My daughter who is 10 started her treatment in preparation for getting her fixed appliances on her teeth today.  She had impressions and photographic studies done along with seperators inserted in the back teeth.  Tomorrow she is at Cambridge having 4 teeth extracted seems a shame as they are perfect teeth but she needs to make room for bringing her other teeth backwards.  She appears to be ok about all this.  In two weeks time she will have her upper fixed appliance fitted, followed by the lower appliance in a further two weeks.  Then two years of regular visits to the Orthodontist to have these adjusted and hopefully with the help of a retainer will have perfect (or near as damn it) teeth in 24 months.  Anyone else got a fixed appliance and if so any advice please?

Hi Craigles

I had one when I was a kid, a bit younger than your daughter.  In fact, I had most types of braces available - the one that can be taken out with the headbrace at night and the fixed one (top and bottom).  It was awful to begin with, I think it was worse for me because I have always been terrified of the dentist, probably stemming back to getting my first impression at about 7 by a nasty orthodontist who screamed at me for crying.  :(  Having said that, you get used to wearing braces very quickly and it soon became a way of life that I never thought about and didn't bother me.  Just make sure that she cleans her teeth well, it's quite difficult to get into all the nooks and crannies with the fixed braces.  I'm sure she'll be fine!  Wish her luck and let us know how she gets on.  :) 

My son had braces fitted when he was 15, and he had to have two upper teeth removed. Does your daughter have to wear the headgear to start with? That was the bit my son hated the worst. The braces themselves were a nuisance, but he said not uncomfortable, even on the days when they were adjusted. He was annoyed that he couldn't eat apples and drink fizzy drinks while he had them, but now says that, with hindsight, he's very glad he went through it.

My daughter had braces for 3 years, they were finally removed last summer.  She now has lovely perfect straight teeth!  All I can say is make sure you have plenty of pain killer, not only for the extraction pain, but when the braces are put in, their teeth 'hurt' for ages plus they can also get 'blisters' on the inside of their cheeks until they get used to the braces.  Not very pleasant at the time, but well worth it in the end.

Both mine have had fixed braces top and bottom. Son had to have 8 teeth removed first - daughter only 2.

The braces are easy :) What is difficult is to make sure that when the braces are removed the children wear the retainers when they are supposed too. Also, the treatment doesn't always work :( My son has 'funny' roots apparently (inherited from his father) and his bottom teeth went back to being very crooked after about 6 months, despite wearing the retainers as recommended :(

Daisy

My 16 year old is just coming to the end of his treatment .Retainers every other night.Fixed braces are good ,at least you dont have to nag to make sure they've put them in.The only real problems we had was food,no crusty rolls,apples,toffees etc.mine managed to bend his wires with a roast potato once.You should be given some wax ribbon to stop any rubbing from the braces and her teeth will ache when the appliance is fitted and adjusted.You can buy special orthodontic tooth brushes which we found usefull .They look like tiny bottle brushes and really get into the nooks and cranies.

My 15 year old son has got a fixed brace (top and bottom)and his teeth are nearly perfect.He had to have 4 perfectly good teeth taken out to make room for the other teeth to go into place which to me at the time did not make sense, but I can see why now..His first brace was one that could be removed and also had a device which stretched his pallet built into the brace.The fixed brace is so much better as the first one my 2 year old daughter walked off with it whilst he was cleaning his teeth and we could not find it for days!!! evenually it was found at the back of his sock draw!!!!don't ask me how it got there...

Jane..

We did have to explain TWICE to the orthodontist that the pup had eaten daughter's retainer :D How - I never got to the bottom of as pup wasn't allowed upstairs and daughter should have left them in her bedroom. Thankfully, he saw the funny side and said that she was due for new ones anyway :D

Daisy

thank you for all the advice, Hannah has had 4 perfectly good teeth removed today whilst under sedation.  she is home now and after the initial shock in the recovery room is fine.  It feels like a long road we are going down but I know it will be worth it in the end when she's smiling with her lovely teeth showing instead of hiding her mouth when talking or never smiling as is the case now.  Next stage in two weeks time when our Orthodontist will fit the top fixed appliance followed by the bottom in a further two weeks.  I have never spoken to anyone with them before as I never liked to mention their appliance least of all ask questions so this has helped me a lot thanks to you all.  x