Son needs braces

[mistoffolees]

But wouldn't the person who works in a dental oral surgery clinic have a better feel for how common this is than you do? Perhaps your family just has a very rare genetic trait which causes a narrow jaw?

Of course, it doesn't really matter - the OP doesn't have the legal authority to authorize braces and the CP refuses. Unless he can convince a court that it's necessary, he's greatly overstepping his bounds by authorizing braces.

[Jade]

>......and make sure you have ALL the facts before you give
>out that kind of 'advice', Jade.  If your aunt had to have her
>jaw broken before she got braces, it wasn't because of the
>braces but probably something else that had to be fixed before
>applying braces.  Or from some other problem that developed at
>some time in her life.  Or it could be congenital and she had
>it all her life.  MANY possibilities as to why she had to have
>it done.
>
>I work in a collegiate oral surgery clinic..........breaking
>the jaw is a very rare occurance nowadays and there must be
>extenuating circumstances before they will go that far.  The
>only possible difference between getting braces as a teen
>compared to adult is that it 'might' take longer as an adult.
>Then again, it might not.  EVERY person is different and what
>happens to one may not happen to another.  And everyone reacts
>to treatment differently as well.  Some progress rapidly,
>while others take more time.
>
>
So you know my aunt and her situation better than me?  Didn't realize that you knew her.

Oh, wait a minute, if you knew her, then you would have known that the doctor told her that she wouldn't have had to have her jaw broken to get her teeth fixed if she had it done as a child.  

[Jade]

>getting it done as a child IS much better.
>
>But this NCP is saying that the CP won't approve.
>
>And I'm throwing the idea out there that the NCP can decide to
>also support this down the road when the child is an adult --
>because the focus is to support the endeavor for the child.
>
>And if the CP won't cooperate now, the NCP can always still
>support later.

Then the CP is an idiot.  I had to have braces.  And I was teased as a child because of my teeth.

It does a lot of damage to a child.  

Would a psychologist stating that they are necessary help the ncp's case?

[MixedBag]

that THAT depends on the state and whether or not most orders lean towards having ortho covered as a medical item or not.

Don't know about Indiana.

I had a letter here in AL saying they were medically necessary and EX#1 didn't want to fess up because his parents didn't do it for him.  Judge supported EX#1.

I as CP still took them and paid about $10K total for both girls.

CP is an idiot IMHO particularly if the NCP is willing to pay 100%.

[Kitty C.]

.........any more than you know the child pertinent to this thread.  That's why I said there could be a myriad of reasons why her jaw had to be broken and just because she had to have it done as an adult doesn't mean that every person who gets braces as an adult would have to have it done as well.  And because we see the worst of the worst, there have also been instances of kids required to have their jaws fractured for various reasons as well.  When you see patients within a 4 state area, you eventually see almost everything at least a few times.

Almost every medical and dental procedure is easier to recover from as a child than as an adult.  That's the difference in physiology between and adult and child.  The VERY first thing you learn about pediatrics is that they are NOT little adults.  Another example is chicken pox....much easier for kids to recover from and less painful than the shingles that adults can get if they are exposed and not already immune.

But the issue here is the desire of the NCP to get braces, when the CP is adamently against it.  And regardless of how emotionally detrimental it might appear for the child to have crooked teeth, is it worth the thousands of dollars, hours in court, and possible backlash from the CP, with no guarantee of the outcome (let alone what the process could do to the child's wellbeing).  Yes, it's tough on the child, but it can be character-building as well if they had to wait till they were an adult.  I was bullied for over 6 years in school and publicly humiliated at my HS graduation for the way I looked.  I had that fixed 20 years ago.  But I credit my strength of character today from what I went through then.  You take the good with the bad and if you look hard enough, there is a silver lining to all bad situations.

