advice on child braces !

Darsad

HI any advice greatly appreciated !

We have a 10 yr old daughter who defnititely requires braces as her front four teeth are basically crossed and heading in different directions and its begining to cause her some concern as its been pointed out on a number of occasions by friends etc and quite surprisingly her teacher also told her she needed braces.

We have been told by some people that 10 yrs is too young and wait until at least 12 as there is a possibility of the teeth still moving again in her teenage years if braces are fitted too early . Is this true forgive my scepticism but just not sure we would get an inpartial opinion from an orthodontist.

Probably a stupid question but is there any chance braces would be covered through the public system and would it be worth trying or would it take years to get approved.Where would I get info re public coverage .

Tks

davo10

Darsad wrote: »

HI any advice greatly appreciated !

Is this true forgive my scepticism but just not sure we would get an inpartial opinion from an orthodontist.

Probably a stupid question but is there any chance braces would be covered through the public system and would it be worth trying or would it take years to get approved.Where would I get info re public coverage .

Tks

Darsad, if you are sceptical about the advice given by an orthodontist and believe it not to be impartial, where exactly do you think you are going to get advice considering they are experts in orthodontics? this does not make sense.

Contact your local HB dental clinic through your daughter's school. Children are assesed based on severity of malocclusion and are placed on a waiting list for ortho treatment if they are selected. Be prepared to wait as funding is low.

Darsad

davo10 wrote: »

Darsad, if you are sceptical about the advice given by an orthodontist and believe it not to be impartial, where exactly do you think you are going to get advice considering they are experts in orthodontics? this does not make sense.

Contact your local HB dental clinic through your daughter's school. Children are assesed based on severity of malocclusion and are placed on a waiting list for ortho treatment if they are selected. Be prepared to wait as funding is low.

I understand what you mean its just I have no doubt if I present my daughter to an orthodontist they will tell me she needs braces thats not in dispute nor is the fact that they could be fitted now. I suppose I was just looking for some advice or opinions from people who have been through the process.

Dianthus

Our local health board is currently about to commence treating patients on the waiting list since 2008.

It would certainly be worth seeing a specialist orthodontist for a consultation to discuss the various options, pros& cons. Orthodontists have absolutely no vested interest in prolonging/delaying treatment times unnecessarily- it leads to patient/parent/operator fatigue, amongst other risks.
If your daughter is 10 years of age, she has approx 12 more adult teeth yet to erupt, so there will be a lot of changes yet to come. Sometimes intervention at this stage can create more space to accomodate these new teeth (& therefore shorten the treatment time for fixed braces in the future)- every case is different, your daughter would need to see an orthodontic specialist for her own individual assessment. All the best.

day dreamer

Hi there

if you child has crooked teeth then it is highly likely she will need braces and the best person to provide that is an orthodontist.

Why dont you ask at the local HSE clinic about a referral to an orthodontist or ask your own dentist to have a look and recommend someone.

She may benefit from some early or interceptive treatment. 10 is not too early to start that but it is probably too early to start definitive treatment with fixed appliances or traintracks. This is not beacuse the teeth might move (relapse can occur anytime) but because she will probably not have all her adult teeth.

meg3178

Hi, I was 10 when I first had a brace fitted. It was a retainer on a plate and I also had four back teeth removed to compensate for overcrowding, my front teeth crossed over as well. My teeth were straight by the age of twelve, but then I had a fixed brace fitted when I was 16 until I was 19, as my wisdom teeth had come down and my front teeth were crossing over again and my bite was out.
I understand your concern, but I would seek an orthodontist review, as he/she will take panoramic x rays and impressions, as well as giving you more of an idea of the treatment required. You will then be able to think it over and then make an informed decision. Remember, there are long waiting lists in this country, so maybe going to the north is also an idea; a friend of mine takes her 13yr old to an orthodontist in the North every three months, as the waiting list was so long here. If you get an appointment early to see an orthodontist here, take it and you will be able to have all your questions answered.

davo10

Meg the waiting lists here are public, ie. HSE, treatment in the North is private. Non UK residents cannot access the NHS public ortho treatment in North. In other words, HSE is free down here, treatment up North you have to pay for.

face2face

Hi Darsad, our son first got a brace when he was seven years old. Our dentist refered him for ortho at that stage as she had some concerns about how his lower jaw was developing. He has had a double block for almost two years now and it has made a big difference to him. We have a lot more to do with him, but a lot can be done with braces when they are young because their bones are still quite soft according to our orthodontist. He is having the summer off - no braces - and we will start the next phase in September. Just before he started this treatment a letter came to school about the school dentist coming in and the letter also mentioned that after this visit, children could get access to orthodontic waiting lists which are years long. We paid for the first phase of treatment up front to get a bit of cash discount, we have had visits every 6-8 weeks and he loves going, has absolutely no qualms about braces, x-rays, moulds or any of it. I would trust the diagnosis you have been given, your orthodontist is very unlikely to give you a bum steer, and wish you luck with it all. HTH