Braces with your kids

[oldfart]

As a new user I have to come up with 7 unique posts (aka not spamming) before I become a real person on here. So here is one.

I'm mid 40 (aka oldfart) and will be getting braces at the same time as my kids (probably). Would it be best to let them watch me get mine first to ease thier tension, or would that scare them? (I had them before, know the drill, so not worried about just the braces themselves.)

okay.. now need to come up with four other topics.

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[Tobilei]

I'm sort of in the same boat. My eldest daughter got hers on first. She's 13 now. I'm 34 and honestly, she's made it look easy. I've been the biggest whinger and I think maybe scared my younger 2 a bit. They thought nothing of the fact that they'd need braces.........until I got mine and couldn't eat and complained about ulcers etc etc. Things have settled down a bit for me now, but I honestly think maybe kids are a little more adaptable or something!

[oldfart]

My kids don't even know about their ortho consult on monday. It will be interesting to see their reactions.

[Tobilei]

Haha, good luck! Let us know how they go!

[dobiegil]

Trying to get my 7 in too. Daughter has been braced for two years now, and I for 3 weeks. Since getting my on, she has stepped up the cleaning of her teeth......she is special needs and I think the role model has helped her.

[metalmom40]

My daughter and I got our braces on about the same time. It has been a fun journey. I am glad I did it because it has been great to share the experience and I think it brought us a little closer.

[jenleahlynn]

Those consultations with my kids were my motivator to take care of my own cross-bite. I have triplet girls who are 10 and a son who is 8. we have been doing consultations since the girls were 8 because of crowding. Last fall the ortho said they would be heading into braces this year. When we looked at our insurance we were able to increase our dental coverage. we also found that it will cover adult orthodontics, and our ortho is giving us a family discount. so when C got her expander, and A was going in for a checkup, i scheduled my consultation as well. I have a crossbite, so i went directly into braces. A also needs and expander now. it worked out that we both had our spacers put on the same day, then i got my braces the same day she got the molds done.

at this point, we have 2 girls with expanders, and i'm the only one with full braces. i think it has made me more sensitive to what they can and can't eat. they are packing their lunches a lot more often. C is nervous about the soreness, but it helps to be able to tell her that it will quickly get better. she probably would have been nervous anyway. she also reminded me of my healthy smile when i told her i was nervous.

[Elrr]

I got mine after I saw how great my son's teeth looked after a short time. We were both in braces together for about a year and a half.

[FireFinder]

I'm also a new user, and need the 7 posts too.

I have a 10 year old in treatment with a different doc than I am seeing. My biggest issue with him is getting him to brush, floss, clean, etc. He has scored poorly on each appointment for hygiene. I plan on this being a father-son thing since I have them on again, and we'll do it together until it is a habit for him. I don't want him to have them off and have to have restorative or cosmetic work done because he didn't take care of his teeth.

[Norrie]

I also got braces after taking both kids for their initial consult. Our daughter got hers on in June, a couple of months before turning 12. Our son is going to be followed by the orthodontist every six months or so, until he's a bit older.

Our daughter seriously made it look so easy. She had four rough days, but since then has just done a fabulous job. And her teeth have moved SO MUCH in four and a half months. They seriously look incredible. For the first month, she got a bad report on hygiene, because she was having a hard time figuring it all out. Our ortho will take the braces off mid-treatment if you don't do well with brushing and flossing, so since then she's really stepped up her game. My mom also bought her a Water Pic, which she loves. The last two appointments she's gotten glowing reports.

So I got mine on 13 days ago, and am still whining. I got lingual braces, and my tongue is a mess. Eating is a nightmare. Wah, wah, wah. Our daughter keeps cheering me on and telling me that I'll get used to them, but I think she's nuts.

I really am glad to have them at the same time as her. It's been good to learn more about the challenges of keeping everything clean, and figuring out what will work best for her lunch, etc.

[kids041]

My daughter and I both have them on together as well. She is 15 and like the previous poster... has had a wonderfully easy time. Hers have been on for 1 year, and mine only 2 months. I am so impressed with how wonderful her teeth look, that it gives me encouragement for my teeth. Her biggest problem is actually WEARING the rubber bands the prescribed amount of time each day... she is NOT good about it (even tho she knows it just leads to longer treatment time...)
She makes me feel like a whiny baby with all the pain I have and all the issues with molar build-ups.. (HATE THEM!!!)
Good thing she is such a trouper... don't think my DH could handle too whiny babies in the houses!!!

[Sookysunky]

I remember when I had braces (two phase treatment...so a long time) as a kid. My mother once fell and hurt her teeth and needed a retainer. She complained so long about the pain of that retainer and eventually she refused to wear it. I remember being so indignant about that. I never had any choice myself. I had to endure the pain. But now I wonder if kids endure it better or if they actually experience less pain. I do definitely remember a lot of pain...

[Ambrosia80]

I have braces at the same time as my daughter! She's 16. She's had them a lot longer than I have, but we should be getting them off around the same time (between Sept. and Dec.).

[ItsFreyja]

Great discussion! My son (8) and I are both about to be braced (probably by the same doc) and I'd planned to keep our appointments, etc. separate to cut down on the amount of time he has to sit and wait. (When I had Phase I braces as a young kid, that was the worst part -- all the waiting to see the ortho!) But maybe I'll reconsider if I feel like he needs some extra encouragement.

[bliss4me]

My daughter and I had braces together. She started (bottoms only) then I got mine about 6 months later.
I got mine off first, and now she needs 6 brackets put back on. It's fun to do it at the same time. You can commiserate.