Monday, November 29, 2010

A Salute to Orthadontia

Orthodontics Phase I:
Age: 5 years
Concern: Severe cross bite and narrow upper jaw creating a 'duck bill' protrution of her front teeth.
Plan: Series of permanent appliances and removable retainers that will widen the upper jaw and help correct the cross bite in hopes of avoiding jaw surgery later on.
Cost: $1800.00

Orthodontics Phase II:
Age: 7 years
Concern: Continued cross bite but, also, widening the upper jaw has created spacing that needs to be addressed in order for perminent teeth to come in properly.
Plan: Braces on top teeth, continued permanent appliance in upper jaw.
Cost: $2200.00


Orthodontics Phase III:
Age: 9 years
Concerns: While the upper jaw has shown significant improvement and most spacing issues are resolved, potential surgery is still probable. Spacing also needs to be retained until all perminant teeth are in place. Perminant teeth that have grown in so far are HUGE, needing more space than previously expected.
Plan: A new series of perminent retainers that will hold the spacing in place while perminent teeth come in and continue widening the jaw to allow room for the teeth.
Cost: $1600.00

Orthodontics Phase IV:
Age: 13 years
Concerns: Perminent teeth are in and jaw has widened nicely, but teeth are not straight and alignment between top and bottom teeth is not matching up. Surgery is still a possibility.
Plan: Full braces on top and bottom teeth with continual rubber band placements that will hopefully forgo surgery to expand upper jaw with plates, screws and implants.
Cost: $4,000.00

But results like this...






Priceless!

13 comments:

ali cross said...

Aww! She's beautiful! Well worth every penny.

Kristina P. said...

She has such a beautiful smile!

Shanda said...

Oh my, what a journey! She is beautiful. I bet she's loving being done with all that. I only had 3 years of braces, with lots of painful reshaping as well, and I was SO happy to be done! We're just getting ready to start all this with our 13 year old. Any advice for me?

Corrina Terry said...

I have 2 boys (10 & 11) who will be needing braces. One has already had about $4,000 in surgeries for a mouth full of crowns (and I brushed his gums and baby teeth faithfully!!!)

Thanks for the peek into our future. Just looking at her smile makes the cost and pain worth it! :o) Great post!

Annette Lyon said...

I'm coughing and choking at that price tag, but dang, those teeth are gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

That's a gorgeous smile. =D

I fear we're going to be starting this process with my little dudes but how can you put a tag on a happy smile like that?

Shari said...

She's beautiful. How can you feel badly about all of that money in her mouth, er, spent on her mouth.

alisha said...

Egad - I can't believe you had to go through all that! But yes, totally worth it. Her smile is beautiful!

Rebecca Talley said...

Gorgeous smile. We're on our 4th kid with braces. My youngest will need a series of jaw widening appliances starting in a few years. If we get the same results as your daughter I'll be thrilled!

Stephanie Abney said...

Beautiful smile - been there, done that with the orthodontia ~ but so worth it. Cute way you set it up. Nice post. Sweet daughter. :)

Grandma 'D' said...

How beautiful....your daughter is gorgeous and according to My Crystal, all of your kids are pretty much the bomb as well as yourself. Love this post. You gotta love the orthodontist!!!! Poor guy...hehehehehe:)

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Oh wow - and she's gorgeous like her mum. Lovely!

amberargyle said...

Holy crap. I'm so glad I never had to have braces.