2-phase orthodontics, palate extenders, etc.

[lunita]

I know I posted about this before, but I can't refer back to the old responses.

Amanda has a cross bite and a narrow arch, so her few adult teeth are very crooked and crowded. One tooth is taking forever to come in and on the x-rays we can see that it has turned a full ninety degrees and will also come in behind where it should because it has so little room. The orthodontist we saw this week recommends a palate extender (expander? this metal device that is fixed to the upper palate that you turn with a little key regularly to make their palate grow wider) and braces for about six months on the first four teeth (or six?) top and bottom. Then she would have an retainer for a few years, and a full set of braces later. He does credit half of the cost of "phase one" treatment to the cost of braces later, which is good if we still live here and like how things are going when that time comes, but is useless if we move or decide to change orthodontists.

A friend gave us the name of their fairly hands-off orthodontist, so that we can get a second opinion from someone we know for sure doesn't always recommend two phase/early treatment. Are there specific questions I should be asking? Any BTDT with this sort of thing?

[mirage1]

Cassie's done the first phase of braces already. Her teeth were also very much out of place and honestly, even if it weren't a normal option, I couldn't imagine leaving her mouth in that condition until she was 12 or 13. One of her top front teeth was behind the bottom ones, and one was in front of them; she looked majorly snaggle-toothed and she couldn't bite food with her front teeth. She had the braces on for about a year, although the main correction was done within the first few months.

I would make the same choice again.

I might ask what he expects to be the options between when this set comes off and the next set goes on. Cassie has a retainer that she wears at night, but I know a lot of kids have one that's permanently (for the next few years!) installed behind their teeth.

[lunita]

That sounds a lot like Amanda's situation. The orthodontist said she'd have a retainer to wear at night between the two sets of braces.

(do you mind talking about costs? I know it has to vary hugely by location, but we were quoted a bit more than $2500 for the palate extender and partial braces)

[mirage1]

She didn't have the palate extender, so I'm sure that makes a huge difference, but Cassie's first phase was about half that.

[Tracy]

Miya has had her expander in for a year now. She has just two braces brackets on her front two teeth until some that she had removed grow in. We were told last week that in 8 more weeks we'll get her full set of braces on. Phew! She's more than ready to get this over with!

[libbylibbylibby]

Well, I haven't had to pay for this... yet...
My kids mouths are not quite that small.
But I had the palate extender as a child, and no braces. I found the palate extender to be easy to maintain and keep clean, and it had the added bonus of helping me do those nasty food tricks that are so much fun when you're 9 or 10 years old.
Probably not what you wanted to hear, huh?

[lunita]

ooh, nasty food tricks. Yeah, that's right up Amanda's alley. LOL. nft

[Kerry]

Nick is about to start phase one of a possibly two-phase treatment in a couple weeks. He's going to have braces put on the top teeth in order to correct a significant underbite and crowding, then he'll have a retainer. The orthodontist said that he didn't think the entire thing, including the retainer, would take more than a year. Then we will revisit the need for a complete set of braces in a few more years (his bottom teeth are almost perfect, so it's possible there won't be a phase two). What we're doing now will cost $2000, half of which will be covered by insurance.