Braces and/or headgear aggravate tics or OCD?

[patty]

I am so sick and tired of worrying about everything i do that may aggravate my son's tics or OCD i just want to scream and cry! Our last orthodontic experience caused a flair up, so i am even more worry the 2nd time around.

 

If my son does not have a severe underbite, a pretty bad crossbite and a croaked tooth that is rotated 90 degress, i would leave it alone. The fear of the unknown is giving me anxiety.

 

So pls if you have any comments, pls let me know. Thx!

 

Pat

[Chemar]

gotta tell ya Patty...with the way my son always reacted to dental issues.....I would take the over & underbites and crooked teeth any day over the potential fallout from braces and headgear.............

 

in fact, after one visit to an ortho, my son said he would rather be toothless than have any of that

 

I know for some kids it is no problem............

 

it is a hard call for you to make. if it is any consolation, my son's teeth seem to have developed just fine without any orthodontic intervention

[patty]

Chemar,

 

Thx for your feedback. Unfortunately, my son's underbite is so bad that he will require surgery. He inherited that from my husband side of the family. My father in law had lock jaw in his early teens and couldn't open his mouth. Also, the underbite is affecting his speech and the crossbite is causing him to bite his cheek while eating. Only if it is less problematic, i would say just leave it alone.

 

Pat

[Chemar]

that is pretty severe then Patty

 

have you looked into the TMJ/tic connection thing then?

 

hope all works out for the best...I nknow how hard it is when one's child has more than one issue and so the balancing act of what helps the one that may trigger the other!

[CSP]

Patty,

 

I tell ya my son did react to the braces, but it has not been waxing for 2 years he does wane. I think you will see some kind of waxing but I think it may last while his teeth are having a major movement. I see our son does wax when his teeth are being pulled and then it calms down again. Tis has been 2 years this June and he has another year to go. I can't wait to see how he is when the braces come off.

 

Good luck, I'll be praying this goes well for him.

CP

[patty]

CSP,

 

Thx for your reply. Do you mean that the braces aggravated his tics but it did wane over the course of 2 yrs?

 

I have been loosing sleep over my son's orthodontic treatment. We started w/a dentist who is awared of TMJ & tics connection and has an alternative approach early this year and it spiked his tics & OCDs! Decided to stop treatment becuz i did not feel comfortable w/the dentist.

 

I just pray that everything works out. I am hoping for the best!

 

Pat

[CSP]

Patty,

 

Yes, the braces did aggravate his tics, but I don't think it is the braces themselves that does it. For him it seems more like the teeth being moved that I have noticed does the aggravating. I was worried because he has an allergy to nickle and that really made me worry when he first got them, but his ortho told be they were steel braces and at first when he waxed I thought his waxing would last until his braces came off. He waxed for about 2 months, but I had to tell myself that he did that anyway so we hung in there and they did wane.

 

Now I notice that when he has his appt. every 8 to 10 weeks he waxes for about 2 days sometimes it is a week because his teeth are sore. He is glad he got braces I think it helps him feel good about himself.

 

I understand your worry that is alot of money and when you know your child needs something done what is the lesser of the 2 evils.

 

I hope he does not react to the medal I know that is a worry.

 

CP

[ilovedogs]

I am so sick and tired of worrying about everything i do that may aggravate my son's tics or OCD i just want to scream and cry! Our last orthodontic experience caused a flair up, so i am even more worry the 2nd time around.

 

If my son does not have a severe underbite, a pretty bad crossbite and a croaked tooth that is rotated 90 degress, i would leave it alone. The fear of the unknown is giving me anxiety.

 

So pls if you have any comments, pls let me know. Thx!

 

Pat

Hi Patty,

I have the same concerns that you have about the braces. Right now ds has a permanent steel space maintainer in and I truly think the tics started right after he got that thing put in. I just never made the connection. But, the tics have waxed and waned like everyone else's anyway. Ds has a huge overbite and his eye teeth are coming in looking like Dracula's fangs, LOL! So far, he's not complaining but I think he's going to want braces when he gets interested in girls. So, I'm thinking of waiting until he's 14 or so, see how the teeth look once his mouth grows some more, and then probably get them put on. My main reason for waiting is that ds has a horrible dentist/ortho phobia because of his gag reflex, etc. He throws up at almost every dental appointment whenever something touches his tongue. Anyway, I hate dealing with mouth stuff with him because he's so difficult. He's very afraid of getting a filling done or having any work done in his mouth and I feel he has the best pediatric dentist around. It sounds like you have medical reasons for putting him in braces so it sounds like that's your best alternative. Good luck, prayers today for you guys from me!

