There's certainly something in what you say. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Janine.

But there's another side to the coin: leaving very badly aligned teeth can lead to decay and gum problems later in life.

Yes, this is true but only in extreme cases. Orthodontic procedures, as painful and hazardous as they've proven to be, are best undertaken only as a last resort, and certainly not for minor cosmetic reasons! The risks are much too grave.

IMO and experience, perfectly aligned "model" teeth are simply not natural. Sure, there's a plethora of beautiful glossy pictures in textbooks, on those posters adorning your dentist's office, in glamour mags, on TV, in the movies and in the mouths of denture wearers - but that's about it. It's just too easy for professionals to prey on the natural human desire to look good, on vulnerable people's self-esteem/confidence issues, and on every decent parent's natural desire to give their kids the best of all things.

WHere I live, braces are a real status symbol, because only the well-off and comfortable can afford them. KInda like private music lessons. I watch more and more of my little students walk in every year, showing off their brand-new brightly coloured and oh-so-pretty little torture devices - on perfectly healthy-looking straight little teeth that were absolutely fine to begin with!   And I just shudder ...

Glad that Emma has nice-looking teeth! Sounds like my oldest son - 28 now and still blessed with even, straight, well-aligned, absolutely cavity-free teeth and the healthy gums and bones to support them.

At 23, my twin sons still show a slight overbite - say about 3-4 mm - but their teeth are white and straight, their gums healthy and one of them has 2 little fillings (sealants fell out). Unlike my eldest, my twins DID inherit my relatively small jaw / large teeth - but still, it's caused them no problems!

One of them sucked his thumb till about age 8-9 too - and I sure don't see any evidence of oral damages! Today, his teeth look just like his non-thumb-sucking twin brother's. ANd hey, he dropped the habit naturally, when he was ready! I certainly didn't torture it out of him for years, much less allowed any so-called "professional" to torture him! I just left him alone, and he grew out of it.

ANyway, all the best with your younger two, dentally speaking, and again - thanks for your feedback Janine.

daylia