Metal Mouth Message Board

Well I was a teen in the late 70s-early 80s and orthodontics were much less advanced than they are now. I did have a removable device which looked a bit like a Hawley retainer on the top teeth for a year or so, which helped drag my canine "fangs" back into place, but did very little about my overjet.In the UK 20 yrs ago most people who went to the dentist had free or heavily subsidised treatment on the National Health Service. Only rich people could afford a private dentist and my parents couldn't have. A lot of people had wonky teeth in those days so unless your teeth were really bad, nobody really noticed.

Parents didn't want to. They could have, but didn't want to. Kind of like how I told them about a tooth that hurt for so long it rotted below the gum and had to be pulled. Thanks mom and dad!

Still not happy about that.

- Missing tooth -

didn't have the money and i wasn't overly concerned about it. i just dealt with bad teeth. postponed it, then decided to pull the trigger so that I'm all done for the big 40 birthday blast!

The dentist I saw as a child never mentioned it to my parents (so they say), and I never realized I needed them. How could a dentist miss my open bite and crowding? I'll never understand that. My parents probably wouldn't have been able to afford them, anyway.

I've never been certain why my parents were like this, but if I had a runny nose, my Mom would run me off to a doctor, but my gums could be swollen out 5mm and she'd never do a thing. My Dad had perfect teeth, never had a cavity, completely straight, and my Mom's were awful-discolored, too small, crooked. She was terrified of dentists, I suppose. It was never a question that they were going to shell out the money for braces, and visibly, I only had two crooked teeth. I never went to a dentist until I joined the Air Force. My sister got braces for crowding and an open bite when she was in her twenties (paid for it herself), but I didn't decide to do this until I was thinking about getting veneers. My friend got them, and really liked them, but at $1,000 a tooth, it seemed really pricey to do that. After I saw that they filed your teeth down so much, and it couldn't help your bite, I thought it made more sense to pay $5,000 to really get them fixed (plus my insurance paid $1800 of it) vs. a cosmetic quick-fix. After I've read more, I'm really glad I did it, I had no idea one's bite could be widened and teeth positioned more forward. My lips have always been full, but my ortho is pushing out my teeth further and it's making them really look nice, I had no idea that was possible.

Grew up in Irealnd so it wasn't a money issue - apparently it would have been free because my teeth were so bad (they tell me this nOW?). Had strange parents of the 'head in sand' variety.....no matter what was wrong with you they wouldn't believe you (although they had to have been blind if they couldn't see my teeth!!)...Couldn't see in class at school but mom wouldn't bring me to optician...had to get my glasses myself and then got berated for making her look bad....sigh
Had a dentist at 20 who told me they were all a mess and I would lose them all before I was 30. Got p'ed off at him and bailed out. Now am 33, all teeth still there (well minus the ortho based extractions), no cavities (so to that dentist) and paying for it myself. Have been putting it off in recent years as scared of cost but have ended up with such a whopping great mortgage on last house purchase that $6000 for dental treatment didn't register as an excuse anymore ...its just more debt lol

I've just come across this post - I've got an unexpected afternoon off work so have been trawling the archives!

I never got braces when I was younger because I didn't need them - I didn't have absolutely perfect teeth but not far off, they were pretty straight and tidy. And then the wisdom teeth made an appearance.....and the rest is overcrowded history! An ortho I saw about 4 years said they wouldn't get any worse but hey presto, they have. So I'm taking the plunge now - luckily I got a generous scholarship to do my MA of which I managed to set aside £3000. So I'll see my new smile as my well-deserved reward for years of hard study and dedication!

In the last week or so I've confided in two good friends that I'm going to be getting braced and one of them said "Ok, I think your teeth are fine but it's totally your call" and the other said she's never ever noticed anything wrong with my teeth in 7 years of laughing together! Isn't funny how your perception of your own teeth is so much different to everyone else's?! But it's also the only one that really counts - if you can't do something like this purely for yourself and yourself alone then there's really no point.

I was 6 years old when my parents where told that there was not enough room for my teeth so that they would be severely crooked. We were very poor and through the years my parents had many misfortunes. Once my mom told me that she wished that they had been able to fix my teeth so for me I can never have any hard feelings. 10 years ago I went to have them fixed and was told that I would need jaw surgery. I have an overbite and an underdeveloped lower jaw. After my consult with the oral surgeon I decided not to have surgery (I was too scared of the surgery and the cost even though my husband encouraged me to go ahead with the surgery since he new how much I hate my teeth) and every orthodontist I consulted said if no surgery then no braces. Now that the surgery is so much easier than it was 10 years ago I decided to go for it, went in for a consult with an ortho and was told that he didn't think that I needed surgery but if it is needed then I will do it. So I will finally be braced on Sept 6th.

I remember going for a consultation as a teenager. I suppose it was just too expensive for my dad to afford. Finally, at the age of 40, I'm able to afford the braces I've wanted since my teens. Can't wait for straight, beautiful teeth.

I was never one for loving the dentist (as I'm sure a lot of us were/are!) But I never had an orthodontic consultation until last year. When I was young (9), the dentist I went to said I didn't need them. However, I knew my teeth were not as straight as they should be...Now I have to look forward to correcting my crowding, bite problem and jaw surgery to boot. I blame myself for not making my parents take me. They would have had no problem putting braces on me (unlike some people who couldn't afford it or was refused treatment by their parents). Oh well, now I am no longer afraid and I'm looking forward to the day that I FINALLY get those braces on and the journey begins......

i have been told I need braces since i was 13 years old ... but my parents just couldn't afford it. I am now 31 -- and basically got my braces using my first real paycheck But because I am paying for them -- i think i will be more compliance w/ retainers

Another vote for lack of money here... although, back then I didn't have any desire to have them