[mistoffolees]

>I completely understand what you are saying.
>
>Unfortunately, in the world today, people are judged on their
>appearance.  As I stated before he is already being teased
>about
>his teeth.  So to me, that is a need...because it is hurting
>him emotionally.  Yes, I know kids tease, that's normal.  But
>isn't a parent wanting to make things better for their kids
>normal too!?!
>
>I am not going to push the issue, believe me there are many
>more important issues we have problems with!  So if issue is
>ignored
>I will probably drop it for now.... But as I was taught if you
>don't ask you won't get!  
>
>Thank you, again!

Well, you could possibly argue that it's needed for her emotional health if her teeth are so bad that it's just plain hideous, but other than that, I'd put this in the category of 'parents can't guarantee a world free of hurtful behavior'. Kids are tough. If it wasn't the teeth, it would be the weight. Or the height. Or hair color. Or something else. In my experience, ALL kids get picked on about something. The difference between the ones who do well and the ones who don't is how they deal with it.

Good luck.

[MixedBag]

the child COULD get this done when they are an adult if the CP decides not to allow the NCP to pay for it and cooperate by taking the child to the appointments and stuff.

Yes, tons of psychological damage will be done in the mean time, but it CAN be fixed later (and probably cost more and stuff), but adults also wear braces.

And psychologically, this will have a positive impact on the child's relationship with the parent who is willing to set things straight after many years of putting up with crooked teeth.

Or maybe the answer is to wait until the child can drive themselves to the appointments and get things done (which would mean more around 16 or so).

[mistoffolees]

>the child COULD get this done when they are an adult if the
>CP decides not to allow the NCP to pay for it and cooperate by
>taking the child to the appointments and stuff.
>
>Yes, tons of psychological damage will be done in the mean
>time, but it CAN be fixed later (and probably cost more and
>stuff), but adults also wear braces.

Or the kid may grow up and realize it's not such a big deal, after all. Every time I see the dentist he says that he could fix my crooked teeth without too much difficulty. Money isn't an issue, but I'm just not vain enough to want to go through it.

>
>And psychologically, this will have a positive impact on the
>child's relationship with the parent who is willing to set
>things straight after many years of putting up with crooked
>teeth.
>
>Or maybe the answer is to wait until the child can drive
>themselves to the appointments and get things done (which
>would mean more around 16 or so).

That doesn't solve the real problem. The mother has sole legal custody. I don't believe the father could legally sign for braces no matter how the transportation works out.

[Jade]

>the child COULD get this done when they are an adult if the
>CP decides not to allow the NCP to pay for it and cooperate by
>taking the child to the appointments and stuff.
>
>Yes, tons of psychological damage will be done in the mean
>time, but it CAN be fixed later (and probably cost more and
>stuff), but adults also wear braces.
>
>And psychologically, this will have a positive impact on the
>child's relationship with the parent who is willing to set
>things straight after many years of putting up with crooked
>teeth.
>
>Or maybe the answer is to wait until the child can drive
>themselves to the appointments and get things done (which
>would mean more around 16 or so).


Getting it done is better as a child, as it is much easier to get the jaw to change shape when children are still growing.

My aunt had to have her jaw broken as an adult to get braces.  She wouldn't have had to have this done as a child.

[Kitty C.]

......and make sure you have ALL the facts before you give out that kind of 'advice', Jade.  If your aunt had to have her jaw broken before she got braces, it wasn't because of the braces but probably something else that had to be fixed before applying braces.  Or from some other problem that developed at some time in her life.  Or it could be congenital and she had it all her life.  MANY possibilities as to why she had to have it done.

I work in a collegiate oral surgery clinic..........breaking the jaw is a very rare occurance nowadays and there must be extenuating circumstances before they will go that far.  The only possible difference between getting braces as a teen compared to adult is that it 'might' take longer as an adult.  Then again, it might not.  EVERY person is different and what happens to one may not happen to another.  And everyone reacts to treatment differently as well.  Some progress rapidly, while others take more time.