontist regularly if you go down this track as some practices use their technicians and quite honestly they are not orthodontists and you will be paying for the orthodontist. Ask this question, "Will I see the orthodontist him/herself each visit?"

  Finally dentist friend (now qualified) says to make sure to wear the retainer at night sometimes even after all done to help keep the teeth in place. She does and she's nearly 28 years of age and her teeth are lovely- so they should as she's a dentist!
  Good luck. We are pleased with our result- but it was a different problem to yours.

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  pluelp on 09/09/2015 - 00:19

  Ask for a discount, you never know, might actually get one especially if you're paying the whole lot upfront
  And if you're unsure, best to seek a second opinion if possible (also remember a dentist that does orthodontics does not mean they are an orthodontist)
  Generally jaw appliances are considered when there is a skeletal deficiency and usually is only done to to one the arches (eg to expand the top or to advance the bottom) very rarely they have to 'expand' both arches so make sure you fully understand what's involved. always ask the dentist if you're unsure. If cost is a problem consider splitting it, eg doing the appliance first so that at least his jaw growth is sorted and then down the track get braces. He is only 7 so chances are he doesn't have a lot of his permanent teeth yet, unsure what the protocol is over there but i definitely wouldn't want braces on someone so young where the canines and premolars are not through (there is a risk they may come up rotated or displaced) plus oral hygiene is going to be an issue unless he is an exceptional brusher. personally i would wait until he's a little bit older for the braces if the crowding is not causing him too much of an issue, eg eating, talking or aesthetically bothers him too much. the interceptive part eg. jaw expansion or advancement cannot be delayed because it's best done when he's growing otherwise you'd risk him needing orthognathic surgery down the track which as toniyellow mentioned above, extremely traumatising imo.
  it is very hard to comment without knowing the full situation because everyone grows at different rate. unfortunately you are left guided with what's said by the dentist