Being A Mom in Braces

[sharrsharrsheesheiya]

Hello there I'm new and just finding my way here but one thing especially I already noticed is quite a few here are mom's, well I am too and my little girl will be one year old in August. She's never seen me without my braces and I'm in headgear too though it comes off for hairwashing and a few other little things but I'm in it most all the time my little girl has ever seen. So... I was wondering how any of you ladies cope with your children's curiosity and questions about your braces and if it's ALL positive or any problems which might be lurking for me in the near future??? Thx for having such a really interesting and useful place for us brace-wearers to meet safely and compare experiences, thx Sharrsharrsheesheiya

[HeadgearJoe]

Hello there I'm new and just finding my way here but one thing especially I already noticed is quite a few here are mom's, well I am too and my little girl will be one year old in August. She's never seen me without my braces and I'm in headgear too though it comes off for hairwashing and a few other little things but I'm in it most all the time my little girl has ever seen. So... I was wondering how any of you ladies cope with your children's curiosity and questions about your braces and if it's ALL positive or any problems which might be lurking for me in the near future??? Thx for having such a really interesting and useful place for us brace-wearers to meet safely and compare experiences, thx Sharrsharrsheesheiya

hi, well i'm not a female, but however i'm in braces an headgear also , my grandkids have allways seen me in braces an headgear also , they have asked an few questions an wanted to pull on my headgear when they were a bit smaller , however papa thats me , said , i've got a problem with my jaw an my bit an they have to fix it , an they say ok an thats ok for them , they have ask seeing me in bed with my headgear on an say you have to sleep in it to , there realy great grandkids, hope to be braces an headgear free in the next few months i go back tuesday an maybe the expander will go then , . HEADGEARJOE

[KathleenH]

My son is almost two, and I have had braces since before he was born. He doesn't really notice them or ask about them, although he does tend to poke at them every now and then. Since he's never seen me without, he thinks that's normal for me.

I wish that he understood them a little better, as he has this idea that he can slam his hard head into my mouth and that it's funny. Ouch! I try to teach him not to, but well, he's almost two. Not a lot I can do.

Even after I had my surgery, and I looked terrible from the swelling, and of course looked drastically different, he adjusted within 24 hours. He's young enough that he won't ever even remember me with braces or pre-surgery.

My niece is the worst, as she often tells me she won't have braces when she's older, as they're ugly and will make her look funny. I just tell her that she may want them if she needs them - she'll look better in the end.

[CLAmom]

My kids are 8, 10, and 12 and are cool with me wearing braces. They had a few questions at first but now I think it's mostly boring to them. They have friends who have them so it's no big deal, I guess. I have to be careful about saying negative things about wearing braces even though it's hard not to. I mean, how long can a person put up with a limited variety of soft food without getting a little cranky now and then!! I do try to be careful, though because one of them could be next (in fact, it looks like it will be my 12-year-old soon) and I have to set a good example, right? I think this is the hardest part--not being able to vent at home. Thank god for this message board!! Kids are great, though, aren't they? Their ability to cope with change is a constant source of amazement to me.

[pvarier]

Hi,

My son was almost 2 when I got braces. He is 4 now. He was curious the first day and after that he did'nt care at all. My biggest problem is I have not been able to kiss him without being cautious and it also used to hurt
during the first few months. And since he is so active I have had his head
bang on my lips a few times resulting in swelling . I am glad at the end of it I can smile in pics with him without being self conscious.
I think now he will be surprised to see me without braces since he is so used to seeing them as part of me...or maybe he just wont notice

Good luck!!

[KJM]

Welcome!
I too am a Mom in braces. I have 3 kids. A 17 year old who already had braces and has a gorgeous smile now, a 14 year old that will be getting her braces this summer and a 9 year old that has an expander and will have partial braces on the 17th of this month.

My kids were/are super supportive about me having them. I couldn't ask for better kids! My daughter even gave up her "spot" to get them so I could get mine first. Isn't she great? I think going through this experience has really helped me. When my oldest had them, I had no idea what it was like but now I do and can help my other two know what to expect, and how to cope.

When my oldest was a baby my hubby still had his braces and it never even phased my son. We only had to be careful that he didnt head butt my hubby in the mouth--- Ouch! I can say we have had nothing but positive things from orthodontics in our family.

