Desperately need advice...9 year old son and anxiety/braces

[momtogrif]

My 9 year old has major tooth trouble but he also has major anxiety and a tic disorder which make dental work a chore for us. He saw a second ortho today who wants to start him ASAP on upper Damon braces. He has a huge overbite and major crowding on the upper right side where there are 3 teeth trying to come in to one spot!
The ortho told me I'm in danger of him having an impacted tooth or an extraction at some point! This the second ortho to really push braces on him already despite his anxiety, etc.

I'm just not sure what to do. Cost isn't an issue. Protecting my son's neurological issues and his peace of mind is what's important to me! He can barely sit through a cleaning b/c he gets panicky being in the dentist's chair for 20 minutes. I can't imagine him sitting still for an hour or more! I really need advice here!
Has anyone else had a child with anxiety handle the ortho confidently? I mean, he says he's ready and ok with everything but he gagged when they took the pictures this AM. He has a major gag reflex problem too! I would love to avoid braces and put it off for a few years but these orthos seem to think he MUST have them now!

[ohmyjaw]

Well it's good that your son is saying he's ready to give it a try - he's got a great attitude.

There was another parent who just recently said her ortho recommended a dose of benadryl before appointments to relax her daughter and numb her gag reflex. Maybe give that a try?

Also, I would ask if it's possible to have shorter appointments. Maybe the ortho can spread the work over several shorter appointments, instead of having your son sit in the chair for an hour or more. The first few appointments are the longest ones. Once you get through the initial placement of the braces, it gets easier.

I have always had gag problems too. There are a few tricks - a really good one simple distraction - get your son to focus his attention on something else. It can be as simple as wiggling his toes. Also, tell him to breathe through his nose - not his mouth!

Finally, make sure you find an ortho that you and your son are comfortable with. If you feel that the first two are too pushy, then don't go with them. Find someone who is willing to do what it takes to make your son comfortable.

P.S. Damon braces are no better than regularing ones, so don't fall for any marketing hype! The skill of the ortho is what counts.

[Bekah]

My oldest daughter has a really sensitive gag reflex and the way they got around it was to tell her to kick her feet! They made her consentrate on that and it distracted her while they did the impressions.

[momtogrif]

So, Damon braces still cause the same amount of discomfort as regular braces? I'm wondering b/c I'm thinking of getting them for myself, too!

Ds still says he wants to get them. Also, he's only getting uppers and it will be a 4 and 2 system: so, he'll have the 4 adult teeth in the front and the 2 perm. molars in the back with brackets on them. They're really only trying to move the 2 molars back to create the space.

Phase 2 will be braces on both upper and lower to correct the bite and alignment of top and bottom teeth.

Again, I'm still concerned and I think I'm going to be calling the ortho on Monday to consult personally with him and to express my concerns as a parent!

[VivSilverthorne]

I'm really worried, my son (just turned 10) has just been told that he has a slight overbite. I have been told he should have a Quad Helix fitted after reading some of the posts on here I am really not sure that I should go ahead with it. He has never had any work done on his teeth not even a fillign and am not sure that he will cope with it. Is it really necessary to have this procedure .... what can you guys advise??

[ohmyjaw]

Personally, I would say yes you should go ahead and do it. There are many, many kids out there with those types of appliances, and it takes some time to get used to it but most do just fine. The benefits usually outweigh the temporary discomfort - your son will have healthier, more functional teeth, and probably some improvement to his physical appearance.

Just my two cents.

[sauerkraut]

I'm really worried, my son (just turned 10) has just been told that he has a slight overbite. I have been told he should have a Quad Helix fitted after reading some of the posts on here I am really not sure that I should go ahead with it. He has never had any work done on his teeth not even a fillign and am not sure that he will cope with it. Is it really necessary to have this procedure .... what can you guys advise??

I would probably not have needed orthodontic surgery as an adult if the problems with my teeth and bite had been dealt with properly when I was young. So I'm putting my kids through orthodontic treatment now and sometimes I feel really mean. But the silly thing is I think I feel worse about it than they do.

When I had some impressions done a while back, I commented (only half jokingly) to the technician that I must be a cruel mother, putting my children through such a horrible procedure. And she said most kids simply don't see the treatment the way adults do. They somehow have a different perception of the whole thing - are less likely to worry in advance and more likely to forget about it quickly afterwards.

Certainly my daughters have so far regarded braces as no big deal. My younger daughter had a fixed expander and head gear and came through it OK. There were some tearful moments when turning the expander key was painful and she's certainly no fan of impressions. But it hasn't left her traumatised or anything and she's been very happy to dole out tips when I was struggling with my own expander!

Oh and it might actually be an advantage if your son has no pre-history of dental work. My children were the same. Having only had cleanings, sealings and the like, but no fillings, they had no pre-conceived ideas of dental treatment being painful. Although you do have to be honest with them (not pretend something won't hurt if it will) so they know they can trust you. You can always admit that something might hurt for a while or be uncomfortable but that it will only last a moment/can be dealt with by painkillers or whatever. With impressions, incidentally, distraction seems to be the key: concentrate on breathing through your nose, wiggle your toes, see if you can slowly lift your left leg, then lower it, now your right leg, and so on.

If your son's overbite is so slight that you wonder if treatment is even necessary, then it would be a good idea to get a second (or even third) opinion. It's important to find a sympathetic practice where the ortho and the whole team are good at dealing with kids, especially if your son does turn out to be a bit anxious. If you've found somewhere you trust and they're convinced you should go ahead, then I certainly wouldn't deny your son treatment because of fears that he might not cope. If he's anything like my kids it could even end up with him reassuring you!

[momtogrif]

I'm resurrecting my old post here!!

So, we haven't gone through with the braces yet. He still has a space maintainer on the top and his eye teeth are coming in but they are popped out a bit b/c of space issues so it looks like he's getting fangs, LOL! His 12 year molars are starting to come up and he now has no more baby teeth.

We were at the dentist recently and he gagged when they were doing the sealant(we only got 1 side done) and then threw up in the trash. I really am dreading getting braces done but I know it will be necessary.

Does anyone know if waiting until after the 12 year molars are in causes any concern? I had mine on back in the early 80's after my 12 year molars came in and I don't remember any major problems, just the normal discomfort that goes along with rubber bands, adjustments, brackets, etc.

I keep thinking that if I let him mature a bit more, he may be able to handle his gag reflex better and won't be puking all the time. The pediatric dentist says it's OK to wait and he's not pushing me but the ortho is pushing b/c he says ds keeps growing and now's the time to do it as his jaw and mouth grow!

[polkad0t]

I can't say much about the the whole gagging issue, but I waited till my 12 year old molars grew in to finally get my braces but was then told by my ortho that this was not necessary. I'm not sure if it was just my case, but I never had anything done on my 12 year old molars, and the molar bands were placed on the molars next to them.

[Foxsong]

When I was a kid they had to do all my dental work under general anesthesia because the local just didn't work on me -- and after having a live tooth drilled into a few times, I was understandably hysterical about getting into the chair at all. Is that an option for your son?