I have a sixteen year old daughter. We just moved to the states. The children here seem to all have perfect teeth. I know she should get braces, but she is very upset about it. She said the children with braces are made fun of and she doesn’t want that to happen to her. If she’s happy with out straight teeth, should I make her get braces?
Maggie L. – San Diego, CA
Maggie,
Whether or not your daughter gets braces is a decision you’ll have to make together. It wouldn’t be fair of me to tell you what is the best decision for your daughter, especially since I haven’t examined her. Maybe her teeth are fine, but just crooked. In that case it wouldn’t matter if she got braces. In other situations, maybe her teeth are out of alignment in a way that can lead to TMJ. That can cause serious problems and pain for her.
My suggestion is you see a dentist who does orthodontic work and they can examine her and see what will be best for her. I do have some good news for you. If it is determined that she will need braces, she’s not stuck with those metal things that makes her afraid of being made fun of in school There are now “invisible braces”, such as Invisalign. No one will ever know she is wearing them. Her teeth can be straightened in secret.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa Dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.