[brandee987]

wish that he understood them a little better, as he has this idea that he can slam his hard head into my mouth and that it's funny. Ouch! I try to teach him not to, but well, he's almost two. Not a lot I can do.

Kathleen I feel your pain! My 2 year old never fails to head butt me right in the mouth when my teeth are hurting.. Plus we co-sleep and I have been awakened by a swift kick in the mouth by my dd too... ouch!

As far as what my daughter thinks... she ask me to open my mouth and she will get really close and point her little finger around saying "oh wow" ... I had teal ligs and she liked those alot.. Mostly she wants to do my cleaning routine with me. She tries to floss with me.. Its cute...

[bckydgardnr]

I am a mom with braces too! My kids are 9 and 13, and are both really great kids. My son just got his braces last week, so it has actually been really helpful because I understand what he is going through. Although, he has handled it A LOT better than I did when I first had them.
I feel like I am being a great role model for my kids. When I was growing up teeth just weren't that important. (Needless to say, that's why I am 37 and have braces) My kids see how important it is to me to have healthy teeth and they follow in my steps. I have not had to tell my son even once to brush his teeth since he has gotten his braces. He just picked up my routine.

Gardnr

[sharrsharrsheesheiya]

Wow this is so amazing finding this site and you folks that I can relate to, its really great. I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant again and pleased so my little Shaquarrianne-Amy can have a bro/sis soon. I guess the kids just accept things as they are cos they know no different and that's probably how it'll be with mine too. Headbutting sounds horrible, but maybe I'm sort of protected by my facebow cos I don't think my babe likes banging on it, and she's just about as careful as me over kisses. I guess giving her proper kisses will be one of the great pluses when I gert this stuff finally off. Thanx for alerting me to something-I never thought about it but the way I react to my orthodontics could well set a pattern for my kids in their turn, great tip !! THX love, Sharrsharrsheesheiya

[bbsadmin]

When my youngest daughter was in kindergarten, I was a volunteer reader in her class. It was the first time her classmates had seen me in braces.

I sat in the teacher's rocking chair and began reading the book. Suddenly one of the kids blurted out, "What's that on your teeth?!" "Braces," I said. Then another kid piped in, "My brother has braces!" and then another, "My cousin just got braces!" Soon the room was all aclatter with little ones talking about everyone they knew who had braces. It was really cute.

[bbsadmin]

Welcome! I too am a Mom in braces. I have 3 kids. A 17 year old who already had braces and has a gorgeous smile now, a 14 year old that will be getting her braces this summer and a 9 year old that has an expander and will have partial braces on the 17th of this month.

Four people in the same family in braces! Has your orthodontist bought his new porsche yet?

[bckydgardnr]

bbsadmin
That's funny that you mention about the porche.
I took my daughter to the dentist last week for her cleaning. I asked the dentist about two of her teeth that are coming in funny . His reply me was, "You should have just bought Dr.... (My ortho and my son's ortho) his porche instead of making braces payments"

Gardnr

[EDWARD]

Hello how about Dads with Braces,
Iam 42 Dad with full metal brackets on upper and lower teeth, I wear 2 rubberband on each side and a headgear about 16 hrs a day. My 3 children think its cool that there dad is a wire mouth and they tell me Don't go out side in a electric storm, ha ha.
I dont mind, I am getting use to all the wire looks and conversations about braces. Good luck it does get easier

[Ravishing]

I nanny for an 11 month old (I've been taking care of him since he was 8 weeks). His mom and I thought he would notice my braces right away and want to grab at them or something but he really didn't care at all. If he noticed them he never let on to it.
Since that first day there have been a couple of days when he has stuck his hand in my mouth and poked at my bottom brackets. They are metal and I have bright blue ligs so I guess they're more attractive to him than my ceramic uppers with clear ligs.

I can also relate to the head butt to the mouth. Ouch
I love the little guy to death but I'm never very happy when he does that! I always carry a little bottle of ibuprofin with me for days like that (or for those days when the screaming never stops)!!

[Granola]

I haven't had much to cope with. My son was excited when I got my braces put on, and asks me all sorts of questions like what elastics are for. I definitely am more careful about getting bumped in the mouth by his head when I carry him, but it's been all good here.