5 year old with braces?

[MRiley2002@msn.com]

Just jumped into the 1990's and got a computer to go on-line. Pardon me if I don't do this e-mail correctly.


My daughter, who is a few days shy of her 4th birthday, will be getting braces within 18-24 months. The orthodontist at the cleft clinic says her arch is falling causing her upper teeth to push down on her lower teeth. It will also give them time to realign her very crooked eye tooth in the cleft location. The thought of braces on a 5 year old nearly drives me bananas--cleaning must be a battleground with a waterpick as the weapon.


Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, noticed on your message board comments about oral vs. plastic surgeon for bone graft. Never thought about it. Our plastic surgeon said that he'd take the bone from either her hip or rib. Anyone have a take on that issue?

[q3@graphicscribbles.com]

Congrats on tapping into the computer world. I hope you enjoy your experience with it. My daughter Jade(who's featured on this site) does not have braces yet. She is 7 years old now. She will get braces but she hsan't lost enough baby teeth to get braces yet. She has had the bone graph. She had that surgeory when she was four and a half. Her doctor extracted to bone marrow from her skull. The surgery was successful. She came through it with flying colors. I'm not looking forward to the whole braces experience myself. It should be a challange. Good luck with everything and God bless you and your daughter.

[MRiley2002@msn.com]

I peaked backwards at Jade's pictures--she sure is beautiful!!! You're the first person that I have noticed talking about bone marrow for the graft. I thought it was true bone that they took. Or did they take just the marrow because she was such a young patient? I thought I had it all figured out until I came on-line. You all have my head spinning, but I know that knowledge is a good thing, and I will take all the information that I can get! Thanks for replying!

[allisonraleigh@hotmail.co]

Wow, I have been on the internet for a long time, and this is the first time I have ever looked up anything on cleft's before. I should have done it sooner.


I am 22, and was born with a cleft lip and palate. I had never heard of taking the bone out of your rib before, but i am sure things have advanced much since I had my surgeries.


When I had by bone graft the choices they gave my mother were my hip or my skull. My mother chose my skull. I personally think that is the best choice. I can cover up that scar with my hair, and the only way anyone knows about it is if I tell them, or when i get my hair done.


They told my mom that if they did it in my hip I could end up with a limp. Though I could of also ended up not having a limp. But really I am just glad that my scar for the bone graft is not visible.


When I was five I was wearing retainers. Which I am sure drove my mom crazy. I can remember finding an old retainer a few years later that i had lost in the couch. When I was eleven I had had braces and was again in retainers. This time I kept accidentally throwing them away at lunch. I think my mom much perferred dealing with the braces than the retainers. I personally never felt that the braces were too hard to take care of. The worst thing to me was getting them adjusted. It could be painful sometimes.


I am not sure if that is any help to you. All I know is that I think, as much as I wish I never had to go through any of it, it was worth it.