Hey Guys, I need some advice on a tough decision that has to be made on the 29th. As u all know I'm 16, so im going through that "fix your screwed up teeth" stage. I have a slight underbite (top teeth go behind your bottom teeth when u bite down). I have to decide wether or not to wear braces for 2 years to straighten them, then get an operation in wich they'll break my bottom jaw and move it back a bit. I'm having trouble with it because I don't want to look funny for my last 2 years of highschool (not that people with braces look funny, I'm just picturing what I would look like with them). I know it sounds stupid but you know how self-consious people are when there in highschool. Any thoughts would be greatly appriciated. Thanks alot, Lucas
Yeah that actually is a pretty tough choice to agree to. Fix for the long term or not and having even more issues in a couple years down the road. The best choice of course is the hardest. If you don't do it now you're going to be getting in deeper and deeper. Now it's feeling weird in high school. But then it becomes in college where you'll probably be going out even more with more and more freedoms. Meeting new people more and more. So I say this is a hard lesson in hard but right choice making. You will have a lot more times in life when doing whats best for the long term really sucks doing it but you know you have to. Good luck with the choice. High school is tough but fades away real quick when you're out! Steven G. Ogden edit: invisalign! Thats a great idea from him!
Have them straightened. The only thing worse than having braces your last years of high school is having braces your first years of college. Get it done now and put it behind you. Also, with an under bite you might damage your teeth the longer you go without aligning your bite. What about having invisalign braces? http://www.invisalign.com/generalapp/us/en/index.jsp If your folks balk at the added expense perhaps you can demonstrate your good intentions by working part time to help cover the added expense. Just my $.02
Braces suck, believe me, I had them. But it's better to get them fixed now in high school when kids are idiots then to wait till college when you got two hotties sitting around you wanting to "talk".
Don't be ruled by insurance. If you have an oral surgeon that want's to break your jaw, get an independent opinion first. Older dentists may still be inflicting chrome grillwork on kids, but that may be better than one raised in the "close enough" generation: where messing up is par for the course. Be very careful choosing an oral surgeon. A mistake inside your jaw will impact your health in surprising ways.
Screw the high school people that don't like the braces. It's not like YOU asked for 'em. What a crock you need to even worry about a decision like this because of peer influence. Take care of yourself NOW. Dane
Unless your teeth are perfect, the braces are going to do more than just correct your bite. You will be much happier in the long run and have healthier looking teeth. Also, there are far more people at your age now wearing braces than there will be if you decide to wait a few years.
That sounds good but in reality school can be a harsh place. Being made fun of and joked about can take a terrible toll on ones mental well being. I agree get them fixed now but understand there will be the a-holes who are going to make fun of you. Do your best not to let it bother you. Hang out with friends and find activities to keep your mind off those things. Be the better person and maybe not in 2 weeks or 2 months--down the road YOU will be the one benefiting ---not them.
As much as I hate to say it, but that is much easier to say than to do. Being a teenager these days is VERY hard. They are only braces though, and I never heard much about them when I had them, just get it done with and you'll be much happier when you're older.
I was in highschool two years ago and I had them. I never felt any different because I had braces. It was almost the 'norm'.
You have to be kidding me. Kids make fun of kids for braces? I've NEVER heard of that. I've heard of everything else, but I seriously have not heard of anyone being made fun of for something as common as braces. Like I said above, I was in highschool LESS than two years ago (and it was a pretty stuck-up one, to say the least).
Agreed. I'd get some second or other opinions there. Many dentists/surgeons love to overkill as it more $$. I'd like to verify the need to break the jaw thing. Try to find another way. Good luck
Do the braces and be happy for the rest of your life. DEFINITELY get another opinion (or two) before you let anyone break your jaw....Or perhaps a different orthodontist may offer a solution to correct the underbite with the braces themselves?
They should be able to correct it with a headgear. It gets built into the braces. It will look stupid, but better than surgery. I had braces 3.5 years (yeah, the teeth were very bad), now I'm a senior in high school, and it's definitely worth it. Was never really made fun of. If there were any reamrks, it was easy to shrug it off.
Step one..get em fixed. Step two...lift weights No one will say anything if they know what's good for em.
Thanks for all the replys guys, they really helped me out. I'm going to go for it so all thats left now is to go to the ortho and get all the details worked out. Thanks again! Lucas
I have had an underbite surgery March 10th of this year, and my face is great now. I am 21 now, I was wearing braces for 2 years and just got them taken off a week ago. I can't believe people still make fun of people with braces, everyone has them! Do you have a big underbite? Class 4? Mine was very large, my surgery was actually 2 in one operation, they brought the top part forward by 5mm and shortened the bottom one. I was swollen for a while, but I recovered much quicker than expected. It is definately worth it. My oral surgeon is very good. Don't do the surgery too soon though. 18 sounds a bit early. As a male, you may not be done growing by 18. You definately do not want to go through that procedure more than once. One thing to keep in mind though. Right now, you may not think the underbite is that serious, but as you grow, it will get bigger and tougher to eat, sleep, chew, speak. Breathing is more difficult also, because of the way your jaw is. When you get braces, the underbite will get worse, however. This is because the teeth at the top do not have teeth to line up with, so they start to grow outwards, looking to meet the bottom teeth. When you get braces, they will put them in position for the operation. The top teeth will not be in contact with the bottom teeth at all, and there will be about a cm of space between them. When I find the number to my oral surgeon, I will give you his number. He is the best. (all surgeons have to believe they are the best!)