[patty]

CSP & Ilovedog,

 

Thx for your feedback and support. I can really use it! I have been so stress about my son lately, i have severe anxiety attacks as soon as i get up. Have been taking magnesuim and is alleviating some of my discomfort. I just don't know how much more of this my body can take. I just wish that the tics/ocd thing goes away one day as sudden as it came 41/2 years ago.

 

Pat

[CSP]

((((((((((Patty))))))))))))

 

That number... 4 1/2 years ago, that cuts deep for me too. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this to the point your own body is suffering too.

 

Are you thinking having the work done while he is young will help when he is a teen and the dental work is all over with?

 

Or are you thinking waiting would be better for him until he is a teen?

 

 

 

Bonnie, as darling as your son is, I think any girl would have him even if he had no teeth. How is the tennis going?

 

CP

[ilovedogs]

((((((((((Patty))))))))))))

 

That number... 4 1/2 years ago, that cuts deep for me too. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this to the point your own body is suffering too.

 

Are you thinking having the work done while he is young will help when he is a teen and the dental work is all over with?

 

Or are you thinking waiting would be better for him until he is a teen?

 

 

 

Bonnie, as darling as your son is, I think any girl would have him even if he had no teeth. How is the tennis going?

 

CP

You are so sweet! He's doing well with tennis, thanks for asking. Just got back from a big national tournament in Palm Springs, CA. Grif had 2 wins which moved him up in the Southwest rankings to number 19. He's trying to qualify for an event called Pacific Zonals which occurs in late July in Tucson, AZ, so he's working hard at keeping his cool and playing his best. You know, it's weird; we're not doing any supplements for the tics or anxiety now and he's doing fine. I mean, he still tics and has a few weird habits/OCD type stuff he does but his anxiety and the intensity of the tics have far decreased. I'm not even being strict about diet since we don't have a poor diet anyway. I still allow some Sprite, some nitrated meats, and even HFCS when he needs a Powerade if I don't have any other electrolyte supplement around.

 

One of his good friends from tennis also has tics. Hair tossing, eye blinking, and a mouth tic that Grif noticed one day. And, I saw another top player who had an eye blinking tic recently. Tics seem very common and I just try to lighten up these days. We've had so much going on. My dad is still in a PT rehab facility (he had the surgery 5 months ago and is still paralyzed from the waist down partially) recovering from a spinal tumor surgery, John's dad is 87 and just fell down the stairs and was in the hospital(for the 2nd time in a few months), we just put our 14 year old lab down last week, and the list goes on and on.....Anyway, with all this going on, I truly don't have time to mess around with supplements. I spend my days on the phone with family and I was spending a lot of time tending to the dog for the past few months before we put her down. And, through all of this Grif has come through with flying colors. At one point my dad and dh's dad were in the hospital in life threatening situations at the same time!!! It's been crazy! Hope all is well with everyone at your place. We'll be out in September again so hopefully we can get together again!

 

B

[CSP]

Bonnie,

 

That is great news!!!

 

I'm so busy getting ready for a boatload of family coming for older dd's graduation I know what ya mean.

 

We planted sweet potatoes and I thought of you and your mom, so now I know when to dig them up.

 

Still praying for you, Patty, hoping this choice becomes easier to make.

 

CP

[patty]

CP,

 

We are starting orthodontic work for my son next week. I really am hoping for the best. Unfortunately, my son has a severe underbite, crossbite and a rotated tooth that prevents him from biting down properly. I am not doing this to fixed his tics/ocd (due to the TMJ & tic connection). I am doing it to prevent jaw surgery down the line and to have functional teeth for chewing. My father in law had locked jaw due to his underbite in his early twenties.

 

Pat

[ilovedogs]

Hi Patty, did you get the braces on yet? I thought of you today because my ds got his space maintainer taken out today and we were chastised for not having him in braces yet. I will be doing some research over the summer and I am going to try to find the best ortho for kids with special needs. You see, it's not just the tics that I'm concerned about, I'm worried about ds' anxiety issues as he has a HUGE fear of dentists and any mouth stuff, KWIM? I hope things are going well for you guys!

 

 

Bonnie

[ilovedogs]

Just wanted to post this while I'm witnessing it myself. Ds had his spacer taken off today after 3 years of having it in his mouth. I haven't seen one eye blink or eye wink or eyebrow raise. NOTHING! I keep thinking maybe it's a coincidence but I'll know more as I go through this weekend. We're traveling for a tennis tournament tomorrow and he tends to tic more during tournaments due to the stress and excitement. If he doesn't have any facial tics, then this will make it extra hard on me to decide whether to put him in braces or when I decide to do the braces. It's like I'll have to accept that we have to take the good with the bad, right?

 

Bonnie